The curriculum is designed to enable students to access the content of each course, interact with their instructors and classmates, complete assignments, and meet academic deadlines asynchronously at their convenience. MBKU’s pedagogical approach ensures that all content is consistently structured with clear instructions, objectives, and deadlines. Students will utilize various learning materials and formats, such as short, pre-recorded lectures, reading assignments, and links to supportive webinars. Regular feedback will be provided to students through mechanisms integrated into the courses, such as the discussion board, and will be integral to the assessment process. Through these mechanisms, students will engage in an active learning environment that promotes critical thinking, reflection, and the application of new knowledge.  

The MBKU DMSc program features three available tracks. Graduates from ARC-PA-accredited PA schools within the last 24 months can pursue the Advanced Professional Practice track. PAs who obtained their master’s degrees more than 24 months ago can pursue either the PA Education track or the Healthcare Administration and Leadership track. Each track will incorporate Evidence-Based Medicine, a scholarly project, and a practicum.

Advanced Professional Practice (Bridge) Concentration

This concentration offers PAs practical learning experiences in leadership, scholarship, and professional development. The curriculum includes leadership and research education, featuring a doctoral writing project that equips PAs with skills to publish in scholarly journals and deliver presentations. Students in this track will take Healthcare Management & Administration, Organizational Behavior & Leadership, and Evidence-Based Medicine courses alongside peers, but with a focused scholarly project. This track equips PAs for greater responsibility by providing knowledge of healthcare systems, operations, resource allocation, policy, and principles of continuous quality improvement. They will learn organizational structure, leadership styles, team dynamics, employee motivation strategies, and change management techniques. In addition to Evidence-Based Medicine, students will study medical writing and the article submission process for professional journals, completing a narrative review draft on a healthcare topic of interest. They will also be required to log their practicum hours.

PA Education Concentration

The PA Education Concentration is designed to equip PAs with the skills necessary to succeed in academia as educators for future PAs. The curriculum aligns with the competencies outlined by the PAEA for PA educators: teaching, learner-centeredness, communication skills, professionalism and role modeling, program and curriculum design and implementation, program evaluation, scholarship development, leadership, and mentorship. The coursework encompasses three focus areas to support the professional development of PA educators. The first area develops the knowledge and skills needed to create lessons, assess student performance, advise students, develop curriculum, engage in accreditation activities with the ARC-PA, and participate in self-assessment as part of continuous improvement. Second, engagement in scholarly work occurs through the Evidence-Based Medicine course and the Scholarly Project series. Lastly, students apply what they learn through this coursework in their work settings via the Medical Education Practicum course. This concentration will culminate in creating a scholarly manuscript suitable for publication in an appropriate professional journal.

Healthcare Administration and Leadership Concentration

This concentration provides PAs with essential skills and competencies for healthcare administration. The curriculum aligns with the competencies set by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), which include communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism, social responsibility, comprehension of the healthcare environment, and business skills. There are three focus areas in this concentration. The first focus equips students with the knowledge and abilities to communicate effectively, collaborate with stakeholders, and develop a shared vision for managing organizational change that aligns with strategic goals and is based on a solid understanding of the healthcare environment. The second focus area involves participating in scholarly work, primarily through the Evidence-Based Medicine course and the Scholarly Project series. Finally, students will integrate their learning into practical settings through the Healthcare Administration and Leadership Practicum course series. Like the other concentrations, students will culminate by preparing a scholarly manuscript suitable for publication in a relevant professional journal.