Community college students can take UMSON courses while completing their associate degree.
The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and Howard Community College (HCC) in Columbia, Md., recently signed an agreement of dual admission that will ensure a smooth transition from HCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program to UMSON’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Through the agreement, students can apply and be admitted to UMSON’s BSN program while in HCC’s ADN program. Students will receive transfer credits from UMSON for completed coursework at HCC and will be granted special student status to take UMSON courses while still working on their associate degree.
"The dual admission partnership is a tremendous value to Howard Community College students, allowing them to progress toward their associate degree and begin the process of attaining their baccalaureate degree in nursing," said Georgene Butler, PhD ’05, MS ’91, BSN ’78, CNE, professor and dean of health sciences at HCC. "This new educational option will make the path to a bachelor’s degree more affordable for students and their families."
An effort to increase qualified nursing candidates, the agreement is helping further the mission of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the AARP to advance comprehensive health care change. The campaign uses as its framework the landmark 2010 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Additionally, the partnership program specifically addresses one of the eight goals set forth in the report: to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020.
"We are looking forward to beginning this new partnership with Howard Community College. Nursing students living and working in Howard County will be able to seamlessly transition to the program at UMSON to complete their BSN," said Linda Murray, DNP ’16, MS ’84, CPNP-Ped, assistant professor and director, RN-to-BSN program, UMSON.
HCC is the 11th community college in Maryland to partner with UMSON in a dual-admission agreement. To matriculate to UMSON’s BSN program, students must graduate with an ADN from Howard and satisfy UMSON’s progression criteria.
About the School of Nursing
The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the United States and is in the top 10 nationally for all of its ranked master’s and DNP specialties. Enrolling nearly 1,900 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the school develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.