OBU Launches Physician Associate Graduate Program

April 15, 2026

Oklahoma Baptist University has announced the launch of a Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies program, a new graduate healthcare degree designed to prepare students for careers providing patient-centered medical care across a variety of settings. The program is expected to welcome its first class in January 2027, pending Accreditation–Provisional approval from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) at its October 2026 meeting.

The 24-month program will combine academic instruction, clinical training and leadership development to prepare graduates to serve patients with skill and compassion. Students will learn to address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals across diverse communities.

OBU plans to admit 40 students into the inaugural cohort.

The program features a hybrid curriculum that allows students to attend most first-year classes from home through a virtual classroom setting, followed by on-campus immersion weeks for hands-on skill training.

During these immersive sessions, students will work directly with faculty and clinical experts while refining practical skills through laboratory training, simulations and workshops on the OBU campus.

The hybrid design allows students to remain in their communities while completing coursework through a combination of recorded and live classroom sessions with faculty.

 Students will use a digital learning platform that includes lectures, case studies, practical simulations and collaborative projects. The program is intended to be the student’s primary focus throughout the 24-month curriculum.

Clinical rotations will take place during the second year of the program and will provide experience in multiple medical specialties. These placements will allow students to apply classroom knowledge while developing the clinical judgment and professional skills required in modern healthcare settings.

OBU faculty advisors will provide guidance and support throughout both the academic and clinical phases of the program. Each student will be paired with a faculty advisor who will offer mentoring, regular advising and additional coaching as needed to support academic progress and professional development.

The Physician Associate (PA) program is part of a broader expansion of graduate healthcare education at OBU. In addition to the PA program, the initiative includes a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology.

Dr. Christina Hanson serves as the program director for the PA program at OBU. Hanson has practiced as a physician associate since 2008 and has experience in primary care, orthopedics and urgent care. She has worked in physician associate education since 2012 and has served as a program director since 2018.

Applications and additional information about the program are available at okbu.edu/pa.

Accreditation Statement: Oklahoma Baptist University’s (OBU) PA Program has applied for Accreditation–Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). OBU’s PA Program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2027, pending achieving Accreditation–Provisional status at the October 2026 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation–Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation–Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class of students. If the Accreditation–Provisional status is not granted by the ARC-PA in October 2026, the first cohort will not matriculate in January 2027 as planned.