MSPAS - Accreditation

Accreditation
At its March 2021 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) extended Accreditation-Probation status for the University of Dubuque Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by the University of Dubuque until its next review in June 2022.

Probation accreditation is a temporary status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARC-PA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation-Provisional or Accreditation-Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.

Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and/or risk having its accreditation withdrawn.

Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).

The program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at : http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-dubuque/.

Program Director's Response
The University of Dubuque Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program recently completed a thorough self-study followed by a routine site visit from the accrediting body, ARC-PA, as part of its requirement to maintain accreditation. During this process, we learned full compliance with some of the Standards for accreditation, as dictated by ARC-PA, had not been met. As a result, our accreditation status changed from "Accreditation-Provisional" to "Accreditation-Probation". The program has already begun to address the findings and believes the focus on these standards has strengthened the curriculum and assessment process.

While Accreditation-Probation status is temporary, the earliest we will be eligible for re-evaluation is March 2021. Given that it will be two years before we are eligible to regain Accreditation-Provisional status, I want to address the following items with our current students and those considering an application to our program:

  1. Students entering or completing a program with Accreditation-Probation status will graduate from an accredited program, be eligible to take the PANCE and apply for certification and licensure. PANCE eligibility requirements can be found here: http://www.nccpa.net/pance-eligibility. ARC-PA provides additional student information regarding Accreditation-Probation status here: http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/student-questions/.
  2. The University of Dubuque administration and PA Program faculty/staff are dedicated to successfully address ARC-PA's concerns and demonstrate compliance in all standards. It is our goal to be exceptional in all standards and I am confident in our abilities to do this as we are already demonstrating this in over 90% of the standards.

I am proud to lead this team who is committed to developing successful PAs. While there is work to be done, we still have much to celebrate including a beautiful facility, dedicated faculty and staff, talented ambitious students, and a 100% job placement rate. That said, I leave you with Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Higher Learning Commission approved the University of Dubuque's request to offer the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies in December 2015.