New Programs, Pathways and Opportunities For Students on Both Campuses
Mobile, Alabama – Spring Hill College and Rockhurst University announce a strategic alliance that will open new academic and professional pathways for their students. With more than 300 combined years of education, Spring Hill College, based in Mobile, Ala., and Rockhurst University, based in Kansas City, Mo., are two of the oldest, most prestigious Catholic, Jesuit educational institutions in the U.S. Beginning in the upcoming academic year, students can major in new academic programs, take advantage of seamless pathways to postgraduate degrees, enjoy experiential learning opportunities, and study abroad.
Aligning with current student and industry demand, Spring Hill College will offer students new undergraduate majors in the areas of data analytics and intelligence, exercise science, social influencing, and criminal justice. Adding value to existing programs, the agreement will create streamlined pathways for Spring Hill College students in health science programs to accelerate their academic and professional path in Rockhurst’s master’s program in Speech Language Pathology and doctoral programs in Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy.
“As part of our long-term strategic plan, Spring Hill College has been intentional over the last few years in seeking out mutually beneficial partnerships like this one with Rockhurst University to create new and innovative educational pathways for our students,” said Dr. Mary Van Brunt, president of Spring Hill College. “This strategic alliance is going to expand existing programs and create new opportunities across all of our academic divisions. I’m excited for our students to benefit from these new academic offerings – it’s also a perfect complement as we begin construction on our new Health and Science Innovation Center, which will open in the 2026-27 academic year.”
Rockhurst University students will enjoy expanded access to Spring Hill College’s Italy Center in Bologna, taking advantage of immersive cultural and academic experiences in a historic Italian university city. This program facilitates academic travel and fosters a global perspective within a Jesuit educational framework.
“With Rockhurst and Spring Hill’s shared Jesuit core value of ‘cura personalis,’ or ‘care for the whole person,’ we are excited for the expanded academic and professional opportunities our students will have through this alliance,” said Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., president of Rockhurst University. “This also aligns with our strategy to continuously offer new academic programs that complement our mission and vision and position our graduates to be more competitive in today’s job market.”
Students at both institutions will benefit from the regional environments and local industries in Mobile and Kansas City through exchange opportunities to study on either campus for expertly curated immersion experiences, such as supply chain and logistics opportunities with major employers and hands-on learning at places like the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
“The experiential learning between the two campuses will be very synergistic,” said Van Brunt. “We know innovative partnerships are key to our ability to shape leaders in service to others for our next 200 years.”
The programs and academic experiences in the strategic alliance remain subject to the final approval and the development of memorandums of understanding detailing the terms for the applicable programs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The strategic alliance with Rockhurst University will significantly benefit Spring Hill College students through several key enhancements. Students will gain access to accelerated pathways to graduate programs, such as 3+2 programs, allowing them to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a reduced timeframe, saving both time and tuition. The alliance will also expand program offerings, providing students with access to new academic programs on our campus and at Rockhurst University. Students in programs like Supply Chain Management will have the opportunity to participate in valuable experiential learning on the Rockhurst campus, gaining real-world experience. We are also collaborating to expand study abroad opportunities, giving students access to a wider range of international experiences and cultural immersion programs, preparing students to be globally competitive.
This alliance will provide experiential learning opportunities for RU students. Students in programs like Marine Biology will benefit from our alliance with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Students in Supply Chain Management will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience with the Port of Mobile partnership. Students will have state of the art equipment in our new Health and Science Innovation Center where SHC and RU can collaborate on new programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. RU students will have expanded opportunities to participate in SHC’s Italy Center and other study abroad opportunities through collaboration. The warm weather in the winter and the gulf coast will be a welcome seasonal change for a semester at SHC! There may also be expanded clinical opportunities in Mobile for health sciences.
This strategic alliance is built on a foundation of shared values and a vision for enhanced educational opportunities. Several key factors contributed to this exciting collaboration:
- Jesuit Alignment: Both Spring Hill College and Rockhurst University are Jesuit institutions within the same province. This shared heritage fosters a strong mission fit, rooted in academic excellence and Ignatian pedagogy. Senior leadership from both institutions already works closely together, creating a natural synergy.
- Expansion of Health Sciences: Rockhurst University has a robust portfolio of health science programs and is actively seeking to expand its presence in the Southern region. Our new Health and Science Innovation Center (HSIC) presents an ideal opportunity for RU to extend its reach and complement its existing offerings.
- Enhanced Student Opportunities: This alliance will provide our students with expanded experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad programs and access to a wider range of academic resources. Spring Hill College was looking for a strategic collaborator to allow us to expand our educational offerings to students and offer them additional experiential opportunities.
- Mutual Growth: In the evolving landscape of higher education, collaboration is key to sustainable growth. This alliance aims to strengthen both institutions, allowing us to attract and serve a broader student population.
Combining Forces: Ultimately, our goal is to leverage our combined strengths to create a more enriching and impactful educational experience for our students. We believe that by working together, we can achieve greater things than we could individually.
A strategic alliance is a collaborative agreement between two or more independent organizations to achieve mutually beneficial goals. It involves sharing resources, expertise, and sometimes even risks, while maintaining separate identities and governance structures.
In the case of our alliance with Rockhurst University, this strategic alliance focuses on specific academic programs and pathways for our students. We’re developing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for each program to ensure a seamless process for our students, including the transfer of grades and credits. This allows us to expand our educational offerings and provide students with additional opportunities without losing our independence.
Alumni interested in becoming involved, may contact Tyloria Crenshaw, Director of Alumni, Parent and Community Relations, at alumni@shc.edu. Whether through speaking to students, providing mentorship or internship opportunities, helping to host an event for prospective students, or other ways, we are eager to create opportunities for alumni to contribute their knowledge, expertise, and passion for Spring Hill College while also fostering new connections across institutions. Upcoming events.
Faculty are currently working to bring academic program proposals to the Faculty Assembly, who will vote in April. We expect some new programs to be announced and begin as soon as Fall 2025. As we develop more programs and curricular agreements with Rockhurst, we will communicate those over the coming months.
Strategic alliances such as this one with RU will allow us to develop new academic programs and pathways more quickly, which will impact our overall enrollment and retention at the College, solidify our financial position, and free up more resources for growth. These new programs are just beginning.
Depending on your program, this alliance may provide some additional experiential learning opportunities and/or pathways to graduate programs. More details on opportunities will be provided as they become available, and students are always encouraged to talk with CASA and their academic advisor.
The new HSIC is a key reason why this strategic alliance makes sense. We will have a brand new state-of-the-art building allowing us to grow our science and health science programs. RU has many existing programs in the health sciences with growth opportunities. This allows SHC to collaborate with RU on pathway programs on their campus, as well as launch these programs on our campus quickly.
We will be starting abatement/demolition on Walsh Hall in the next few weeks and expect to have a groundbreaking ceremony when we return to campus in August. We are on schedule to open the new HSIC during the 26-27 academic year. Article.
While the tuition-free graduate program only applies to Spring Hill College graduate programs, it will continue to be available to our students who start at Spring Hill College in Fall of 2025 and those who started in Fall of 2024 or Spring of 2025 as long as they meet these requirements:
- Start as freshmen at Spring Hill College in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, or Fall of 2025.
- Graduate within four years earning their undergraduate degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Meet all academic prerequisites and requirements of their chosen graduate program.
- Begin one of the following SHC graduate programs by the Fall semester following graduation:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Master’s in Engaged and Applied Humanities (MA)
- Master’s in Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Arts in Theology (MA)
- Master of Pastoral Studies (MPS)
- Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
- Enroll in each subsequent Fall and Spring term until completion of degree.
Currently, any student who graduates from Spring Hill College and is accepted into one of Spring Hill College’s existing master’s degree programs is eligible for a 25% discount on tuition. This discount does not apply to Rockhurst University graduate programs. However, SHC students will gain access to accelerated pathways to graduate programs, such as 3+2 programs, allowing them to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in a reduced timeframe, saving both time and tuition.
This strategic alliance will create opportunities for students in all Academic Divisions—Business & Communication, Health & Science, and Humanities & Social Sciences—including new academic programs, opportunities for experiential learning at the Rockhurst University campus, and degree pathways.
Forming strategic alliances to expand our academic programming and opportunities for our students has been one of our strategic goals this past year. We will continue to look for additional strategic alliances like this one in our community and outside, and to expand on the RU opportunities.
We hope this will be a long-term alliance that expands over time with additional academic programs and opportunities being explored each year. As part of an annual assessment process, we will review these programs along with all existing programs.
For questions regarding specific academic programs, please reach out to Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@shc.edu. For information regarding this and other strategic initiatives of the College, please reach out to the Office of the President at presidentvanbrunt@shc.edu.
We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available.