FAQ

At its March 2025 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) placed the Saint Elizabeth University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Saint Elizabeth University on Accreditation-Probation status until its next review in March 2027.

Probation accreditation is a temporary accreditation 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as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn.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 https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-st-elizabeth-university/.

The PA Program matriculates one class each fall semester, starting in September.

The PA Program is 28 months in length with 16 months of didactic and 12 months of clinical.

The SEU PA Program has been accredited to take up to 50 students in each cohort.

The SEU PA Program Admissions Committee will consider AP courses as long as they are listed on the undergraduate transcript and count towards specific coursework at the undergraduate institution.

The SEU PA Program Admissions Committee recognizes prerequisite courses taken at community colleges and accredited online colleges and universities.

No. Applicants should repeat the course.

The SEU PA Program Admissions Committee expects applicants to complete the prerequisites as listed and should not substitute them for upper level coursework.

No, the SEU PA Program Admissions Committee expects applicants to complete the prerequisites as listed and not substitute them for any other coursework.

The SEU PA Program Admissions Committee will consider the most recent course grade. One (1) retake of each course is accepted.

Applicants must shadow a PA for a minimum of 16 hours. Shadowing a physician or any other healthcare provider will not be accepted in place of this requirement.

Applicants are expected to provide direct care to patients in a health-related capacity. This may be paid or volunteer.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate patient interaction and patient care responsibilities (e.g. obtaining patient histories, patient assessment, performing diagnostic procedures, patient education, etc.).

Examples of positions include EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, nursing professions, PCA, surgical technician, dietician, athletic trainer, and PT aide.

Experience as a medical scribe will not be accepted unless responsibilities include actual direct patient care (e.g. obtaining the history and/or vital signs, providing patient education, etc.).