Degree Programs

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health offers the following programs of study:

MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH)

The MPH degree is a forty-two (42) semester credit hour program designed to accommodate the student who wishes to obtain an area of concentration in traditional public health specialties. Available specialty tracks include biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, health behavior/health education, and health policy and management. Each student who declares a specialty area must select an academic advisor from members of the faculty of the department related to that particular area of public health specialization.

Two (2) capstone courses are required as part of the forty-two (42) semester credit hour MPH curriculum. The first is a preceptorship, or field experience, requiring a minimum of 135 clock hours of work in a public health-related activity, under the joint supervision of a qualified specialist in public health practice and a COPH faculty member. The second is an integration project, requiring the student to synthesize and integrate knowledge and apply theory and principles learned to an area of public health practice resulting in preparation of a manuscript for publication, a health policy proposal, a research proposal for submission, or equivalent, if approved by the Integration Project Advisory Committee (IPAC) composed of COPH Faculty members.

POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN PUBLIC HEALTH (PBC)

This program of study requires eighteen (18) semester credit hours. The six (6) MPH core courses (Introduction to Public Health, Biostatistics I, Environmental and Occupational Health, The Health Care System, Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education and Epidemiology I) comprise the coursework for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (MS)

The Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) M.S. degree program is devoted to the recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace or environmental hazards which may cause impaired health or well-being or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers or the general public. The program emphasizes the study of chemical exposure, noise and vibration, air pollution, biological agents, ergonomic stressors, injury risk factors and other hazards likely to be encountered in work or community environments.

MASTER OF HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (MHSA)

The Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) program prepares students for careers as administrators or staff in health organizations, institutions, and agencies involved in the provision, financing, insuring, or regulation of health care. The curriculum is structured in developmental sequences, with each semester’s work building on the previous courses. A required summer experiential course provides valuable real world experience in a health care organization that fits the student’s career path. Also, the program assists students in obtaining a one-year, post-degree fellowship. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and is a full member of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Further information about the MHSA program may be found in this catalog and on the COPH website at www.uams.edu/ coph/applicants.

MD/MPH COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM

The UAMS College of Medicine and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health offers a combined MD/MPH degree program that permits students to enroll concomitantly in both the College of Medicine and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and complete all requirements for both degrees in a four year period of time.

Interested students should review the curricular requirements and administrative policies and procedures.  Students entering the first year program of the College of Medicine must apply for admission to the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health prior to the April 1 deadline to be accepted in the summer program. Students must obtain admission separately to the MD program and the MPH program and file a Declaration of Intent to Pursue Combined Degrees according to the procedures to participate in the combined degree program. The COPH website provides additional details.

JD/MPH COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Bowen School of Law and the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, both located in Little Rock, Arkansas, have joined to offer an accelerated, coordinated course of study in both law and public health.

The UALR Bowen School of Law and the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health recognize the interrelationship between the legal system and the delivery of health care services. A student may be a good candidate for this opportunity if she/he wants to train for a leadership role in improving the health status of the community, state, or nation. The COPH website provides additional details.

PharmD/MPH COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM

The UAMS College of Pharmacy and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health offers a combined PharmD/MPH degree program that permits students to enroll concomitantly in both the College of Pharmacy and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and complete all requirements for both degrees in a four year period of time.

Interested students should review the curriculum and administrative policies and procedures.  Students entering the first year program of the College of Pharmacy must apply for admission to the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Students must obtain admission separately to the PharmD program and the MPH program and file a Declaration of Intent to Pursue Combined Degrees according to the procedures to participate in the combined degree program. For details contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.

DOCTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH (DrPH) IN PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP

The Doctor of Public Health in Public Health Leadership provides extensive training in the public health sciences, public health practice, and leadership skills necessary to respond to the rapidly shifting, sometimes unanticipated challenges of the public health and health care systems. The focus of the DrPH program is in developing public health leaders who can integrate public health science into public health practice, apply models and theories in public health to chronic and emerging issues in practice, and demonstrate leadership in working with public health teams. Further information about the DrPH program may be found in this catalog and on the COPH website at www.uams.edu/ coph/applicants.

PhD IN HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH

The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health offers a program of instruction leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Health Systems Research.  The program provides students with the theoretical and methodological foundations necessary to conduct creative and independent research on health systems, with the ultimate goal of identifying pathways to improved health system performance through evidence-based policy and management.  The curriculum involves intensive and focused study in the theoretical perspectives and methodological strategies relevant to research on the organization, financing, and delivery of health services, including issues of quality, accessibility, efficiency, and equity within systems of care. Students will develop scholarly expertise in these areas of study, advanced skills in quantitative research methods, confidence in their teaching, and a high standard of scientific integrity and professionalism.  Job opportunities exist in university-based and independent health services research centers, health policy institutes, foundations and philanthropic organizations, consulting firms, and professional and advocacy associations working at state and national levels.

PhD IN HEALTH PROMOTION AND PREVENTION RESEARCH

The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (COPH) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Promotion and Prevention Research (HPPR). The degree is awarded by the UAMS Graduate School in recognition of scholarly achievement evidenced by a period of successful advanced study, the satisfactory completion of prescribed examinations, and the defense of a dissertation addressing a significant issue relevant to social and behavioral sciences in public health. The curriculum of the HPPR program provides extensive training in basic and applied research methodology that will allow public health scientists to serve as Principal Investigators responsible for developing an extramurally funded program of independent research.  Integrated within the multidisciplinary environment of an academic health sciences center, the proposed Ph.D. program is uniquely positioned to advance the understanding of interactions among biological, behavioral and cultural processes that are associated with the etiology and prevention of major chronic illnesses that constitute a significant public health challenge in Arkansas.  An advanced understanding of these complex interactions will expand the current knowledge base and foster the development and evaluation of new health care strategies and public health initiatives that subsequently can be implemented to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and communities throughout the state of Arkansas.  A strong emphasis on applied and community based research methods provides graduates with a solid foundation in the design and evaluation of public health service programs. This perspective will foster collaboration with public health practitioners in the development of programmatic research that is truly responsive to the health needs of Arkansas residents and makes optimal use of public health infrastructure in the state.