Radford University partners with Virginia community college system on nursing degree

Radford University President Penelope W. Kyle has signed a guaranteed admissions agreement for nursing with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The agreement will provide a pathway for the community college system’s Applied Science in Nursing graduates to earn a bachelor's of science in nursing  (BSN) degree from Radford.

“We are pleased to partner with VCCS to provide this educational opportunity for its students and the commonwealth's future nurses,” Kyle said in a statement. “Together, we can develop a highly-educated nursing workforce to meet Virginia's focus on serving and providing the highest quality health care to our communities.”

Radford University's BSN program provides online learning opportunities for students, including those who are graduates of community colleges and are licensed RNs.  The curriculum accommodates nurses who are employed or involved with family, community and other responsibilities.  The program enrolled more than 30 students in 2013, and aspires to double that enrollment in three years.

Under the new agreement, the program will begin admitting the first community college students this fall.

Upon completion of an associate degree, students at one of the state's 23 community colleges will be granted admission into the Radford program.  Once accepted, students will complete 26 credits and may be awarded 56 credits for prior learning and work experience.  Up to 51 transfer credits are awarded towards the core curriculum requirements for a bachelors of science in nursing degree, thus completing a total of 133 semester hours at the baccalaureate level.