How to Apply to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program

The application process for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program has the following main steps:

• Complete an online admission application to the UAMS College of Health Professions through Workday.
• Complete an application through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.
• Complete an on-campus admission interview (if invited).

If the applicant is admitted to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program, additional requirements must be met before they enroll in the program.

• Receipt of state authorization for out-of-state distance education and/or out-of-state clinical placement (if applicable)
• Completion of the required immunizations and tests
• Submission of the UAMS Student Pre-Enrollment Medical Form
• Major medical health insurance coverage that meets minimum standards as designated by UAMS
• Completion of a criminal background check and drug screen

Updated Information

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible and forward any updated information to the College of Health Professions Admissions Office as coursework is completed or additional direct patient care is obtained.

Re-Applying and Re-Admission

Students who have applied for a previous admission cycle or who withdraw or are dismissed from the UAMS College of Health Professions for any reason must re-apply for admission. Refer to the UAMS College of Health Professions Future Students website for details about the process.

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program has a rolling admissions process and accepts candidates until the class is selected for May enrollment annually.

The application cycle opens in April and the application deadline for the degree program is Nov. 1. All materials must be submitted and verified by the UAMS Online Admissions Application and the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants on or before the application deadline. Applications not completed by this date may not be considered for admission to the program.

Applicants should begin the process the previous summer. It is highly suggested that applicants submit their application no later than September 15 to give CASPA enough time to verify the application. Applicants who wait until October to begin the process often do not meet the application deadline.

To apply to a UAMS College of Health Professions degree program, you must complete the online admission application through Workday. Please note that a non-refundable fee of $40 is required and must be submitted along with your application.

You can save your application and return to it at a later date. However, it will not be considered for review until it is submitted and the application fee is paid. After submitting your application, you will need to return to the application site to complete any remaining action items related to your application.

Please note that the application and fee through Workday are in addition to the application and fee required by the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. You will be asked to provide your Workday Admissions Application number to complete the CASPA application.

Applicants must apply through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. The CASPA application cycle opens in April and closes on Nov. 1.

The CASPA application fee is separate from the UAMS Online Admissions Application fee.

Note: The email address you use for the CASPA account creation must match the email address you use when completing the Workday Admissions Application in order to avoid delaying your application for consideration.

Applicants submit the following materials through CASPA:

Official Transcripts

Arrange for each post-secondary academic institution you have attended to forward an official transcript of your coursework. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.

For more detailed information about official transcripts, please refer to the UAMS College of Health Professions Future Students website.

Note: If you are admitted to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program, you will also need to provide final official transcripts reflecting the completion of your degree and any courses that were in progress at the time of the CASPA verification deadline.

International Transcripts

Transcripts from institutions outside the United States are not accepted, even after the use of an evaluation service.

Patient Care Experience Documentation

Clinical experience is documented in the application in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.

For more details about the requirements for patient care experience, please refer to the admission requirements.

Personal Narrative

The application in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants requires one narrative and the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program requires two narratives, for a total of three. Narrative questions may change annually. Please refer to the application for the specific narrative questions.

Personal References

Provide the names and contact information of three personal references on the application in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.

For more details about the requirements for these personal references, please refer to the admission requirements.

English Fluency and Literacy Test Scores

All applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is not English, are required to demonstrate fluency (speaking) and literacy (reading and writing). The Test of English as a Foreign Language and the International English Language Testing System are the two accepted tests for this purpose.

An official copy of the test scores must be sent directly to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants from the respective testing service.

Refer to the English Fluency and Literacy Requirement policy for details.

The program has a rolling admissions process with interviews beginning in September and ending in December for May enrollment annually. The most qualified candidates will receive a notification from the program’s Admission Committee to arrange an admission interview. These interviews will be conducted in person.

All applicants selected for the interview process will receive a notification beginning in the fall.

Candidates may be interviewed even if they have outstanding prerequisite courses or direct patient care hours.

Applicants can be contingently accepted with up to two outstanding prerequisite courses. However, they cannot be officially accepted into the program until they have completed all outstanding prerequisites and obtained 500 hours of direct patient care.

Due to the large number of applications each year, the program may not be able to provide individualized feedback on application or interview performance.

If the applicant is admitted to the program, the following additional requirements must be met before they enroll in the program.

Final Official Transcripts

If you are admitted into the program, you will also need to provide final official transcripts to UAMS reflecting the completion of your degree and any courses that were in progress at the time of the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants verification deadline. Refer to the UAMS College of Health Professions Future Students website for details about submitting official transcripts to the college.

State Authorization of Distance Education and Clinical Placement

Students enrolling in a distance education program who are not residing in Arkansas, as well as students who are going to a state other than Arkansas for clinical experience, must have prior approval from that state’s higher education agency. Federal Program Integrity standards require UAMS to gain this approval.

Fortunately, Arkansas along with many other states have joined the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. Members of the SARA provide automatic approval to other member states to “operate” in that state. More information on state authorization for distance education to include out-of-state clinical placement of students can be found on the UAMS Academic Affairs website.

Should you have any questions regarding state authorization or the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, please contact Tina Maddox, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs, at 501-686-5730 or TMaddox@uams.edu.

Immunizations and Tests

Accepted students must show documentation of certain required immunizations or tests prior to enrolling in a UAMS College of Health Professions program. Refer to the UAMS College of Health Professions Future Students website for details.

Pre-Enrollment Medical Form

Thirty days prior to their first semester’s registration, all individuals admitted must submit the UAMS Student Pre-Enrollment Medical Form. This form is used by UAMS Student and Employee Health Services to verify required immunizations and to establish a baseline for treating illnesses occurring after admission.

Health Insurance

All students admitted to a UAMS College of Health Professions degree or certificate program are required to have major medical health insurance coverage at all times that meet minimum standards as designated by UAMS. For health insurance information, please refer to the UAMS Student Life website.

Background Check and Drug Screen

When required, admitted applicants or students must obtain a criminal background check and drug screen. Background checks and drug screens are meant to ensure the safety and compliance of all UAMS College of Health Professions students with various clinical sites. Refer to the Background Checks and Drug Screens for Applicants and Students policy for more information.

If you have questions or concerns on these two items, please contact Phyllis Fields, associate dean for student affairs at PAFields@uams.edu or 501-686-5730.