Penn College offers two Master of Science degrees focused on science- or technical-related disciplines that build on baccalaureate degrees. These one- or two-year degrees require a minimum of 30 credit-hours of coursework at the 500-level or above.
The master’s degree in nursing (MSN), nursing education concentration, is an online, 37-credit program designed to be completed in two years on a part-time basis. The curriculum provides 22 credits of core coursework in theory, research, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and health assessment in addition to 15 credits specific to nursing education. Students finish the program by applying what they learned in two hands-on practicum courses, at a location of their choosing. The first practicum is focused on didactic education and the second is focused on clinical and simulation-based learning.
The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is an in-person, 24-month program divided into a 12-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical phase. In the didactic year, students focus on the provision of medical care across the lifespan for preventive, emergent, acute, chronic, and rehabilitative patient encounters. Even during the didactic phase, students experience hands-on learning by applying newly learned concepts in the simulation laboratories. The program's newly renovated, real-world simulation labs include a mock emergency room, labor and delivery room, surgical suite, inpatient unit, pediatric office, and state-of-the-art cadaver laboratory. The simulation labs are furnished with the latest technology including high-fidelity mannequins and advanced medical equipment similar to what students will see in the clinical setting. The clinical year provides supervised clinical practice experiences in seven core medical specialties (family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, women’s health—including prenatal and gynecological care, and behavioral and mental healthcare), as well as the opportunity to complete an elective rotation of the student’s choosing. Clinical rotations occur in all patient care areas, across rural and urban demographics, both in-state and out-of-state.
Nursing & Health Sciences
- Physician Assistant Studies
- Nursing: Nursing Education Concentration (online degree)