College of Health Sciences and Human Services

Master of Science Physician Assistant

Status Update of MSPA

What happened to the accreditation?

ARC-PA has accepted the voluntary withdrawal of the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program from the ARC-PA accreditation process. Effective May 31, 2024, ARC-PA shall withdraw accreditation from the California State University, Monterey Bay PA Program. Subject to fulfillment of various obligations, the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program will remain accredited on probation through May 31, 2024. The California State University Monterey Bay PA Program will not accept any new students for enrollment. Specific questions regarding the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director.

Will the CSUMB PA program take any more students?

Not at this time.

What will happen to the current cohorts?

CSUMB MSPA program is in the process of transferring the class of 2025. To date, 5 students have been successfully enrolled in other PA programs.

What is CSUMB doing to support current PA students?

The faculty continue to support the students in the Class of 2024 as they complete their clinical rotations, as they have with previous cohorts.  Faculty and administrators are working on significant outreach to other accredited PA programs to place the students in the Class of 2025.  In addition, the university is providing financial support to students who are placed at other programs.  

Students who are encountering financial difficulties as they await placement in a new program are reminded that they can reach out to Dr. Cindy Juntunen to request support.  You can reach her by email at cjuntunen@csumb.edu or sign up for a Zoom meeting by going to the calendar at https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ3HC42gFIrWHTdQOeZK21cZ0iOD5UI7TQEGY_K_UJ-Ftk1JCVzSP3PKUWNzCy48uO_AJAXPVwXZ

Is the California State University Chancellor’s Office able to help with this situation?

Yes, the Chancellor’s Office has provided support to the CSUMB program throughout this process. They are not able to address the issue of accreditation directly but are working to support students through the transition.  If you would like to contact the Chancellor’s Office, you can reach Rehman Attar, Director, Healthcare Workforce Development, at rattar@calstate.edu

Physician Assistants (PAs) are professional healthcare practitioners who expand quality and affordable care to diverse patient populations.

The CSUMB Master of Science Physician Assistant (MSPA) program prepares students for clinical practice by teaching them how to obtain medical histories, perform physical examinations, diagnose illnesses, perform surgical procedures, and prescribe medications.

The MSPA Program at CSUMB focuses on providing primary care to underserved patient populations. In this way, the MSPA program serves a critical regional need while strengthening the health of communities that future CSUMB-trained Physician Assistants will serve.

Program innovation

ARC-PA Accreditation Status

ARC-PA has accepted the voluntary withdrawal of the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program from the ARC-PA accreditation process. Effective May 31, 2024, ARC-PA shall withdraw accreditation from the California State University, Monterey Bay PA Program. Subject to fulfillment of various obligations, the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program will remain accredited on probation through May 31, 2024. The California State University Monterey Bay PA Program will not accept any new students for enrollment. Specific questions regarding the California State University Monterey Bay PA Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director."

Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.