Is a Dual MPH and PA Degree Right for You? A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Decision

The decision to undertake a graduate degree program is one that should be considered carefully, given the time commitment (two years for most traditional master’s programs) and tuition costs. It’s important to find the right type of program to suit your interests, goals, and commitment level. 

Before we discuss the benefits of this dual degree, it’s important to quickly outline the potential professional roles for students who complete either a PA program or an MPH program. A physician assistant (PA) works as an integral part of a health care delivery team, either in primary care or a sub-specialty, and can offer a range of patient care services¹. PAs work under the supervision of a physician in a wide variety of healthcare settings, performing activities like asking patients about their medical history, performing exams and ordering tests, counseling patients and assessing their progress, as well as researching appropriate treatment plans².

We’ve written extensively about what someone can do with an MPH degree and the types of jobs available to someone with an MPH. The degree is extremely versatile and students who graduate with this degree can work in areas like health care and social science research, health education, advocacy, and communications. 

From a big-picture point of view, the PA and MPH degrees have the shared goal of improving health: The PA degree focuses more on individuals, and the MPH degree focuses more on communities. Though this is a generalization, it highlights the fact that a combined MPH/PA program prepares students to work in a broad range of healthcare roles and within health systems, such as clinical research, public health policy, health promotion, and healthcare administration. Along with extensive career options, there are many benefits to a dual MPH/PA program, including broader clinical and public health knowledge than each unique degree would provide.

Dual MPH and PA programs are designed to give students the essential coursework from each degree in a streamlined dual-degree program. These dual degree programs combine the patient care training of PA programs with the community health and health promotion training of MPH programs. This combination gives graduates a unique advantage to tackle complex health issues from two key standpoints: individual patient care and population health.  

Most dual PA and MPH programs follow a set format of MPH coursework in the first two semesters, followed by four semesters of PA coursework — including clinical training^3,4. The first year of MPH coursework will include the foundational areas of public health such as epidemiology, biostatistics, health communication, socio-medical sciences, health promotion, program evaluation and research methods, as well as healthcare management or health administration. Given the streamlined timeframe, dual PA/MPH programs typically do not include time for elective credits. 

In the second year, most programs will have students focus on their physician assistant education. Coursework will include topics like anatomy, physiology, medical interviewing, clinical assessment, and clinical skills^4,5. This training includes both primary and specialty care while keeping with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) standards. During this second year, there are also required research projects or capstone experiences to complete. In the third year, the focus shifts to clinical practice preparation. Students frequently rotate through different specialties,  such as internal medicine, women’s health, and pediatrics³. These rotations give students hands-on experience of direct patient interaction and care, working under the guidance of an experienced patient care provider (such as a physician or surgeon)⁶. 

Having the dual degree program culminate with this clinical experience is an excellent way to prepare for an eventual career focused on the intersection between healthcare and public health. The training from the first year in public health principles allows for a greater depth of understanding of the complexity of health issues. Further, it enables students to apply public health principles to patient care, providing a unique perspective and understanding of the compound causes of health issues.

While it can initially seem like enough of an undertaking to enroll in a graduate program, it’s important to keep potential career opportunities in the back of your mind. This will help determine the type of degree programs that you apply to in case certain options have course offerings that align best with your goals.   

As mentioned earlier, the key differentiator of a PA/MPH dual degree program from other health degrees is that it combines population health with patient care. This gives graduates an advantage in their career search as they are uniquely suited for roles in health systems (i.e., hospital networks and large community health organizations), government, and private organizations. The unique blend of patient care experience and public health training allows graduates to stand out: Others working in patient care may not have the same public health experience, and those in public health roles might not understand the intimate nature of direct patient care. Career opportunities available to someone with a dual PA/MPH degree can be in clinical practice as is the customary career trajectory for someone with a PA degree, or in interdisciplinary leadership roles that can encompass health care administration, clinical research, and community-based health initiatives⁸.

Here we’ll provide an overview of a few PA/MPH programs in the United States. Keep in mind that this is far from an exhaustive list. It should give you a glimpse into the variety of options available as you begin your search. Now is the time to start compiling your list of schools and beginning to request information from them.

As you develop your list of programs to which you’d like to apply, it’s important to review each program’s website closely to understand the admission requirements. There will be a significant overlap between requirements, but you don’t want to find out at the last minute that a key component is missing from one of your graduate school applications. Because of this, it’s important to plan early. Most programs have students use the SOPHAS application for the MPH program and the CASPA application for the PA program. These are centralized public health and physician assistant application services much like the Common App for undergraduate admissions.    

If you have questions about specific programs, make sure to check the website for contact information of the admissions office. You may also be able to reach out to admissions offices at a given university to better understand what student resources are available, both as an applicant and as an enrolled student. 

As you review programs, make sure to check that they are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). These are organizations that ensure academic rigor and standardization across programs. 

Other items to check as you compile information related to your applications are whether the GRE or GMAT is required and if you need to provide letters of recommendation. If so, these are requirements that take further proactive planning on your part to register for the test and contact people who can write a letter on your behalf. Typically, this would be professors from undergrad or supervisors from jobs or internships. Make sure that the people writing your recommendations are academic or professional in nature. They would likely be able to showcase your academic potential and career drive better than a personal connection.

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of completing a dual MPH/PA degree, the curriculum offered, career opportunities, and how to apply, it’s time to think about whether this is the right next step for you. Having a dual MPH/PA degree sets you up to be a strong candidate for leadership roles in healthcare. Not everyone will be able to understand and address both unique patient care needs on a one-to-one basis, as well as the broad structural and societal forces that create health issues in communities. It’s time to set yourself up for a future where you’ll stand out from others with this unique perspective and training. Get started by contacting admissions offices, networking with current students, and putting together a timeline for your applications today!