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Affiliation Agreement with Villanova Nursing Provides Pathway to Nursing Career for Muhlenberg College Students

Muhlenberg College's students wishing to pursue a nursing degree now have a clear pathway, thanks to a partnership with the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.

Through a new affiliation agreement between the two institutions, at least five  qualified graduates or graduating Muhlenberg students per year will be accepted to Villanova’s Accelerated Second Degree BSN track for college graduates which includes a 14-month Express and 23-month Flex option and incorporates all of the standard components of Villanova’s nursing program in a concentrated timeframe.

"This agreement with Muhlenberg College represents an important relationship to meet our mutual goal of helping students achieve their dream career as well as prepare   the next generation of nurses for our nation’s health care system," said Donna S. Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN, Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor, Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. 

Prospective candidates must successfully complete a four-year undergraduate degree at Muhlenberg, completing undergraduate prerequisite courses (or equivalencies) mutually agreed upon in advance by Muhlenberg and Villanova. They must also meet all admission requirements for the Villanova BSN program before seamlessly transitioning to the second degree program.

“Prehealth has long been an exceptionally robust program at Muhlenberg,” says Mulenberg’s President Kathleen Harring. “Our students acquire strong critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills, which make them valued candidates for these vitally important fields. We take seriously our commitment to guide each of our students as they move toward their personalized career goals. This new agreement with Villanova Nursing offers an excellent opportunity for our students interested in this essential profession.”

The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing is approved by the State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and upon completion of the undergraduate program, graduates are eligible to take the licensing examination (NCLEX) for professional registered nurses. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, as are the master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program.

 

About the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing

The Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing is a nationally recognized, premier nursing program, committed to its Augustinian Catholic values and the tireless pursuit of academic and clinical excellence in nursing and nursing education. Founded in 1953, the College is designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. It is home to a growing research and innovation enterprise with internationally known scholars, and two centers  Global and Public Health as well as  the MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education,  and houses the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment (PEHSU Region 3). The College is committed to a teacher-clinician scholar model, offering undergraduate, continuing education, graduate, and doctoral programs that prepare students to assume positions as compassionate, productive, ethical, and socially responsible practitioners and leaders at the forefront of modern health care. Visit villanova.edu/nursing.

About Muhlenberg College

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, residential, liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.