The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and Hill College in Cleburne on Thursday announced a new partnership.
The collaboration is designed to build programs that support students as they move between the two institutions and establish accelerated pathways to health-related careers, addressing the region’s workforce shortage in these fields.
“We are excited to join forces with Hill College to expand opportunities for students in our community,” said Charles Taylor, HSC provost, in a statement. “By collaborating and building upon our programs, we aim to enhance their educational journey and ensure they have the resources they need to succeed in both our institutions and beyond.”
The partnership will focus on developing a variety of initiatives, such as:
- Dual admissions: Allowing students to be enrolled in both institutions simultaneously, providing access to additional resources and programs.
- Program specific agreements: Establishing clear transfer pathways between associate degree programs at Hill College and HSC’s baccalaureate program.
- Reverse transfer: Enabling students to transfer HSC credits back to Hill College to complete an associate degree.
- Alternate delivery options: HSC and Hill College will offer upper-division and graduate courses through online, hybrid and in-person formats to serve place-bound students.
- Consortium agreements: Collaborating on non-academic areas such as financial aid, admissions, and career services to enhance student support.
These initiatives will provide students with a more seamless transition between the two institutions, maximize the transferability of credits and offer greater flexibility in students’ educational pursuits.
“The partnership will give our health professions-minded students access to valuable educational opportunities from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree to graduate professional schools like medicine, pharmacy, etc.,” said Thomas Mills, Hill College president. “We are extremely fortunate to be able to partner with HSC on this venture.”
Interested students are encouraged to email Agapito Flores, dean of instruction at Hill College, or call him at (817) 760-5920.