Master of Health Services Administration

The curriculum of the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) Program in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health begins in the Fall semester; however, Spring admission is considered for US citizens or permanent resident aliens only.

The application requirements are:

• Completed application through SOPHAS or HAMPCAS.   Applications for this program are now processed though SOPHAS or HAMPCAS   Use SOPHAS if you plan to apply to several MHSA programs, and those programs are part of a College of Public Health at the universities to which you are applying; otherwise, use HAMPCAS. You can apply to either one, but only apply to one application service.  

• Official transcripts of all academic work sent directly from every institution attended to SOPHAS/HAMPCAS regardless of degree awarded or transfer credits shown on subsequent transcripts. Applicants must input every course on each transcript into their SOPHAS/HAMPCAS application online.

All transcripts from foreign countries must be translated and evaluated by either Education Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.ece.org) or World Education Services (www.wes.org.) An official copy of the evaluation must be submitted to SOPHAS. Applicants must possess the minimum of a U.S. baccalaureate degree equivalent to be considered for admission. Applicants who anticipate completion of their undergraduate degree soon after the admissions deadline may apply for conditional admission. If granted conditional admission, a final transcript from the student’s baccalaureate institution must be received by the Office of Student Services prior to the date of registration of the admitted semester.

If you are an international applicant, please also see Admission Requirements for International Students for more information. Please note the MHSA Program admits international applicants for the Fall semester only with a completed application packet deadline of March 1st.

• For the MHSA Program, the cumulative grade point average must be at least 2.75 (4.0 scale) overall or 3.0 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours to be considered for admission.

• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores. The test must have been taken within the five (5) years immediately preceding the application deadline of the requested semester of admission. Official scores must be received directly from the testing agency (www.ETS.org.) and sent to SOPHAS. The GRE university code for COPH is 6512. The GMAT code is OSF-3L-74.

Successful applicants in the MHSA program typically earn a score in excess of 1000 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE or in excess of 550 on the GMAT(old format). Applicants who score in the top 50th percentile are preferred.  This percentile applies to the new GRE scoring as well.

• In addition to the SOPHAS application fee which is paid online, a non-refundable application processing fee (check or money order) made payable to the UAMS College of Public Health must be mailed to:

UAMS COPH
4301 W. Markham St., Slot #820
Little Rock, AR 72205-7199

Check the current fee due at our website: Tuition and Fees. Students who are currently enrolled and taking classes full-time in another UAMS college are not required to submit the application fee, but must submit all other required materials.

• Personal statement or letter of interest (500 to 700 words) detailing reasons for seeking this degree including previous work experience, career goals, and objectives.

• Current resume

• Two references (processed by SOPHAS/HAMPCAS).

• In admission reviews, first consideration is given to Arkansas residents. In recognition of the support of COPH programs by private and federal organizations, highly qualified applicants who are residents of another state or citizens of a foreign country may compete for admission. For the MHSA Program, those whose native language is not English and/or who do not have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited US college or university are required to submit the following minimum scores.

Type of TOEFL Exam	Minimum Score
Paper based exam	580
Internet based exam	90

The test must have been taken within the two (2) years immediately preceding the application deadline of the requested semester for admission. An official test score received directly from the testing agency (www.ETS.org) is required before any action is taken on an application. Copies will not be accepted. At this time, the TOEFL code for COPH is R6901. Please see Application and Eligibility Requirements for International Students for more information.

• For international students only-COPH (mailing address above) not SOPHAS must receive an official letter on bank letterhead from the student’s financial institution proving sufficient funds for the program of study prior to the application deadline. See Application and Eligibility Requirements for International Students for amounts and mailing instructions.

• Interview with program faculty for selected applicants. This is scheduled after all application materials are received and criteria are satisfied.

At this time, the MHSA Program does not have a specific deadline for completed application packets, but applicants are encouraged to provide all materials as soon as possible and preferably before the end of the Spring semester for Fall admission.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure the application is complete and received by SOPHAS as required by the deadline.

Applicants who are accepted may defer admission for a maximum of one calendar year. Acceptance is defined as enrolling with COPH.