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Ouachita signs advanced standing agreements with two seminaries

September 07, 2026 - Chase Hartsell

Ouachita Baptist University has signed agreements with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School that will allow students in the Pruet School of Christian Studies to earn credits toward a Master of Divinity degree while taking undergraduate courses.

Ouachita students can now receive as many as 27 hours of advanced standing in NOBTS’ accelerated MDiv program and up to 12 hours in Beeson’s MDiv degree track. To qualify, students must have received their undergraduate degree within the last five years, meet the graduate programs’ admissions requirements and hold at least a “B” in all Ouachita courses they wish to receive credit for.

“The agreements signify a recognition of the ministry experience and education we provide at the undergraduate level,” said Dr. Jeremy Greer, dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies. “NOBTS and Beeson have seen the evidence in the quality of our alumni who have attended their institutions.”

Two of those alumni are Ben and Meghann (Bledsoe) Combs, who are pursuing Master of Divinity degrees at NOBTS after graduating from Ouachita in 2025. Though they began their studies before the current agreement was established, both have benefited from advanced standing in their graduate program because of courses they took at Ouachita.

Through undergraduate Christian studies courses, Ouachita students can now earn credit toward Master of Divinity degrees at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Samford’s Beeson Divinity School.

“We feel such a strong pull toward the nations,” Ben said. “Here in New Orleans, that call has been reinforced and affirmed by our church and leaders around us. Advanced standing gave us at least two semesters of credit toward our degrees, which helps us move on to fresh topics and to the mission field faster. It also promotes cooperation between institutions.”

Combs expressed that both he and his wife felt more prepared for seminary because of their time in Pruet. He believes the agreements with NOBTS and Beeson will make the transition from undergrad to graduate studies even smoother for current and future students in Ouachita’s Christian studies programs.

“Pruet will equip you extremely well for the study of Scripture, interpretation and teaching,” he explained. “Seminary allows you to specialize more and go a little bit deeper. It serves as a training ground, allowing you to do ministry while taking classes at the same time. If I’d had access to an advanced standing program, it would’ve helped in determining how I took classes at Ouachita in order to progress toward seminary.”

“We are most excited for our students,” Greer said. “These agreements reward their hard work with a head start on their graduate education at two strong institutions with histories of training and forming graduates for service to the Lord and his church.”

Ouachita’s Pruet School of Christian Studies seeks to equip students with the tools needed to reach people for Christ and to train them as disciples, both locally and around the world. To learn more about the school and its programs, visit obu.edu/christianstudies or contact the Office of Admissions Counseling at 870-245-5110 or [email protected].