New Year, New Beginnings:  Perkins Welcomes New and Returning Students for 2025–26

The Perkins School of Theology community began the 2025–26 academic year with fresh energy, a diverse and committed incoming class and a new dean at the helm. Faculty, staff and students gathered for worship, fellowship, volunteer work and learning to mark the start of the year. 

“This fall, Perkins welcomed 68 new students along with 129 returning students and 52 doctoral students,” said Christina Rhodes, assistant dean of enrollment management. “There is a strong sense of optimism and energy on campus. Our staff and faculty are fully prepared to embrace the opportunities ahead and support students through this dynamic season.” 

The new class represents a rich tapestry of backgrounds, faith traditions and callings to ministry. Students come from 17 states and represent nine different denominations. While nearly 70% are United Methodist, others come from the Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME), Anglican, Church of Christ, Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME), Episcopalian, non-denominational Christian, and United Church of Christ traditions. 

Five different degree programs are represented in the incoming class, along with several nondegree students. The most popular degree choice remains the Master of Divinity (M.Div.). 

“That is a surprising statistic,” Rhodes noted. “Last year, 70% of students pursued the M.Div., and this year it’s up to 74%. Nationally, the Association of Theological Schools is reporting a decline in the M.Div. and a rise in other master’s programs, but Perkins is seeing the opposite. We’re pleasantly surprised.” 

The student body also reflects Perkins’ commitment to diversity. Overall, 44% of the new students identify as nonwhite. The breakdown includes 25% Black, 6% Hispanic, 5% of two or more ethnicities, 4% foreign nationals, 3% Asian and 1% American Indian/Alaska Native. 

This fall, 72% of incoming master’s students are enrolled in the hybrid-online format, bringing the overall hybrid population to 57% of the student body. 

“Hybrid allows flexibility,” Rhodes explained. “It’s easier for students to do coursework online on their own time.” Even Dallas-based students may opt for an online course, with permission, if their schedules demand.  

Perkins’s hybrid courses include both synchronous and asynchronous components, which seems to appeal to many students.  

“The appeal is that students are not just on their own with no interaction,” Rhodes said. “There are Zoom sessions with professors, teaching assistants, and classmates. It really builds community—you’re in the class together, just virtually.” 

Orientation and Welcome Week

The new school year began with three days of orientation activities, followed by four days of service in the community through the Ministry Dallas program.  

Students experienced Perkins’s hallmark combination of academic rigor and spiritual formation, with daily worship services including Compline, Morning Prayer, a Midday Service of Word and Table and Vespers in Perkins Chapel. 

A highlight of the week was the chance to meet Bryan P. Stone, who began serving as Perkins’s 12th dean on June 1. Stone welcomed the incoming class for dinner in his home.  

“Students arrived with a remarkable mix of creativity and accomplishment, and we are eager to bring their voices into the conversation,” he said. “Some joined us in classrooms in Dallas, others from across the country and globe, yet all of them leaned forward with the same desire: to be engaged, to be connected, to be part of this unfolding community.” 

Stone also complimented the Perkins staff for carrying out the week’s activities with grace and good humor. 

“They wove together learning, worship, and service in Dallas, and at the same time guided students through the practical rhythms of registration, financial aid and course navigation,” he said. “The result was a week that was equal parts sacred and logistical, the kind of foundation that allows genuine learning to flourish.” 

In addition to the full rollout of hybrid courses, preparations are underway for the next cohort of Perkins’ Maestría en Divinidad (M.Div. in Spanish) program. The first cohort of 13 students launched in fall 2024. The next is planned for fall 2026, pending sufficient interest, with recruitment beginning this September. The program is led by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Hugo Magallanes.  

Rhodes noted that, despite broader shifts in theological education, Perkins’s enrollment numbers remained steady. Last year, 71 new students enrolled—slightly more than this year—but that number included the first Spanish-language M.Div. cohort.  

“Our numbers are holding steady,” Rhodes said. “We’ve had some large graduating classes in recent years, which affects overall totals, but when you look at incoming students, we are on track.” Perkins also welcomed nine new D.Min. and three D.P.M. students.  

Perkins leaders see the rise in M.Div. students as especially encouraging. “Now that the United Methodist Church has worked through some of its recent challenges, we’re seeing more students step forward, including LGBTQ students who feel affirmed and accepted,” Rhodes said. “That’s one reason we think our M.Div. numbers are strong.”