West Chester University of Pennsylvania Nursing School Review
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA, WCU), part of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, was founded in 1871 as a teacher college. Since that time, it has branched out to include degrees in the arts and sciences, business and public affairs, health sciences and visual and performing arts. Over 14,000 students are enrolled in programs through West Chester University of Pennsylvania, including programs through the Department of Nursing (part of the College of Health Sciences). The nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program begins each fall, and is designed to prepare students for work as Registered Nurses (RN). Incoming BSN students spend their first year and the majority of their second year taking general education courses. The first nursing class begins in the fall of their second year, and the nursing coursework continues to get more intense as the program progresses. At the end of four years, after earning 120 credits in total, students are prepared to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX_RN).
Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Advance 2 BSN Accelerated Second Degree Program
The Advance 2 BSN Accelerated Second Degree Program is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. Before beginning the program, a student must complete prerequisites in biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, sociology, psychology, microbiology, and human development. The program is intense, taking eighteen months to complete. It begins each May. Students take classes during the evenings in the fall and spring semesters, and during the day in the summer term. Once a student completes the program, he is eligible to take the NCLEX_RN.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing – BSN for RN
A graduate of an associate-degree or diploma program may complete a full BSN degree through the BSN for RN program. An incoming RN, like a traditional BSN student, must earn 120 credits to graduate. Typically, she is awarded twenty-eight credits toward the lower-level nursing courses on the basis of her prior education and work experience. In addition to these, she may be able to transfer in credits toward general education requirements, depending on her previous education. In order to graduate from the BSN for RN program, she needs to complete any missing general education courses and take twenty-one credits of upper-level nursing courses. The length of the program varies, then, depending on how many credits an RN needs to complete. The program is offered in a hybrid format, some coursework is online and some on campus.
Master of Science in Nursing in Public Health Nursing
An RN who holds a full BSN degree may enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Public Health Nursing. This program prepares Advanced Practice Public Health Nurses. The program is offered on campus, in the evenings. Students may opt to complete it on a full-time basis (which will take two years) or on a part-time basis (which can take up to six years). In all, an MSN student must earn thirty-nine credits. Of these credits, twenty-four are for the graduate nursing core classes. On top of these classes, a student must take classes in a chosen area of focus (education, administration, or integrative health). The MSN program includes a clinical component.
Contact:
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
700 South High Street,
West Chester, PA 19383
