PA/MPH: Medical Science and Public Health
This dual degree program offers students the opportunity to earn a Master of Public Health degree in conjunction with training in the Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Program. The PA program, within the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, recruits, educates, and mentors a diverse group of students to become physician assistants providing quality health care.
- May be completed in three calendar years
- Year one is spent at Rollins (minimum 32 credit hours)
- Years two and three are spent in the PA Program, School of Medicine (seven semesters)
PAs with an MPH will be able to manage patients in clinics, hospitals, and schools, and take a lead in improving the health of communities around the world.
The MPH is added value to a dual-degree graduate who plans on practicing in a clincal setting. The PA/MPH offers graduates additional public health skills to assess the health needs of a community, develop health education programs, participate in clinical or community-based research, or join health profession training programs as teaching faculty members.
- Students must apply to and be accepted into each school separately in order to be eligible for a dual degree.
- All applications to Rollins are completed through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS).
- For instructions on applying to the Emory School of Medicine's Physicians Assistant Program, click here.
- For instructions on applying to Rollins, click here.
The PA program emphasizes primary health care and preventive medicine and seeks to interest students working in medically underserved areas.
The program:
- Uses didactic and clinical training
- Promotes physician/PA team care
- Fosters an appreciation for research, leadership, and the need to be flexible in meeting the changing needs of the health care climate
- Empowers faculty and students to become advocates for the physician assistant profession and for the delivery of primary health care
Students may apply their combined PA and public health skills in such areas as population or clinical research, health administration leadership, and community health promotion.
Students must apply to and be accepted by both the PA and MPH programs. Students apply to a specific department at Rollins. Students enroll in Rollins for one calendar year (fall, spring, summer) and complete 32 semester hours of courses. They include the required MPH core courses, required departmental courses, and, in most instances, a thesis. Students must also complete a practicum, a structured field experience of relevance to public health.
Students generally complete the MPH program before enrolling in PA program courses. Students who complete the MPH degree requirements prior to entering the PA course of study may wish to combine their MPH thesis with the required research project for the PA program. Students may engage in a public health-related practicum during the time they are enrolled in the PA program.
Since 10 semester hours of PA courses count toward the MPH degree (i.e., students must complete 32 rather than 42 semester hours), the MPH degree is awarded when the requirements for the PA program are completed.
The PA program requires 28 months of training, including courses and clinical rotations. During enrollment in the MPH program, the student will be charged the rate of tuition established by Rollins. When enrolled in the PA program, the student will be charged the rate of tuition approved by the School of Medicine for the PA program
PA Program at Emory Ranked #4 by the 2012 U.S. News World Report
Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program