Become a Vital Part of a health Care Team
What Makes the UNE M.S.P.A. Special
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Your M.S.P.A. training is enriched by our state-of-the-art facilities and educational resources. You’ll receive instruction not only in our medical college’s gross anatomy lab but also in our Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center, which is equipped with the latest media and medical instruction technology, including high fidelity patient simulators.
Exposure to Underserved Populations
Your education in UNE’s P.A. master’s program will emphasize work with underserved communities, where you can really make a difference. From participation in our nationally recognized InterProfessional Geriatric Education Program, to clinical rotations in rural areas, you'll gain expertise in bringing quality health care and building relationships with those who need it most.
Team-Based Education
As a comprehensive health sciences university, including programs in medicine, dental, nursing, pharmacy, and an array of other allied health professions, UNE is a national leader in interprofessional education. You'll graduate with the skills to thrive in today's collaborative care, prepared to work as a team with other health care professionals.
Collaborative Learning Environment
Not only are faculty and staff highly collaborative and encouraging, but it won’t take long before you notice how supportive your fellow PA students are as well. The friendly and cooperative, rather than competitive, spirit among classmates enhances everyone’s ability to learn and is a hallmark of UNE’s Physician Assistant master’s degree program.
What Our PA Students Say
Mike Lambrecht ’22
Why UNE
I went to UNE for undergrad, so I was familiar with the school. I was interested in the PA program because of the opportunity for interprofessional work with the other health professions students. I am in a program where we get to interact with geriatric patients. We refer to them as “elder teachers,” which I like. In the program, a pharmacy student, a dental student, and a PA student all work together. We meet with our elder teacher and talk to them, pretending that we are their health care team. I thought that was a neat part of UNE’s program that I wanted to be involved in.
The professors are really cool. A lot of them are still practicing, so they have clinical days in their office and then they have days that they are here at UNE teaching. It’s awesome because they are up-to-date since they work in the field. They are doing what they love and what we want to do someday. Our professors literally are PAs, so it gives us something to look up to.
Learning Everywhere
We do a lot of hands-on activities and labs. We learned how to do a full physical exam within the first two semesters of the program. It’s cool to get those skills. The program also brings in a lot of alumni, which is awesome. I like that a lot because we get to hear about their experiences. We recently had two alumni come in who work in the ER at Maine Med, and they shared what they are going through at work that connects to what we are learning. It’s always so easy to connect with alumni through those interactions and gain new insights.
We learned how to do a full physical exam within the first two semesters of the program.
Physician Assistant program by the numbers
Hours each student spends in clinical rotations
(second year)
Average cumulative GPA of most recent incoming class
Average first-time pass rate on national certification exam
(PANCE)
Pance Pass rates
M.S.P.A. graduates are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Learn more about the PANCE exam and see UNE pass rates (PDF).
The UNE Portland Campus for the Health Sciences
For decades, UNE’s Portland Campus has been home to many of the University’s health professions programs including PA, PT, OT, pharmacy, nursing, dental medicine, and more. In 2025, UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine will move from the Biddeford Campus into the new Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences in Portland. By bringing our health professions programs together into one interprofessional learning community, we will establish UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences as the center of health care education in Northern New England.
Learn about exciting changes on UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences
Maine’s Leading University for the Health Professions and Sciences
Quality Academics, Respected Degrees
UNE is proud of the recognition we’ve received, which echoes the success of our M.S.P.A. students: 92% of our graduates typically pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam on the first try.
Live and Study in Portland, Maine
UNE offers the only Physician Assistant master’s degree program in Maine. Our M.S.P.A. degree students study on our Portland, Maine campus, a classic New England quad with brick buildings and tall trees that's about 100 miles from downtown Boston. Portland, named “America’s Most Livable City” by Forbes and “Foodiest Small Town in America” by Bon Appetit, is the city on every list. A rustic port hosts a cool cultural scene — with outdoor adventure all around. UNE’s campus is just 10 minutes from downtown.
Accreditation
UNE is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Physician Assistant degree Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The PA Program received provisional accreditation in 1996 and continuing accreditation in 1998. The program last received continuing accreditation in September 2018. Its review for continuing accreditation is next scheduled for 2026. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website. Click on the “document” to access the program’s Accreditation Actions.
