Hendrix College students now have a streamlined path to UCA’s graduate programs following an agreement between the two schools on Oct. 30.

This will allow Hendrix students in health-related fields to apply to the graduate programs offered at UCA.

“Hendrix students are known for their intellectual curiosity and commitment to service,” Dr. Teresa Garrett, Hendrix College Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, said in a press release. “This partnership gives our students an exciting opportunity to continue that work in graduate study while contributing to Arkansas’ growing need for health care professionals.”

Dr. Candice Thomas, assistant professor of Biology at Hendrix and a former biology professor at UCA, noticed how many of her exceptional students wanted to attend graduate school in health-related fields, but did not have the same options at Hendrix as UCA did.

“It just seemed to make really good sense that they would have a similar opportunity if they had similar qualifications to apply for early assurance into some of these programs with the hope that they stay in Arkansas,” Dr. Thomas said.

Thomas proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to allow qualifying Hendrix students to enroll in graduate programs within UCA’s College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, specifically Doctor of Physical and Occupational Therapy, master of Science in Athletic Training and Educational Specialist in School Psychology.

“It’s called a facilitated pathway, and so the students still have to meet certain requirements for the programs,” Dr. Darshon Reed, associate dean and associate professor of psychology at UCA, said, “But if they meet those requirements, then they would actually have a spot in the interview process.” 

While the signing took place in late October, Reed says discussions about this partnership have been ongoing for a year and a half.

“We’ve been working from the background with Hendrix, trying to make sure that there were pathways for their students that are at exceptional academic levels to be able to advance through some of our programs,” Reed said.

As of the signing, eligible junior-year students at Hendrix can now apply to the programs, with each one having its own distinct qualifications.

“Students can now apply for early assurance to these graduate programs, and there are several programs that work on that,” Thomas said.

Thomas and Reed hope the program will enable students to remain in Arkansas and launch their careers.

“We definitely want to continue to encourage the students to seek out these opportunities,” Reed said. “Because we want to provide the best quality outcome and product for our state.”

“Hopefully, it’s just a springboard for more potential relationships between Hendrix and UCA,” Thomas said.

This hopes to strengthen both institutions’ mission to expand access to quality education.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to developing Arkansas’ next generation of health professionals,” Dr. Nancy Reese, Dean of the UCA College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, said in a press release. “By connecting Hendrix’s outstanding undergraduate students with UCA’s nationally recognized graduate programs, we’re building a stronger, more seamless pipeline for student success and workforce development in the state.”