Regis College Nursing Program Review

Regis College (RC) was initially a women’s college until the year 2007 when it was transformed into a co-ed college and started admitting male students. Its history dates back to 1927 when a congregation of catholic faith sisters in Boston founded this institution of higher learning.

Over time, Regis College has advanced from undergraduate college to offering graduate programs and even doctorate programs. However, the catholic roots of Regis College do not deter students from to other faiths to apply for admission, since there is no discrimination against creed at Regis College.

Regis College-Department of Nursing

The department of nursing at Regis is well established and has been offering nursing degrees from 1983. It has a record fifteen nursing programs in total presenting a mixture of undergraduate, master and doctoral programs. It also offers an associate of science in nursing degree. Below is a breakdown of the nursing programs:

Associate of Science in Nursing

This two-year degree program is offered as a collaborative effort between Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Regis.  The collaborative ASN degree allows student to take nursing NCLEX-RN exam and become registered nurses. There is also a dual admission opportunity whereby, students are able to have immediate admission into the Regis College RN to BSN or MSN career mobility track.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

This four-year Bachelor of Science with a concentration in nursing is available as both a fulltime and weekend program.  The weekend program had been initially designed for military RNs but later was made open to non-military students. Graduates of the dual ASN at Regis have a direct transfer into the program without undergoing new application screening. Classes are held at Weston campus and Medford at Lawrence Memorial. As a faith-based college, Regis incorporates holistic nursing as part of the BSN and other nursing curriculum.

Variation in the BSN program is also available at Regis as a part time BS in nursing. It is meant for non-nurse students who want to get their BSN degree in three academic years. At the moment, it is only available for Massachusetts residents.

Graduate Degrees in Nursing

At Regis, graduate nursing degrees take the better part of the nursing department. There are about ten nursing programs under this category:

i)        Accelerated BS/MS – Nurse Practitioner

It is designed for non nurses who want to acquire a nursing education at both the undergraduate and masters’ level concurrently. The program allows students to take the NCLEX-RN exam after 16 months of study and later, move on to taking the masters specialty as a nurse practitioner. Within three years, the student is able to go home with two degrees precisely known as BS/MS- Nurse practitioner degree.

ii)      RN to BS to MS Upward Mobility Program

It is designed for RNS who either hold an ASN or Diploma in nursing. At the end, the student takes home two degrees; the BSN and a MSN in one of the four nurse specialties offered. Students are also free to exit the program at the BSN level.

iii)    Master of Science in Nursing

There are five masters nursing programs at Regis are designed for BSN holders. The nurse specialties offered are:

  • MSN-Nurse practitioner
  • MSN-Nurse leadership (Health informatics)
  • MSN-Nurse leadership (Health administration)
  • MSN-Nurse leadership (Regulatory and Clinical Research Management)
  • MSN-Acute and critical care clinical nurse specialist.

iv)   Doctor of Nursing Practice

This is was the first doctorate program at Regis College. It is open to MSN holders and is offered as an online, weekend and evening program or a combination of the three.  It takes a minimum of three and a maximum of seven years to complete depending on which mode of study a student chooses.

v)     Post-Masters Certificates in Nursing

At Regis, nurses can enroll for career enrichment via the following three certificate programs:

  • Post-Master Certificate – Nursing education
  • Post-masters Certificate-Nurse Practitioner
  • Certificate in Nursing Leadership

Contact:
Regis College
253 Wellesley Street, Weston
MA 02493