About the MU School of Health Professions

The MU School of Health Professions (SHP) is the University of Missouri system’s only school of health professions and the state’s only public allied health program located on a health sciences campus. Allied health professions account for more than 60 percent of the total U.S. health care workforce and represent more than half of the fastest growing occupations in the country according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. The school is an important member of the University of Missouri Health System. Other members include the Sinclair School of Nursing, the School of Medicine, University Hospitals and Clinics and University Physicians.

With programs in rehabilitation, diagnostic and imaging sciences, graduates of the School of Health Professions fill critical roles in health care. The school is comprised of six departments and ten disciplines, each with their own specialized accreditation processes. The school also hosts a satellite program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City College of Pharmacy.

Growth and success

The school has experienced extraordinary growth. Enrollment has increased 230 percent since 2002 with 2011 enrollment at 1,800. The health sciences degree has had outstanding growth since its creation in 2008, with 750 students and counting. As a four-year degree, it provides students with the knowledge and skills to pursue additional professional programs or gain employment in healthcare, government, nonprofit, sales or research settings. Students of the School of Health Professions rank among the best and brightest at MU. Health Professions students consistently excel on national examinations, placing them in the top tier of candidates. The School of Health Professions granted 299 degrees in May of 2011.

Serving our state and community

The school is a major provider of Missouri’s health care workforce. Data collected by the Office of MU Enrollment Management indicates that 86 percent of recent health professions graduates remained in the state. Internal surveys show that of the 7,200 graduates of the School of Health Professions, 60 percent of all practicing professionals remain in Missouri with an approximate 50/50 split of rural verses urban employment.

In addition, the school and its departments operate multiple outreach services or facilities and offer numerous other service learning projects, allowing students and faculty to engage in comprehensive, interdisciplinary education and research. In 2010, 15,786 Missourians were served through these clinics and services.

Friends around the world

The School of Health Professions continues to form strong strategic alliances on and off campus. These activities offer faculty members and students the opportunity to engage in comprehensive, interdisciplinary education and research.

SHP continues its strong relationship with the University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, the school is one of only two U.S. universities to have formalized an international relationship with the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. The primary field of interest is in the area of physical therapy and interdisciplinary outreach services.