PA Program Options
Whether you’re leaning towards caring for patients in underserved areas, are drawn to the public health field, want to train in Madison or need flexibility to complete your degree, we encourage you to explore the program’s range of options.
Your needs and interests will help you determine which of our PA program options is right for you. We offer full-time options at three different campuses, as well as part-time and MPAS-MPH dual degree options.
Clinical Year Requirements
During the clinical year, second-year students in the three campus options (as well as third-year dual degree students and third-year distance education students) are required to spend the first three weeks at UW–Madison for their clinical year orientation and first two-week inpatient rotation. Additionally, all students are required to return to the Madison campus for end-of-rotation activities and assessment — for one week at a time after each eight-week clinical rotation period. Students are responsible for transportation and housing costs during the initial three-week period and during the end of rotation activities and assessment.
Before You Apply
You may apply for two options; our admissions committee will decide on the best fit. For any program option, we are looking for candidates who meet our mission.
Full-Time Campus Options
We offer full-time, 24-month professional program options on three campuses: UW–Madison, UW-Stevens Point at Wausau and UW-Platteville. All three of the campus options result in a degree from UW–Madison. All full-time campus options include one year of didactic training (lectures, labs and discussions) and one year of clinical rotation consisting of four core two-month rotations in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine and surgery, and one two-month rotation in a student-elected area of medicine. Most lectures originate from the Madison campus.
UW–Madison Main Campus
Our UW–Madison campus offers a vibrant community in the heart of our state’s capital city. Learning takes place in the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Learning Center at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, where you will have access to the Clinical Teaching and Assessment Center, a simulated clinical environment designed to look, feel and function like a real-world setting. There are five clinical rotations during the second year. Clinical year experiences typically occur within 100 miles of UW–Madison’s campus.
Who should apply: Students who enjoy campus life and a bustling metropolitan area. Madison students are committed to delivering comprehensive health care in a culturally and ethnically sensitive manner and are interested in providing primary health care for populations and regions in need.
Wausau Distant Campus
Our Wausau distant campus is located on the UW-Stevens Point at Wausau campus in Wausau, Wisconsin and focuses on the northern half of Wisconsin. Lectures and discussions are delivered by synchronous video conference and livestreaming. Students spend the first summer (12 weeks) at UW–Madison main campus and then transition to the Wausau distant campus in the fall. In-person attendance at the Wausau distant campus is required two-three days per week for the fall, spring and first two weeks of June. There are five clinical rotations during the second year. Clinical year experiences will typically occur within 100 miles of Wausau distant campus in the Wausau area and northern Wisconsin.
Who should apply:Â Students with a strong connection to the area, a high affinity for practicing in central and northern Wisconsin, the ability to learn well in a remote learning environment and the capability to be self-directed.
Platteville Distant Campus
Our Platteville distant campus is located on the UW-Platteville campus in Platteville, Wisconsin and focuses on the tri-state region of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Lectures and discussions are delivered by synchronous video conference and livestreaming. Students spend their first educational year and the first two weeks of the second summer on the Platteville distant campus. There are five clinical rotations during the second year. Clinical year experiences will typically occur within 100 miles of Platteville distant campus in the Platteville area and southwestern Wisconsin.
Who should apply: Students with a meaningful connection to the tri-state area, a strong affinity for practicing in that area, and the ability to learn well in a remote learning environment. If you are currently a UW-Platteville undergraduate, you may also apply for the 3+2 program option, which would allow you to graduate with both a bachelor of science degree in biology from UW-Platteville and a master’s in physician assistant studies from UW–Madison in five years (3+2).
Full-Time Degree Plan
Year One
Year Two
Meeting Care Needs of Rural Communities
Students completing PA degrees through the full-time distant campus options at UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point at Wausau are helping address a critical shortage of primary care providers in rural Wisconsin.
More about rural care training
Part-Time Distance Education Option
We offer a part-time, 36-month distance education option featuring 24 months of part-time, online/hybrid, didactic instruction and 12 months full-time, in-person, clinical training. During the first 24 months students are required to be at the UW–Madison campus for the first 12 weeks of the program (first summer) and twice per semester thereafter for one week at a time for in-person labs, instruction and assessment. Video-captured lectures, with asynchronous discussions, provide a flexible learning environment. There are five clinical rotations during the second year. Clinical year experiences will typically occur within 100 miles of any of our three PA program campuses.
Who should apply: We only accept applications for our distance education option from residents of Wisconsin and its contiguous states: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. If you have a strong connection to your community, a desire to practice there after graduation, and would like flexibility as you pursue your degree, the part-time option may be for you.
Part-Time Degree Plan
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
MPAS-MPH Dual Degree Option
With this full-time, 33-month, on-campus (in Madison) dual-degree option, you may earn a Master of Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Public Health (MPAS-MPH) degree, consisting of two semesters of MPH curriculum, one full year of PA didactic curriculum and one year of PA clinical rotations. There are five clinical rotations during the third year. Clinical year experiences will typically occur within 100 miles of the UW–Madison campus.
Who should apply: Students who have a strong desire to integrate public health into their PA practice after graduation.