Doctor of Medical Science Programs
Shape the future of healthcare.
Butler’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) programs—offered as a full 50-hour degree program, 12-hour graduate certificates, or an accelerated pathway for new PA grads—gives students the skills, and the confidence, to be leaders in healthcare.
One degree. Two paths.
Whether you’re a practicing PA or you recently graduated from an ARC-PA accredited program, Butler University offers a path to the Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) degree that fits you.
DMS Degree Program
Our fully online, asynchronous, 50-credit-hour Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) program is designed for practicing PAs looking to deepen their medical knowledge, enhance leadership capabilities, and gain business acumen to advance in their careers. Choose from six specialized degree concentrations: Behavioral and Mental Health, Critical Care, Healthcare Practice and Administration, Lifestyle Medicine, Orthopedic Care, and PA Educator. Additionally, we offer six 12-credit graduate certificates. Butler’s DMS program values your professional expertise, awarding academic credit for the skills and knowledge you’ve already gained as a practicing PA, with Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). This allows you to waive specific courses and complete your degree more efficiently.
DMS Bridge Program
The online DMS Bridge program is an accelerated path to the DMS exclusively for new PAs who have graduated within six months from an accredited ARC-PA program. The Bridge Program incorporates 36-credit hours already completed during supervised clinical practice and combines them with the 14 credit-hours of didactic courses and a semester-long Capstone Project.
SIX Certificate Options
The Butler DMS program offers six, 12-hour certificates: Healthcare Practice and Administration, which is aimed at developing a student’s business operation and management acumen; PA Educator, which broadens a student’s understanding of teaching and medical education for PAs; and Medical Science, which provides a focused opportunity to expand core medical knowledge in areas students choose and promotes lifelong learning. Behavioral and Mental Health, Foundations of Orthopedic Care and Foundations of Critical Care, both providing opportunities for PAs to expand their knowledge those respective fields.