Students who have already completed an Associate Degree in Registered Nursing can now receive their bachelor’s at North Central State College after the school had the program approved.
Ohio students who wish to receive a bachelor’s degree in Nursing now have an option in North Central State College. Previously the school only offered an associate degree, but recently had the bachelor’s of science program approved.
Richland Source reported on this story, quoting NCSC’s President, Dorey Diab, on the new program, who said, “N.C. State has always been a leader in preparing Licensed Practical and Registered Nurses. This will allow our students to progress to the bachelor’s level in a place they feel comfortable, with faculty they know -- and who know them. I’m proud that our College is one of a handful of community colleges in Ohio who are now granting bachelor’s degrees. Our BSN degree will be affordable, providing tremendous value for our students and their families. I’m also proud of the teamwork this proposal and approval has required. Our community partners, and the residents they serve, will realize the benefits of today’s decision very quickly.”
The first semester of the new program will be the Fall 2023 semester. Registered nurses already holding an associate’s degree can fill out an interest form.
North Central State College is now the first community college in Ohio to have their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing approved. This program is the second bachelor’s program in any subject that has been approved at NCSC, the first being the Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology in 2018.
Back in November 2017, the Ohio Department of Higher Education put forth a directive that allowed community colleges to apply to the Chancellor of the ODHE for approval to offer students a bachelor degree program.
Proposals have to meet a set of guidelines such as displaying a need for employees in the industry that would correspond to a degree program. For instance, the past two years have shown a clear need for more healthcare workers.
North Central State College is a community college with about 3,000 students spread across its three campuses in Mansfield, Shelby, and Bucyrus. The school offers over 60 programs ranging from the recently added bachelor’s degrees to associate degrees, and certificate programs in areas of study like education, health sciences, public service, engineering, general studies, and more. North Central State College also offers programs outside of the STEM framework with associate degree programs in the arts.
Students interested in learning more about North Central State College can visit its website.