Ursinus College, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing Sign Affiliation Agreement
Pact allows Ursinus graduates to earn accelerated BSN degree from Villanov
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. (Jan 16, 2018) — Ursinus College students have a clearer path to a nursing degree thanks to a new partnership with the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.
Under a new five-year affiliation agreement between the two institutions, at least five qualified graduates or graduating Ursinus students per year will be accepted to Villanova’s Accelerated BSN Program for College Graduates. The 14-month second degree program incorporates all of the standard components of Villanova’s nursing program in a concentrated timeframe.
“This agreement presents a wealth of new possibilities for Ursinus students seeking a career path in nursing,” says Mark Schneider, vice president of academic affairs and dean of Ursinus. “We are proud to enter this partnership with Villanova and provide a new generation of healthcare professionals the opportunity to earn a second bachelor’s degree from a renowned institution before setting out to meet the healthcare needs of the global community.”
“I am a great supporter of dual-degree programs like the Villanova partnership,” Schneider says. “They allow students to enjoy all the benefits of a full liberal education and still gain the skills and credentials that are such valuable preparation for a career.”
The Accelerated BSN Program for College Graduates is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
“We have been delighted with the success of Ursinus graduates in our BSN program and the impact they have in their nursing careers while caring for patients, families and communities. We look forward to continuing this relationship with Ursinus through this new agreement,” says Lesley A. Perry, Ph.D., R.N., interim dean of the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.
The Ursinus students must successfully complete a four-year undergraduate degree at Ursinus; undergraduate prerequisite courses (or equivalencies) mutually agreed upon in advance by Ursinus and Villanova; and admission requirements for the Villanova BSN program before seamlessly transitioning to the second degree program.
Ursinus also has academic degree partnerships with Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University (engineering); The Simon Business School at the University of Rochester (business); and Saint Joseph’s University (MBA).
One of the nation’s “Colleges that Change Lives,” Ursinus College is a residential undergraduate liberal arts college with 1,600 students that is widely recognized for its first-year Common Intellectual Experience. Founded in 1869, Ursinus provides a rigorous curriculum that re-envisions a liberal education and presents students with an inquiry-driven academic experience. Ursinus’s $100 million Keep the Promise capital campaign culminates during the college’s sesquicentennial anniversary in 2019-20. It is home to the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, one of only three percent of the nation’s museums accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The tree-lined, 170-acre campus is located 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Collegeville, Pa.