Faculty Employment at the School of Physician Assistant Studies

Principal Faculty

The developing Physician Assistant (PA) Program at Pepperdine University seeks a candidate to serve in a full-time 12-month faculty appointment as a principal faculty member for its graduate program, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.  Depending on the qualifications and experience of the applicant, this may be a tenure-track or clinical faculty appointment.  The principal faculty member has primary responsibility for supporting the design, delivery, and assessment of the curriculum, as well as student evaluation, program self-assessment, and accreditation activities. Other duties include teaching, scholarship, academic advising, service, admissions, and professional activities. 

Required Educational and Experience Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Current or emeritus NCCPA certification
• At least two years of full-time clinical experience at the time of appointment
• Eligibility for state licensure in California

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience as a full-time faculty in a PA program. 
• Prior experience with ARC-PA accreditation and/or curriculum development
• Doctoral degree in a related field
• Demonstrated commitment to student success
• An established research agenda, including, but not limited to a record of successful publication, presentation, and grantsmanship

Personal Attributes:

• An active and abiding Christian faith, a sincere commitment to advancing Pepperdine University’s Christian mission, and a dedication to the integration of faith and learning.
• Commitment to the highest moral, ethical, and academic standards.
• The skill to develop relationships of trust across a wide range of internal and external constituents.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide content expertise on the curriculum design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation.  
• Develop course syllabi and instructional content in accordance with university guidelines and ARC-PA accreditation standards.
• Provide classroom and small-group instruction aligned with the program learning outcomes. 
• Participate in the identification, development, and maintenance of clinical partnerships that support high-quality Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences.
• Participate in the program’s ongoing curriculum evaluation and continuous quality improvement efforts to ensure alignment with the program’s mission, the NCCPA blueprint, and current clinical practice standards.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the College of Health Science and external partners to develop and participate in interprofessional education experiences.
• Provide student instruction, evaluate student performance, and assure the availability of remedial instruction.
• Advise and mentor PA students by providing academic counseling.
• Participate in student recruitment, application review, and the admissions process.
• Support all phases of the program’s accreditation and continuous review process, including evaluating the program, development of the self-study, and preparation for site visits.
• Participate in the development, review and revision of the program’s mission statement, goals, and competencies.
  Support review of the PA program’s handbooks and manuals.
  Serve on program and university committees and engage in service activities.
• Maintain clinical competence through ongoing education or clinical practice as appropriate. 
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the dean.

Located in western Los Angeles County near Ventura County, Pepperdine University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute through their teaching, research, and service to foster academic excellence and cultivate a sense of belonging between the University and surrounding communities.

The salary for this 12-month appointment will range from $115,000 to $140,000 and reflects what Pepperdine reasonably expects to pay for this faculty appointment. Actual salary may vary based on the qualifications and experience of the applicant, as well as market conditions. In addition to salary, Pepperdine offers a robust suite of employee benefits.

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

Applicants will submit materials at apply.interfolio.com/169822.

For more information, please contact the chair of the search committee:

 Dr. Amy Bronson (amy.bronson@pepperdine.edu) 
 Founding Dean, School of Physician Assistant Studies
 Pepperdine University
 24255 Pacific Coast Highway
 Malibu, CA 902633

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. Pepperdine University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context which celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, staff and members of the Board of Regents represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine reserves the right to seek, hire and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists.

It is the intent of the University to create and promote a diverse workforce consistent with its stated goals and mission.

 

Director of Research and Evaluation 

The developing* Physician Assistant (PA) Program within the College of Health Science (PCHS) at Pepperdine University seeks a candidate to serve in a 12-month faculty appointment as a principal faculty with administrative duties as the Director of Research and Evaluation role for its graduate program, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.  Depending on the qualifications and experience of the applicant, the candidate may be offered either a tenure-track or clinical faculty appointment.  The director of research and evaluation has primary responsibility for the development and coordination of the research course series in the curriculum and directing all assessment, evaluation and program review related activities for the PA program. In collaboration with the dean, the director supports the program in meeting the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) accreditation standards, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College & University Commission (WSCUC) WSCUC accreditation standards, and directs the self-study report process.  Other duties include teaching, scholarship, academic advising, service, admissions, and professional activities.  
Required Educational and Experience Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Current NCCPA certification
• At least two years of full-time clinical experience at the time of appointment.
• Prior experience with ARC-PA provisional accreditation and the self-study process
• Eligibility for state licensure in California
• A minimum of two years of leadership experience as full-time faculty in a PA program.
• Eligibility for a tenured or tenure-track appointment requires either a terminal doctoral degree or a prior tenured or tenure-track academic appointment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to student success
• Doctoral degree in a related field
• An established research agenda, including, but not limited to a record of successful publication, presentation, and grantsmanship

Personal Attributes:

• An active and abiding Christian faith, a sincere commitment to advancing Pepperdine University’s Christian mission, and a dedication to the integration of faith and learning.
• Commitment to the highest moral, ethical, and academic standards.
• The skill to develop relationships of trust across a wide range of internal and external constituents.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Support all phases of the program’s accreditation and continuous review process for ARC-PA, WSCUC, and Pepperdine program review.  
• Lead the development of program evaluations and the development of the self-study process.
• Provide content expertise on the curriculum design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation, specific to the research course series.  
• Develop course syllabi and instructional content in accordance with university guidelines and ARC-PA accreditation standards.
• Provide classroom and small-group instruction aligned with the program learning outcomes.
• Participate in the identification, development, and maintenance of clinical partnerships that support high-quality Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences.
• Participate in the program’s ongoing curriculum evaluation and continuous quality improvement efforts to ensure alignment with the program’s mission, goals and competencies, the NCCPA blueprint, and current clinical practice standards.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the College of Health Science and external partners to develop and participate in interprofessional education experiences.
• Provide student instruction, evaluate student performance, and assure the availability of remedial instruction.
• Advise and mentor PA students by providing academic counseling.
• Participate in student recruitment, application review, and the admissions process.
• Participate in the development, review and revision of the program’s mission statement, goals, and competencies.
• Support review of the PA program’s handbooks and manuals.
• Serve on program and university committees and engage in service activities.
• Maintain clinical competence through ongoing education or clinical practice as appropriate.
• Support PCHS initiatives and programs, while collaborating effectively with other PCHS academic programs, faculty, and staff.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the dean.

Located in western Los Angeles County near Ventura County, Pepperdine University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute through their teaching, research, and service to foster academic excellence and cultivate a sense of belonging between the University and surrounding communities.

The salary for this 12-month appointment will range from $125,000 to $155,000 and reflects what Pepperdine reasonably expects to pay for this appointment. Actual salary may vary based on the qualifications and experience of the applicant, as well as market conditions. In addition to salary, Pepperdine offers a robust suite of employee benefits.

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

The complete position description and application instructions are available at https://apply.interfolio.com/178287. 

For more information, please contact the chair of the search committee:

 Dr. Amy Bronson (amy.bronson@pepperdine.edu) 
 Founding Dean, School of Physician Assistant Studies
 Pepperdine University
 24255 Pacific Coast Highway
 Malibu, CA 90263

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. Pepperdine University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

*Pepperdine University, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The MSPAS program anticipates matriculating its first class in September 2027 pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the April 2027 ARC-PA meeting.  The program will not commence in the event that provisional accreditation is not received.  Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

The MSPAS program at Pepperdine University is pending approval by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College & University Commission (WSCUC)

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context which celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, staff and members of the Board of Regents represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine reserves the right to seek, hire and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists.

It is the intent of the University to create and promote a diverse workforce consistent with its stated goals and mission.