MISENHEIMER — The Pfeiffer University master of physician assistant studies program has received provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

The approval allows for Pfeiffer to educate as many as 24 physician assistant students in the first class in 2020, 36 in the second class in 2021, and 45 in the third class in 2022.

“This is a momentous milestone in the timeline of our program,” said Brenda Diaz, program director for physician assistant studies at Pfeiffer. “Now, we move forward with a program that will develop highly qualified and professionally trained physician assistants. Through our curriculum, we will address health disparities for underserved populations and improve health care in our rural communities.”

Orientation for the first class begins Jan. 6, with classes starting on Jan. 13. The program will begin on the Misenheimer campus as the Pfeiffer University Center for Health Sciences is under construction. The center has an anticipated completion date of next summer, when the program will move into the facility in Albemarle.

“This facility is not only a new building but it is also a beacon for transformation,” said Pfeiffer President Scott Bullard. “This is a clear pathway for our students to move from an undergraduate program to graduate school and meet the demonstrated needs of the healthcare industry.”

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for physician assistants will increase by 31% from 2018 to 2028, with a median annual wage of $108,610.

The enrollment period for the Class of 2021 will open in April 2020. Applications will close in September.

For more information on the admissions process, go to www.pfeiffer.edu/mspas_admissions.