Masters of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Academic Standing and Progression

The academic standing and progression policies below are in addition to the standards as set by the University and College of Health and Natural Sciences.  

Master of Physician Assistant Studies in New Hampshire

Satisfactory Academic Progress

NH MPAS students are held to the same graduate academic standards as other programs at Franklin Pierce University, which states that all graduate students must achieve a term grade point average (TGPA) and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 (B) or higher to remain in good academic standing, a passing grade for courses within the program is a C (73%) or better. Graduate students may have no more than two grades lower than a B- on the academic record at the time of graduation.

Any student not meeting this minimum will be required to meet with their academic advisor to establish and sign a Learning Contract to address academic deficiencies. A student will be considered to have attained satisfactory academic progress when the student receives consistent course grades of B- or better and maintains a cumulative and TGPA of 3.0.

Students with a history of academic probation or deferred suspension will be referred for academic dismissal from the program if they fail to maintain the academic standards of the University. The Student Progress Committee meets throughout the term to review and discuss each individual student’s progress. Concerns regarding student academic performance will be documented and referred to the students’ academic advisor and/or the MPAS Student Affairs Committee for follow up.

At the close of each term, academic records will be reviewed by the Program Director in conjunction with the Dean if necessary. Appropriate sanctions will be applied. Students on Academic Probation at the end of the didactic year cannot progress to the clinical year. In addition to academic expectations regarding Academic Standing, recipients of all forms of financial assistance are expected to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress

Promotion Policy

In addition to the University’s Graduate Academic Standing Policy, as listed in the FPU Academic Catalog, the NH MPAS program implements the following Promotion Policy that is more stringent.

Good Academic Standing

The course sequence in the curriculum is designed to provide incremental knowledge and skills necessary for PA practice. The NH MPAS program has determined that the sequence must be followed to achieve this goal. A student in good academic standing will progress through the curriculum as designed. Since courses are arranged in a specific sequence, repeating a course will result in delay of the student’s progress through the curriculum, and require a longer period of time to successfully complete the entire curriculum. Good academic standing is obtained by achieving a term grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or greater, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater, passing all Pass/Fail courses/assignments and maintaining appropriate technical and professional standards.

Disciplinary Sanctions 

Academic Probation

• Any student whose term GPA is below 3.00 for a single term, or
• Any student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.00, or
• Any student who receives a final course grade of C or C+ in any course regardless of GPA.

Academic Suspension with Deceleration

• Any student who has a final course grade of C or C+ in any two courses, or
• Any student who has been on academic probation without demonstrating satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress means maintaining a term GPA greater than 3.00.
• Any student on academic probation at the end of term 4 of the MPAS program (as those students are not eligible to progress to the clinical year).

Program Dismissal

• Any student who receives a failing final course grade in any course, or
• Any student who receives three final course grades of C or C+, or
• Any students whose term GPA is below 3.00 for three terms (need not be consecutive terms), or
• Any student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.00 for two terms and who has not shown satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress means maintaining a term GPA greater than 3.00.
• Any student who fails to earn a Pass (for a Pass/Fail course) or a final course grade of B+ or better in any repeated graded course, or
• Any student who fails to adhere to the technical and/or professional standards of the program, as documented on the MPAS program’s Technical Standards & Professionalism Assessment Tool, or
• Students who re-matriculate for academic reasons and fail to maintain a term GPA greater than 3.0.

Notice of a Disciplinary Sanction shall be delivered in writing (electronic or paper format) to the student within five (5) days of the start of the next term and shall take effect immediately upon delivery.

Appeal of the decision may be made to the Dean of CHNS in writing within seventy-two hours of delivery of the decision to the student. Students on Probation at the end of the didactic year will not progress to the clinical year and will be referred to the MPAS Student Affairs Committee.

Part-time Enrollment and Deceleration

The design of the curriculum within the NH MPAS program does not allow for students to attend part-time. Students who cannot continue on a full-time basis or who are on Academic Probation at the end of the didactic year may be decelerated or considered for readmission on a case-by-case basis. Deceleration is defined as movement from the student’s entering cohort to a subsequent cohort. Students maybe required to repeat some or all of the coursework completed at the time of withdrawal or probation.

Summative Evaluation

Students must demonstrate satisfactory performance in the summative evaluation. The summative evaluations are administered during Term 9 prior to graduation. Students may remediate up to two components that do not meet expectations. Each remediation can be performed only once. Successful remediation will result in the original score being raised to a passing score (typically, 83%).

Master of Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program in Arizona

Academic Standards

Students must maintain satisfactory academic performance throughout the MPAS Hybrid AZ Program.

Good Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing, students must:

• Successfully complete all required courses in the prescribed curriculum.
• Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or higher.
• Have no more than one course grade below a B- on their academic record. Pass all Pass/Fail courses, course components, and assignments
• Meet all professional behavioral and technical standards described elsewhere in this Handbook.
• Satisfy all academic and clinical requirements established by the program.

Failure to meet these standards may result in academic probation, deceleration, suspension, or dismissal in accordance with Program policies. See the MPAS Hybrid AZ Program Student Handbook.

Progression Requirements

The MPAS Hybrid AZ Program is designed to take place over 8 terms taken on a full-time basis. Due to the importance of building a solid framework of medical knowledge required to provide safe patient care, the didactic courses have been designed to occur in a lock-step progressive order.

The program’s course sequence is designed to provide incremental knowledge and skills necessary for PA practice. The student will progress through the curriculum as designed if they are in good academic standing or at the discretion of the Progress and Promotion Committee and the Program Director.

Progression from the Didactic Phase to the Clinical Phase 

To begin supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs), students must:

• Successfully complete all didactic coursework.
• Successfully pass the End of Didactic Exam
• Complete Immersion Experiences #1 and #2
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Meet all technical and professional standards.
• Complete all required compliance requirements for clinical placement.
• No grades of incomplete
• Students on Academic Probation or those who have demonstrated insufficient professional development at the end of the didactic year may not progress to the Clinical year based upon the recommendation of the Progress and Promotions Committee.

Progression within the Clinical Phase

Supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs) offered during the clinical phase of the program do not follow the graduate term calendar precisely. Due to timing as well as complexity of evaluative methods, student performance is assessed at the completion of each SCPE to determine readiness to progress to the next rotation.

Progression to the Summative Evaluation Phase

The Summative Evaluation is administered within the last four months of the program. It is used to assess the culmination of medical knowledge, clinical and technical skills, clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities, interpersonal and communication skills, patient care, and professionalism which we require all students to have learned prior to program completion.

The Summative Evaluation is used to verify the student is prepared to enter clinical practice. A student will be permitted to take the Summative Evaluation only after successful completion of all preceding courses and assessments in the didactic phase of the program and completion of Immersion Experience #3. 

Exceptions to these rules will be permitted only under extenuating circumstances, on a case-by-case basis, and at the sole discretion of the Program Director.  Students must demonstrate satisfactory performance on the Summative Evaluation to successfully complete the program.

Academic Sanctions

Notice of a Disciplinary Sanction shall be delivered in writing (electronic or paper format) to the student within five (5) days of the start of the next term and shall take effect immediately upon delivery.

Appeal of the decision may be made to the Dean of CHNS in writing within seventy-two hours of delivery of the decision to the student.

Academic Warning

Any student who receives a final course grade below a B- (<80%) in any course regardless of GPA.

• The student is considered to be in good academic standing but is at risk.

Academic Probation

• Any student whose term GPA is below 3.00 for a single term, or
• Any student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.00, or
• Any student who receives two final a final course grades below a B- (<80%) in any course regardless of GPA and regardless of when they occurred in the program).
• Any student determined to not meet the behavioral and technical standards

The student is deemed to not be in good academic standing and must improve their academic standing during the next term.

Students remain on probation until at the discretion of Graduation. The Progress and Promotion Committee, which is responsible determines who will be placed on probation and is responsible for monitoring these students during their enrollment in the program.

Academic Dismissal

Academic Dismissal is permanent separation from the program and renders the student ineligible for re-matriculation into the AZ MPAS Program.

Students meeting any of the following criteria will be referred to the Progress and Promotions Committee for review and recommendation regarding academic dismissal:

• Any student who receives a grade of F (failing) as a final course grade in any course, or
• Any student who receives two more than two final course grades below a B- (regardless of when they occurred in the program), or
• Any student whose term or cumulative GPA is below 3.00 for two terms (need not be consecutive terms), or
• Any student who, upon repeating coursework as part of re-matriculation following a Leave of Absence, fails to earn a Pass (for a Pass/Fail course) or a final course grade of C+ or better in the repeated course
• Any student who fails to adhere to the technical and/or professional standards of the program, as determined through documented evaluation and review by the Student Progress and Promotions Committee.
• Students who re-matriculate and fail to maintain a term GPA of ≥ 3.00 or
• Any student with a GPA less than 3.00 at the completion of the didactic year

Master of Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program in Texas

Academic Standards

The Texas MPAS Hybrid Program at Franklin Pierce University is a master’s level professional education program. Students enrolled in the program must demonstrate achievement in academic and clinical competencies necessary for professional practice as a physician assistant and meet academic criteria consistent with degree programs at the graduate school level. Students are held to both the MPAS Promotion Policy, and the College of Health & Natural Sciences Graduate Academic Standing Policy as listed in the University Academic Catalog (whichever is more stringent applies).

The program’s course sequence is designed to provide incremental knowledge and skills necessary for PA practice. 

Good Academic Standing

A student in good academic standing will progress through the curriculum as designed. Good academic standing is obtained by achieving a term grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or greater, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater, passing all Pass/Fail courses/assignments, and maintaining technical and professional standards.

Academic Probation

• Any student whose term GPA is below 3.00 for a single term, or
• Any student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.00, or
• Any student who receives a final course grade of C+ or C in any course regardless of
  GPA.

Program Dismissal

• Any student who receives a grade of F (failing) as a final course grade in any didactic
  year course, or
• A second grade of F (failing) in a clinical course (SCPE), or
• Any student who receives three (3) final course grades lower than a B- (regardless of when they occurred in the program), or
• Any student whose fails to resolve academic probation after 1 term, or
• Any student placed on academic probation for a second time (regardless of when they occur in the program), or
• Any student who fails to earn a Pass (for a Pass/Fail course), or
• Any student who fails to adhere to the technical and/or professional standards of the program, as documented on the MPAS program’s Technical Standards Acknowledgement Form or Professionalism Evaluation, or
• Other events as deemed necessary by the Program Director

Reinstatement after Academic Probation

A student has 1 term to successfully resolve academic probation by:

• Achieving a term GPA and cumulative GPA of greater than or equal to 3.00, and
• Completing every course in the term with a grade of at least B-.

Notice of a Disciplinary Sanction shall be delivered in writing (electronic or paper format) to the student within five (5) days of the start of the next term and shall take effect immediately upon delivery. Appeal of the decision may be made to the Dean of CHNS in writing within seven (7) days of delivery of the decision to the student.