Can I become a physician assistant with a nursing degree?

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can become a physician assistant with a nursing degree; however, you are most likely going to need additional education and training before you can accomplish this. To become a physician assistant you typically need to obtain a master's degree from an accredited physician assistant program.

The majority of physician assistant programs require applicants to have a relevant bachelor's degree from an accredited school, but the specific requirements can vary from program to program. Having a nursing degree can sometimes mean that you might have taken a lot of the prerequisite coursework that is required to apply for a PA program.

Though, you may still need to complete additional coursework and clinical hours to meet the specific requirements of the PA program. This is because a nursing program and a PA program can be similar in some ways, but still have differences in terms of specific curriculum and clinical experience.