Traditional Baccalaureate Programs.

Entry into a baccalaureate program leads to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and eligibility to take the professional licensing examination (NCLEX-RN). Many students enter a baccalaureate program directly from high school, having taken college preparatory courses which prepare them for college courses in science, social science, humanities and nursing. Some students transfer from Community Colleges taking prerequisite courses before entering a baccalaureate program. Others enter the baccalaureate program after having been out of high school for a number of years, choosing a nursing career later in life.

RN to BS Programs

Building on prior education in nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs for RN’s (RN to BSN) provide professional education that includes nursing, liberal arts and sciences coursework that form the foundation for professional nursing practice. All RN to BSN programs accept transfer credit from prior nursing education, pre-requisites to the nursing program and general studies courses.
RN to BS programs enable RN's to develop stronger clinical reasoning skills to enable career advancement.

LPN to BS Programs

LPN to BS programs are designed to educate the LPN as a professional nurse. Some programs may award advanced course standing.

Second Bachelor's Degree Programs

Second Baccalaureate degree programs are designed for non nurse baccalaureate graduates who wish to enter nursing. Most of these accelerated programs are 16-18 months in length and provide eligibility for graduate to take the NCLEX- RN exam. These programs are rigorous due to their accelerated nature. Theory and clinical practice is provided in medical-surgical, mental health, community health, maternity and pediatric nursing. Students are accepted from a variety of previous majors, some mid-career changers, others directly from their first undergraduate program.

Master's Level Entry Programs

Non-nurse College Graduates to Master's in Nursing Program. Direct entry or accelerated MSN programs, also known as “graduate entry” or “master’s entry ” programs, are designed for non-nurses who hold bachelors’ degrees in non-nursing fields. These programs give students credit for having completed their liberal arts requirements and allow them to complete an accelerated schedule of undergraduate nursing coursework before moving directly into graduate nursing coursework -- combining preparation for RN-licensure with advanced training in a master’s specialty area. Direct entry MSN programs typically require two to three years to complete, with the first year focused on the entry-level pre-licensure nursing curriculum and the last one to two years dedicated to the master’s-level advanced nursing curriculum.