Fast Track
Nursing Program

College graduates seeking to enter the nursing profession can get on the “fast track” to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree through a ground-breaking program at A&M-Corpus Christi.

This fall, the University’s new College of Nursing and Health Sciences launched its accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for persons who have already earned a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts degree. Participants graduate in 18 months instead of two years. Under the program, students will take an additional clinical course in the second and third semesters for a total of 18 semester hours. Courses and clinical hours for the accelerated program are identical to the standard program with the exception of the compressed format.

To be admitted to the program, applicants must hold either a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts in another discipline with at least a 3.0 grade point average. Candidates must also have completed the required nursing program prerequisites.

This year, the U.S. Department of Labor identified, for the first time, registered nurses as the top occupation in the country in terms of projected job growth through the year 2012. South Texas, excluding Bexar County, has the fewest registered nurses per 100,000 population in Texas.

“In recent years, Texas and the entire nation have experienced a well-publicized nursing shortage,” said Dr. Mary Jane Hamilton, Dean of the new College. “By compressing the current nursing program for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree, more registered nurses can be placed in the workforce more quickly to fill this critical need.”