In an effort to meet industry demands for higher-qualified nurses, Concordia University Texas is expanding its nursing coursework options this fall, said Melinda Brasher, Concordia University Texas associate vice president for communication. The school is adding online and on-site Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing certification programs, she said.
Currently nurses are required to complete a two-year associate degree program to be eligible for an RN exam, she said. By enrolling in Concordia's new program, RNs who have an associate degree can gain both Bachelor of Science and master's degrees in nursing, she said.
"The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is recommending that 80 percent of the registered nurse workforce have bachelor's-level degrees or higher by 2020," Brasher said. "Health care institutions are supporting this. We anticipate there will be demand to seek out higher levels of education in nursing."
She said Concordia's new nursing program is not typical of all universities, as there are only 11 similar programs available in the country. The online program offers a flexible schedule for working nurses, she said.
"Many health care institutions are already requiring associate's degree nurses to seek a bachelor's degree within five years," said Kathy Lauchner, Concordia University Texas director of nursing. "Programs like Concordia's Bachelor of Science in nursing and the new Master of Science in nursing are helping nurses meet that requirement as well as advance in their careers."
The added MSN degree will likely mean a significant increase in salary for the student after graduation, Brasher said.
The program is pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which governs the university's certifications, she said. Approval is expected prior to the start of classes, she said.
Enrollment in Concordia's nursing school has been at capacity every semester since the program opened in 2010, she said.
Increased online options
Two additional online programs will be offered to Concordia students beginning this fall—a two-year Master of Business Administration degree and a four-year Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice degree, Brasher said.
The MBA program has been offered on-site for the past two years, she said. The criminal justice program was offered previously and, by request, has been brought back as an online-only option, she said.
"There is market demand for online programs," Brasher said. "The [MBA and criminal justice] programs are viable in an online format and easily accessible."
She said all of Concordia's online programs provide students with an instructor and counselors in the same way as the programs function on campus. These courses also focus on the University's principles of developing Christian leaders and ethical learning, she said.
With the three new programs, Concordia offers 12 online degree or certification options, Brasher said.
Accredited online degree programs
- Bachelor of Arts in business
- Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice
- Bachelor of Arts in health care administration
- Bachelor of Arts in human resource management
- Bachelor of applied arts and sciences in technical management
- RN to Master of Science in nursing
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of education in advanced literacy instruction
- Master of education in differentiated instruction
- Master of education in education administration
- Reading specialist certification
- Superintendent certification
