UNT new HSC College of Nursing adds two degree programs

The University of North Texas System Board of Regents approved new undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

A Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nursing Practice Innovation will be added to the college's degree program.

The degrees must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges before students can be enrolled in the programs ahead of the inaugural semester in Fall 2024.

"The UNT System Board of Regents' approval of the RN to BSN and MSN in Innovation degree programs communicates the organizational commitment to strengthen the Texas nursing workforce," said Cindy Weston, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CHSE, FAANP, dean of the HSC College of Nursing. "Both degrees will offer unique interdisciplinary curriculums that will hone professional nurses' skills and transform the health of communities around them."

HSC College of Nursing was created to address the shortage of nurses in Texas. The state has the second-fewest nurses per capita in the U.S., but not for lack of talent. Approximately 30,000 qualified applicants over the past two years have been turned away from regional schools because of a lack of room in nursing programs. 

The HSC puts an emphasis on training well-educated nurses passionate about answering the call to serve and change lives, as part of their mission to create solutions for healthier communities.

“With our holistic approach to medicine at HSC, we are committed to providing high-quality health care that treats the whole person,” said Charles Taylor, PharmD, HSC provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The College of Nursing will implement our values and produce knowledgeable nurses to help keep up with the demand for more nurses in Texas.”