NAU joins Phoenix Biomedical Campus; launches Physician Assistant program

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NAU physical therapy students get hands-on instruction while working toward their degree.

Northern Arizona University's Physician Assistant program will launch at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus this fall.

"Since last summer, faculty and staff have been working nonstop to establish Arizona's first public university Physician Assistant program," said Doug Small, associate dean for NAU-Extended Campuses. "We recently received the exciting news that the degree was granted Accreditation-Provisional status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant."

NAU's Doctor of Physical Therapy program also will join the new $187 million, 268,000-square-foot Health Sciences Education Building that will become part of the 28-acre medical and bioscience campus located in downtown Phoenix.

This new facility is set to house the expansion of the UA medical school while allowing for the expansion of NAU's allied health programs. NAU President John Haeger said, "Northern Arizona University will continue to develop programs that provide solutions to Arizona's most pressing primary care and therapy needs."

In August, the Physician Assistant program will welcome its inaugural class of 25 graduate students to the new biomedical campus. NAU has partnered with the University of Arizona to share instructional resources and faculty to serve students in high-demand health programs.

"The development of the new biomedical campus is a tremendous opportunity to partner with the University of Arizona medical school and the new NAU Physician Assistant program to provide interdisciplinary education to our students," said Mark Cornwall, chair of NAU's Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training.

NAU's Doctor of Physical Therapy degree continually ranks as one of the top programs in the country, and its expansion into Phoenix addresses the growing need for physical therapists. Students will gain clinical practice experience through teaching and mentoring opportunities with core faculty, clinical adjunct faculty and clinical instructors.

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the 33-month Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program has a 98 percent first-time pass rate on the national licensure examination compared to other Doctor of Physical Therapy programs in the US, including both public and private, with an average pass rate of 88.7.

To speak with a NAU-Extended Campuses advisor, call (800) 426-8315.