{"id":264,"date":"2018-08-20T09:58:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T16:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vendor.hub.wp.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/program\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T21:24:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T21:24:30","slug":"degree-information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/degree-information\/","title":{"rendered":"Degree Information"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Curriculum<\/h2>\n<h3>What to expect from your coursework as an NAU PA student<\/h3>\n<p>The Physician Assistant program at Northern Arizona University encompasses a 2-year period. The first year is all academic, while the second year provides real-world experiences.<\/p>\n<h3>PA curriculum year to year<\/h3>\n<!-- shortcode-accordion -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-accordion shortcode-accordion--closed\" style=\"position: relative;\" >\n        <a class=\"shortcode-accordion__trigger\" data-header=\"Year one_0\" href=\"#\">\n      <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__header\">\n          <h4>Year one <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <span class=\"shortcode-accordion__header__arrow\"><\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__body\">\n        <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body>\n<p>The first year of the Physician Assistant Program consists of 44 weeks (three semesters) of courses to provide you with a solid classroom foundation through lectures, small group activity and hands-on workshops.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-19\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-19 ektron-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Year I Fall Semester (16 weeks)&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Credits&nbsp;<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 500 Human Anatomy&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 520 Foundations of Clinical Practice I&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 530 History Taking and Physical Examination<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 540 Ethics and Professionalism &nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 511 Human Physiology<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 570 Diagnostic Medicine<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Total&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><strong>19&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-20\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-20 ektron-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Year I Spring Semester (16 weeks)<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Credits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 550 Pharmacology &amp; Pharmacotherapeutics I<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 521 Foundations of Clinical Practice II&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 560 Clinical Decision Making I&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 580 Clinical Disciplines I&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 512 Pathophysiology<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Total&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">&nbsp;<strong>20&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-21\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-21 ektron-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Year I Summer Semester (12 weeks)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Credits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 551 Pharmacology &amp; Pharmacotherapeutics II&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 522 Foundations of Clinical Practice III &nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 561 Clinical Decision Making II<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 581 Clinical Disciplines II<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 590 Clinical Procedures and Interventions <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Total &nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><strong>&nbsp;17<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<!-- shortcode-accordion -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-accordion shortcode-accordion--closed\" style=\"position: relative;\" >\n        <a class=\"shortcode-accordion__trigger\" data-header=\"Year two_0\" href=\"#\">\n      <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__header\">\n          <h4>Year two <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <span class=\"shortcode-accordion__header__arrow\"><\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__body\">\n        <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body>\n<p>The second year of the program consists of two year-long courses held in conjunction with on campus events following the completion of every clinical rotation. Clinical rotations are six weeks in length in various primary care, elective and specialty fields.<\/p>\n<p>The core clinical rotations include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>family medicine<\/li>\n<li>internal medicine<\/li>\n<li>emergency medicine<\/li>\n<li>surgery<\/li>\n<li>mental health<\/li>\n<li>pediatrics<\/li>\n<li>women&rsquo;s health<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is one six-week elective clinical rotation allowed.<\/p>\n<p>These clinical-year experiences provide you with hands-on learning in a variety of rural and community clinics and hospitals throughout Arizona.&nbsp;Additionally, you will return to campus several times during the year for continuous and summative assessments, research presentations, capstone projects and reflective coursework.<\/p>\n<p>Please note: the second year is an ongoing year of clinical rotations that do not fit into the semester schedule and will not have scheduled semester breaks.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-22\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-22 ektron-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Year 2<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Credits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 698 Seminar&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 689 PA Capstone<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 631 Family Medicine<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 632 Internal Medicine<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 634 Pediatrics<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 613 Surgery<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 615 Women's Health<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 616 Mental Health<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 617 Emergency Medicine<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PHA 620 Elective<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Total<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">52<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Total Curriculum &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">108<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- shortcode-right-column -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-right-column\" >\n    <div class=\"shortcode-right-column__container\">\n<!-- shortcode-block -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-block\">\n      <div class=\"block-header\">\n        <h3>Take a Virtual Tour <\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n          <div class=\"block-body\">\n      <div>\n<p><a title=\"Health Sciences Education Building\" href=\"http:\/\/vimeo.com\/50575400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Health Sciences Education Building<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<!-- shortcode-block -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-block\">\n      <div class=\"block-header\">\n        <h3>Join our PA Community Listserv!<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n          <div class=\"block-body\">\n      <div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lists.nau.edu\/cgi-bin\/wa?SUBED1=PACOMMUNITY&amp;A=1&amp;X=&amp;Y=Elias.villarreal@nau.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visit our Subscription Manager webpage<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fill in the Name and Email address fields<\/li>\n<li>Click Subscribe<\/li>\n<li>Check your email and click the &#8220;Confirm&#8221; link.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Curriculum What to expect from your coursework as an NAU PA student The Physician Assistant program at Northern Arizona University encompasses a 2-year period. The first year is all academic, while the second year provides real-world experiences. PA curriculum year to year &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":2005,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"my-templates\/catalog.php","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-264","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2096,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/264\/revisions\/2096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/physician-assistant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}