At Towson University, we鈥檙e training the next generation of physician assistants 鈥� one of the fastest-growing professions 鈥� through one of the nation鈥檚 most established master鈥檚 programs of its kind.
The Physician Assistant Studies master鈥檚 program is part of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
Many factors contribute to a growing need for more licensed health care providers to treat patients. Physician Assistants (Associates) are highly skilled health care providers and are one of the fastest-growing professions in this country with continued high demand for PA graduates. PA program admissions and matriculation and the PA job market are all highly competitive.
Our program is the first established in the State of Maryland and one of the older programs in the USA. We have evolved as the profession has matured and are now exclusively housed here at Towson University, College of Health Professions.
On this page:
Our Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals guide our decisions and actions, while our annual program self-study helps us evaluate progress and continually improve.
Our PA Program educates and empowers resilient graduates to practice collaborative, evidence-based medicine in the ever-changing and diverse health care environment.
Our PA Program is renowned for excellence in PA education, leadership, and innovative approaches to interprofessional practice.
Our PA Program values are:
Mission Alignment: Resilient, practice-ready graduates.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: B1.01; B2.01鈥揃2.11; B4.01鈥揃4.03
Benchmarks
Medical Knowledge
Clinical Skills
Professionalism
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 1 can be found here.
Mission Alignment: Evidence-based medicine and readiness for practice.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: B1.01; B4.01鈥揃4.03
Benchmarks
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 2 can be found here.
Mission Alignment: Collaborative practice and team-based care.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: B2.05, B2.07, B2.09, B2.10
Benchmarks
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 3 can be found here.
Mission Alignment: Diversity, resilience, and serving underserved communities.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: A1.11; B3.01鈥揃3.06
Benchmarks
Diversity and Demographic Representation
Student Success
Workforce Impact
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 4 can be found here.
Mission Alignment: Practice-ready clinicians supported by strong clinical partnerships.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: A2.01鈥揂2.04; B3.01鈥揃3.05
Benchmarks
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 5 can be found here.
Mission Alignment: Operational excellence and resilience.
ARC-PA 6th Standards: A1.06鈥揂1.10; A2.01鈥揂2.04; A3.11; C1.01鈥揅1.03
Benchmarks
Faculty and Staff Support
Operational Infrastructure
Evidence of effectiveness in achieving Goal 6 can be found here.
Graduates of our program are ready to enter into clinical practice and are competent to perform the following:
The application for summer 2027 will open on April 23, 2026. All applicants must be verified in CASPA by August 1.
Please allow sufficient time for verification as it can take up to 4-weeks from the date of submission.
Learn more about Admission requirements and deadlines.
Matriculated student's admission survey results.
In compliance with the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards (5th Edition), the program will provide the most current annual attrition information.
The has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Towson University Department of Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by Towson University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited
program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation
process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA
will be October 2033. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program鈥檚 accreditation history can be viewed on the ARCPA website at .
Individuals who successfully complete the program are eligible for certification by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Graduates of the program have consistently scored well on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), and have achieved a 100% first time pass rate for the class of 2020, surpassing the national exam pass rate average.
For more information please view the NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report and the Predicted vs Actual PANCE Score Analysis.
Towson University has been named the best public university in Maryland and the No. 15 public university in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. The publication鈥檚 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings heavily featured 撸先生 for its record of inclusive student success.
Join a strong network of successful alumni around the country. More than 1,000 program graduates are employed in a wide variety of medical settings in regional, national and international locations.
The oldest and most established program in Maryland, the physician assistant program began in 1972 as a cooperative effort with the Johns Hopkins University and Franklin Square Hospital. The program has undergone a dynamic evolution in its 50-year history.
Make a direct impact on patients and their families. Working as part of the medical team, physician assistants practice medicine by performing patient histories and physical examination, ordering or performing laboratory tests, and analyzing medical data to formulate diagnoses and develop care management plans.