Located in beautiful downtown Chattanooga, this 115-credit-hour curriculum leads to a Master of Medical Science (MMS) in Physician Assistant Studies. Our Physician Assistant (PA) program is built for the next generation of medical professionals, those who thrive in dynamic, hands-on environments and learn best through active engagement with real-world challenges—rooted in evidence-based educational practices, our curriculum moves beyond traditional lecture-heavy models to offer an innovative, learner-centered approach designed to prepare students for the complexity of modern healthcare.
In this program, students will spend less time passively absorbing information and more time actively applying it. Foundational medical knowledge—such as clinical medicine and pharmacology—will be delivered through structured materials and lectures. In addition to lectures, students will prepare through reading and guided learning tools. This is the first step in a deeply interactive process designed to foster mastery through application.
Core to our educational philosophy is the belief that application leads to retention. That’s why our curriculum includes a robust series of Application Labs, where students will:
In recognition of the growing importance of whole-person care, our curriculum thoughtfully integrates principles of holistic medicine and wellness throughout. Students will explore topics such as lifestyle medicine, mental and emotional health, nutrition, and prevention-oriented care. This approach empowers future clinicians to care for patients not just as cases, but as complete individuals with interconnected physical, emotional, and social needs.
Our commitment to service-learning reinforces our belief that providing healthcare is a privilege rooted in compassion and community connection. Each semester, students will participate in structured community service events, applying their developing skills to serve local populations. These experiences deepen students’ understanding of social determinants of health and help instill a lifelong commitment to equity and outreach.
While students are expected to take responsibility for acquiring foundational knowledge, they are never alone in their learning journey.
Our program provides:
Why This Approach Works:
This curriculum reflects how today’s learners best absorb and retain information—through relevance, application, and interaction. It transforms memorization into clinical readiness and prepares students not only to pass exams but to practice medicine with confidence, empathy, and competence.
Join us to experience a PA education that doesn’t just teach medicine, it teaches you how to think like a clinician and care like a healer from day one.
