Upholding Excellence in PA Education & Healthcare! At ARC-PA, we go beyond compliance—empowering programs, shaping skilled PAs, and ensuring exceptional patient care.
Welcome to ARC-PA
At ARC-PA, we are dedicated to fostering excellence in Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) education. Through our rigorous accreditation process, we set and uphold the highest standards of quality for educational programs. Accreditation is awarded to programs following a thorough peer review process, which includes comprehensive documentation and periodic on-site evaluations. These evaluations ensure compliance with the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education.
Our accreditation process is crafted to promote best educational practices and inspire innovation within programs. By encouraging continuous self-study and improvement, we empower programs to deliver exceptional education and prepare future PAs for success. Join us in shaping the future of PA education.
Accredited Programs
Advancing the PA Profession To Excellence with Accreditation Standards
Latest News & Events
News
Institutional Readiness Initiative (IRI) Announcement
Institutional Readiness Initiative (IRI)
News
ARC-PA Conference 2026 Registration
ARC-PA Conference 2026 Registration
News
ARC-PA 2026 Winter Newsletter
ARC-PA 2026 Winter Newsletter
News
ARC-PA Conference Presentations – Call for Presentations
ARC-PA Conference - Call for Presentations
The Four Major PA Organizations
Constituent organizations (COs) are independent organizations affiliated with AAPA. COs are comprised of state and federal chapters, specialty organizations, special interest groups, and caucuses. They provide their members with locally based CME, networking opportunities, social gatherings, timely information, advocacy and job resources.
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is the accrediting agency that protects the interests of the public and PA profession by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs within the territorial United States to ensure their compliance with those standards.
Imbued with a strong sense of responsibility to assure that PAs meet professional standards of knowledge and skills, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) strives to meet the needs of its stakeholders efficiently, effectively and honorably.
PAEA is the only national organization representing PA educational programs in the United States. Currently, all of the accredited programs in the country are members of the Association. PAEA provides services for faculty at its member programs, as well as to applicants, students, and other stakeholders.