Accreditation

The ARC-PA has granted Provisional Accreditation to the Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Mississippi College.

Provisional accreditation is an accreditation status. The granting of provisional accreditation indicates that the plans and resource allocation for the proposed program appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards, if fully implemented as planned. Provisional Accreditation does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. Provisional status is limited to no more than three years for any program.

 Accreditation is a process of external peer review. In the United States, the accreditation system is administered primarily by non-governmental, voluntary organizations that grant recognition to institutions or specialized programs of study that meet established qualifications and educational standards. Compliance with such standards is determined through initial and subsequent periodic evaluations. 

 Provisional Accreditation is the status of accreditation granted for a limited, defined period to a new program that, at the time of the comprehensive review that includes the site visit, has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accordance with the Standards. In order to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) graduates must have completed a program with at least provisional accreditation at the time of entry into the program. 

Approximately thirty students will be accepted each year into our 30-month educational curriculum which consists of a 15-month preclinical phase followed by a 15-month phase of experiential learning inclusive of an extended clerkship and capstone project.