Graduate & Professional Studies

Graduate and Professional Studies at Ouachita seek to be a source of ongoing intellectual and spiritual growth for those pursuing lifelong learning or career advancement. Ouachita fosters community through relationships with classmates and professors in all learning environments. Through innovative modalities, fields and approaches, these programs combine the very best of Ouachita’s more than 130 years of Christ-centered learning with meeting the ongoing and changing needs of the work force.

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Year Founded

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"Regional College in the South" by U.S. News & World Report

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Graduate Programs

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Satisfaction Rate in Arkansas by CollegeConsensus.com

“Ouachita will offer exemplary academic programs at reasonable prices from a place where community is fostered through relationships with classmates and professors. We desire for others beyond the traditional undergraduate population to have the Ouachita experience, becoming part of our family.”

Monica Hardin headshot Monica Hardin
Associate Vice President for Graduate and Online Education

CURRENT GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Master of Science degree

Low-residency: 3-day on-campus, in-person intensive followed by online synchronous coursework.
Five semesters that can be completed in less than two years.
Applications open on Jan. 1, 2023, for enrollment starting in August 2023. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2023.

A Master of Arts degree option is available to individuals who prefer to pursue practical experience at their own pace; this pathway has no requirement to accrue fieldwork hours and is an ideal option for those whose careers do not focus on autism/intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Learn more at obu.edu/aba.

Master of Business Administration degree

Fully online, asynchronous courses with a program-long practicum in your location.
12 months to complete.
The deadline to apply is July 1, 2023, for enrollment starting in August 2023.

Learn more at obu.edu/mba.

We’re preparing students for lives of meaningful work by creating a new opportunity to respond to the growing global mental health crisis. Set to launch in Fall 2024*, Ouachita’s low-residency Master of Arts degree program in counseling with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling equips students to become Licensed Professional Counselors by training them in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

*pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission

Learn more at obu.edu/counseling-ma.

Master of Education degree

Fully online, asynchronous courses plus optional group sessions with the program director conducted both in-person and via Zoom.
12 months to complete.
Applications are open year-round.

A graduate certificate option is available to individuals with a bachelor’s degree or beyond who are interested in teaching as a calling. It includes a subset of the master’s degree courses.

Learn more at obu.edu/curriculum-instruction.

Master of Science degree

Required 2-day on-campus, in-person workshop followed by fully online, asynchronous coursework.
36 credit hours can be completed in 12 months.
Applications open on Jan. 1, 2023, for enrollment starting in August 2023. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2023.

Learn more at obu.edu/exercise-science.

Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship available

Can be completed in 15 months.
All but supervised practice can be completed online.
Applications for August 2023 opened on Sept. 1, 2022.

Learn more at obu.edu/dietetics/gradprograms.

APPLICATION & ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

graduate and professional studies students

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These preliminary admissions requirements are university wide. Each graduate program will have additional requirements. Please review the program-specific requirements on the webpage of your desired program.

Ouachita General Graduate Admissions Requirements:

Conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution
2.5 minimum GPA on a 4.0 scale (individual programs will delineate more specifics)
Completed application, which includes a statement of purpose
Three references
Minimum English proficiency requirements for international students are as follows:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
  At least 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT)
  At least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
  At least a 6.5 on the IELTS exam

If you’re interested in applying to graduate programs but you’re not a U.S. citizen, contact your graduate admissions counselor, Angie Schleiff (schleiffa@obu.edu), before submitting an application. Due to visa requirements, requests from non-U.S. citizens are handled on a case-by-case basis and take extra time. Please inquire early in the process.

The State of Arkansas and Ouachita Baptist University require students to show proof of immunity for MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella). Ouachita Baptist University must receive an immunization record that includes the MMR vaccinations. For more information please click here.

Ouachita's Fall 2023 enrollment highest in 57 years

Ouachita Baptist University has reported its highest enrollment in 57 years, with a Fall 2023 headcount of 1,815.

Called to Teach Conference at Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita to host Called to Teach Conference on July 21

Ouachita Baptist University’s Huckabee School of Education will host its annual Called to Teach Conference on Friday, July 21, in Walker Conference Center, 485 Campus Drive. Called to Teach is open to the public; attendees can receive six hours of professional development credit through the Arkansas Department of Education.

Ouachita's spring enrollment highest in 26 years

Following record fall enrollment, Ouachita Baptist University has reported its highest spring headcount in more than 26 years with a total Spring 2023 enrollment of 1,682.

Ouachita introduces Master of Science degree in exercise science

Ouachita will expand its kinesiology program to include a Master of Science degree in exercise science, expected to launch in Fall 2023. Housed in the Huckabee School of Education, the master’s degree pathway will be built around the concept of recognizing exercise as medicine—an emphasis that has been foundational in the way Ouachita’s Department of Kinesiology approaches instruction.

Holly (Burris) Kyzer ('00)

Growing up around Ouachita’s campus, Holly Kyzer knew Ouachita was going to be an integral part of her life, but she never guessed she would be a faculty member, much less an instrumental part of re-launching graduate programs at the university.

GET IN TOUCH

Have a question about Ouachita? Want more information? Shoot our Graduate and Professional Studies team a message!

CONTACT US

Or schedule a chat with a graduate admissions counselor!