Nursing

Did you know that by the year 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 800,000 nurses? With the world population living longer and needing more care, the healthcare field is one of the best places to get a job, and will likely stay that way for many years to come. With over 100,000 vacancies and an ever-growing need for trained professionals, the career outlook is excellent in the nursing field. But it's not just the job market that makes nursing a good career choice. As a nurse, you have the opportunity to save and improve lives, to teach people how to achieve better health, and to advocate for patients to make sure they have the best health care possible.

Preparing for a career in nursing requires a strong background in the natural sciences, as well as an understanding of the humanities and social sciences. To this aim, Cornell can provide an excellent starting point for highly motivated students interested in careers in nursing. Although Cornell does not offer a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, we do have a cooperative BSN program with Rush University in Chicago. We are also negotiating for a cooperative program for the Master’s in Nursing and Health Practice (MNHP) at the University of Iowa. The cooperative BSN program requires students begin their coursework at Cornell, and then transfer to Rush University. The MNHP program requires students to complete their coursework at Cornell in 3.5 years, or 4 years with a semester off the following fall, before beginning the MNHP program at Iowa.

Cooperative Degree Programs 

Rush University in Chicago has established with Cornell College, and certain other liberal arts schools, the nation's first network of colleges and universities affiliated in a coordinated program in nursing and medical technology, emphasizing a basic science background and creativity in caring for patients. Students spend at least two years at Cornell for studies in the liberal arts and then transfer to the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences of Rush University where, after an additional two years of professional training, they will receive the University's degree of Bachelor of Science.

To be eligible for promotion to the nursing and medical technology programs at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, a student must complete a minimum of 15 course credits and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher. Admission to any of the Rush University programs is not automatic but is competitive and based upon grade point average, the recommendations of the chairs of Cornell's departments of Biology and Chemistry, and the approval of the Admissions Committee of Rush University.

The course requirements for the Rush University nursing program are:

Five or six courses of electives from English, foreign languages, history, philosophy, religion, art, politics, music, speech, and theatre are strongly recommended.

Rush University comprises Rush Medical College, Rush College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and Rush Graduate College. The University offers master's and doctor's degrees in nursing and provides facilities for research which are available to Cornell students and faculty.
Program Advisor: Barbara Christie-Pope

University of Iowa
The Master of Science in Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader Program at the University of Iowa School of Nursing is an excellent option for Cornell students interested in pursuing a degree in nursing. The CNL program is for individuals with a non-nursing undergraduate degree. The program takes one and one half years to complete, so Cornell students could complete their undergraduate degree AND the MNHP in 5 years!

The pre-requisite courses for the program can be attained by majoring in Biology at Cornell and taking a few additional general education requirements in Psychology and Statistics.

           *Prerequisite for Anatomy & Physiology