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DALLAS (SMU) –Hendrix College students will have an opportunity for early admission to ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, thanks to a new agreement between the two institutions.

The agreement honors the institutions’ heritage in The United Methodist Church and their shared commitment to training students for ministry.

Hendrix President William M. Tsutsui and Dr. Craig Hill, Dean of Perkins School of Theology, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a March 1 ceremony on the Hendrix campus.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Hendrix students pursuing ministry in The United Methodist Church,” said Tsutsui. “Together, Hendrix and SMU’s Perkins School of Theology have inspired generations of United Methodist clergy in Arkansas and across the country. This agreement celebrates that history, as well as our continued commitment to educating future generations of United Methodist Church leaders.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Hendrix students with a cumulative 3.0 GPA who submit the requisite application materials to Perkins by October 15 will receive an early admissions decision for the following fall semester. Hendrix will communicate with Perkins regarding undergraduate students who are promising candidates for ministry, assist students in the application process, and coordinate annual visits by prospective students to the ÃÛÌÒ½´campus. The arrangement does not guarantee admission to all candidates who meet the basic requirements, and it does not prevent students who do not meet those requirements from applying to SMU.

“I am particularly excited about the new forms of connection and collaboration this agreement encourages,” Hill said. “Our two schools can enrich each other in countless ways—from faculty engagement between both institutions to on-site learning opportunities for students. We are eager to be close partners with Hendrix College and so to realize our combined potential.”

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About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.

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Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.