University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
The mission of the Penn State School of Nursing is to improve the health for all people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world through the development of qualified nurse leaders at all levels of practice, the development of nursing science related to health and health care, and the provision of nursing care to individuals, families, and communities. This mission will be accomplished through the integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship, and outreach.
The school, which became an independent academic unit July 1, 2008, maintains a strong relationship with its original academic home, the College of Health and Human Development, as well as with the College of Medicine and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. More than half of all junior and senior baccalaureate students receive a majority of their clinical experiences at the Medical Center, resulting in a large number of students being hired there after graduation.
The change in status of the school was made to accommodate growth in areas including a steady increase in overall enrollment, and online and resident continuing education opportunities for registered nurses to renew credentials. The change also brought the school into line with most nursing schools at Big Ten universities.
The School of Nursing features a complete range of educational programs in nursing, including the associate degree program, which helps students prepare for entry-level employment in a variety of acute and long-term care settings, and the baccalaureate program, which has two options for study: the bachelor of science, for students who are entering the four-year program for an initial professional degree, and the R.N. to B.S., for registered nurses who wish to complete a B.S. degree.
Graduate programs in Nursing can be found under N in the Graduate Programs menu of the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin.
Geographic dispersion helps extend offerings to students across the state and to positively influence the health of the citizens of the Commonwealth, even in the most rural areas.
The school is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, and the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degree programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
SCHOOL OF NURSING
PAULA MILONE-NUZZO, Dean
RAYMONDE A. BROWN, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Outreach