Doctor of Science Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to transfer credits from another program?
Can international students apply for the Doctor of Science program?
Is part-time attendance possible in the Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program?
Are you required to attend in person or synchronously?
What is the expected work load for students enrolled in this program?
Will I be taking all three courses simultaneously each semester?
What is the doctoral project? How does it work?
Does the Doctor of Science curriculum count toward PA Category 1 CME?
What is the difference between the one-semester and four-semester DMSc programs and how can I tell which one is the right one for me?
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Four-Semester DMSc |
One-Semester DMSc |
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Who is eligible? |
Available to any certified physician assistant. |
Available only to physician assistants who graduated from an ARC-PA accredited program within the last 24 months. |
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Program Format |
100% online and designed for working professionals |
100% online and designed for working professionals |
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Program Length |
Four semesters |
One semester |
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Program Start Dates |
Spring semester only |
Fall and spring semesters |
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Number of Credits |
36 credits |
12 credits |
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Tuition Cost |
$30,924 |
$10,308 |
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Financial Aid Available? |
Yes; see Tuition and Financial Aid web page |
Yes; see Tuition and Financial Aid web page |
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Curriculum |
Same curriculum as the Four-Semester Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) Program; see the Curriculum web page |
12 credits total completed in one semester; see the Curriculum web page |
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Doctoral Project |
Doctoral research project; view a short video (4:46) about the Four-Semester DMSc doctoral research project |
Scholarly paper |
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Healthcare Background/Work Status |
Four-Semester applicants must be actively practicing or submit documentation of an agreement/partnership with a healthcare organization to complete the doctoral project |
One-Semester DMSc applicants do not need to be currently working |
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Application Open Date |
Spring Start – June 6th |
Fall/Spring Start – May 1st
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Application Final Deadline |
Spring Start – December 1st |
Fall Start – August 1st Spring Start – December 1st |
Is it possible to transfer credits from another program?
No. We are not able to accept transfer credits from another program. The Pacific Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program is an accelerated doctoral program that is designed around a specific sequence of courses, many of which build upon each other. For this reason, students must take all of the required courses. We are not able to accept transfer credit in order for a student to be able to complete the program sooner.
Is it possible to enroll in the Pacific Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program while concurrently enrolled in another academic program?
Four-Semester (DMSc/DHSc) Program: No. Students cannot enroll in the Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program while they are enrolled in another academic program. Pacific Doctor of Science students are expected to be fully-engaged in the didactic and experiential learning components of the program, within the framework of an academic program designed for working professionals. However, if you are close to finishing another academic program (in your final semester), we encourage you to go ahead and apply. Students can be admitted into the program pending the receipt of official transcripts verifying that they have completed the other program.
One-Semester (DMSc) Program: No. Physician Assistant graduates from Pacific University or OHSU may apply for admission in their last semester of their PA program, but may not begin the DMSc program until after they have graduated.
Do I need to submit official transcripts for all colleges or universities attended, even if I didn’t complete the programs or degrees?
Four-Semester (DMSc/DHSc) Program: Yes. We require that applicants list ALL colleges, universities or programs attended (undergraduate and graduate/professional) on their application form and submit copies of official transcripts from each institution to our Graduate and Professional Admissions department as part of their application.
One-Semester (DMSc) Program: Yes. We require that applicants submit a final transcript from either the Pacific University PA program or the OHSU PA program.
Can international students apply for the Doctor of Science program?
No. The Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program is not currently set up to be able to accept international students into the program.
Is part-time attendance possible in the Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program?
One-Semester (DMSc) Program: No. Part-time attendance is not possible for students enrolled in the Doctor of Science (DMSc) One-Semester program. Students enrolled in the One-Semester program are required to be enrolled in 12 credits, which is considered full-time for this program.
Four-Semester (DMSc/DHSc) Program: Yes, but this is not recommended. Students enrolled in the Four-Semester program may be permitted to attend part-time. Students enrolled in the Four-Semester program at a part-time status will take 6 credits (2 courses) per semester instead of 9 credits, with the exception of the second spring semester. In order for students to complete the program within the 8-semester limit, the second spring semester will still contain 9 credits. Students enrolled part-time must take courses in a specific sequence (see schedule below) and have up to 8 semesters to complete the program. However, due to the time limit to complete the program, it is imperative that part-time students pass all of the courses on the first attempt. It is not possible to retake courses and complete the program within the 8-semester time limit.
Part-time DHSc/DMSc Curricular Schedule
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Spring 3 |
| Org Strategies for IP Leadership | Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine | Applied Scholarly Project III |
| Healthcare Operations MGMT | Human Resource Management in HC | |
| Professional as Researcher and Writer | ||
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 | |
| Leadership Ethics and Advocacy | Applied Scholarly project I | |
| Policy, Regulation, and Politics in HC | ||
| Fall 1 | Fall 2 | |
| Diversity, Equity, and Systems Thinking | Applied Scholarly Project II | |
| Strategies for QI in Healthcare |
Are you required to attend in person or synchronously?
Pacific Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) students are not required to attend in-person classes or synchronous online classes. The Pacific Doctor of Science program is an asynchronous program, meaning that students complete 100 percent of their coursework online, and are not required to attend any in-person classes. Students are given access to Moodle®, which is Pacific’s Learning Management System (LMS), and all assignments and papers are submitted via Moodle. Although students still have due dates and deadlines for submitting assignments in Moodle, and are required to login to Moodle frequently, they can work on assignments on their own time. There are no required online classes where students are required to attend an online class together at a designated time (synchronously).
Some of the Doctor of Science faculty do hold weekly Zoom meetings for students who have questions or need help with an assignment, but these Zoom meetings are optional.
Four-Semester (DMSc/DHSc) Program: Student scholarly project presentations take place during the Pacific University Interprofessional Education and Leadership (IPEL) Conference during the final spring semester, and these presentations are given remotely via Zoom.
What is the expected work load for students enrolled in this program?
Most students report that they spend approximately 6-12 hours per week, per class.
Will I be taking all three courses simultaneously each semester?
No. This program is designed for working professionals. There are two 7-week courses and one full-semester course. For both the One-Semester and the Four-Semester programs, there is one course that begins on the first day of the semester and runs for the length of the semester (One-Semester: HCSCI 850: Inclusive Practice for the Scholar Clinician; Four-Semester: HCSCI 715: The Professional as Researcher and Writer and the Applied Scholarly Project course series). Students also take one 7-week course at a time. Once the first 7-week course ends, the second 7-week course begins. This means at any one time, students are working on one semester-long course, and one 7-week course. This makes the courses manageable, especially for those whose work schedules vary.
Please visit our Curriculum page to review the course sequence.
What is the doctoral project? How does it work?
Please see our video that breaks down the doctoral project by semester.
Does the Doctor of Science curriculum count toward PA Category 1 CME?
No, the program does not count toward PA Category 1 CME. However, the curriculum does satisfy PA Category 2 CME self-reporting of hours.
I am a Veteran and have VA benefits. Can I use my VA benefits for the Pacific Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program?
Yes! The Pacific Doctor of Science (DMSc/DHSc) program has been approved by the Veteran’s Administration, and Veterans can use their VA benefits to enroll in the program.
To speak with someone regarding your VA benefits, please contact our Student Accounts department at: cashiering@pacificu.edu or 503-352-2282.
Please note that VA benefits are not handled by our Financial Aid Office. At Pacific University, VA benefits are handled by our Student Accounts department, which is part of our Business Office.