Media Contact: Debra Dennis;
DDennis@DallasCollege.edu
For immediate release — Jan. 10, 2024
(DALLAS) — For the second time in three years, Dallas College is launching a new opportunity for students to pursue bachelor’s degrees — this time in health care. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Dallas College has been approved by both the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The program will begin with 20 students and will be available online. The inaugural cohort commences this summer with a single eight-week session. Fall and Spring courses will be structured over two, eight-week sessions each semester.
Last year, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Dallas College a $1 million grant to provide high-quality nursing education in underserved communities. The goal is to address the ongoing need for nurses, said Dr. Tetsuya Umebayashi, vice provost for the School of Health Sciences at Dallas College. “This grant provides a significant opportunity and support for nurses already in the field as well as those seeking to expand their career options.”
Dallas College is answering the call to address the shortage of nurses with bachelor’s degrees.
The current nursing workforce falls short, with only 65.2% of registered nurses prepared at the baccalaureate or graduate degree level, according to the latest workforce survey conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Dallas College Nursing students will benefit from quality instruction by the school’s dedicated Nursing faculty. All courses will be virtual except for three courses that require clinical training and must be completed both virtually and in the community, Umebayashi said.
Dallas College’s RN-B.S.N. program offers a career pathway that significantly lowers tuition. Tuition and other costs at universities are a burden for some and a major obstacle in addressing the health care shortage. Community colleges are known for their affordability. Dallas College will keep its tuition the same for the RN-B.S.N. degree as for its associate degree programs, Umebayashi said. Total tuition with fees for the Dallas College RN-B.S.N. program is $2,800. The tuition of RN-B.S.N. programs at four-year universities is typically between $8,000 and $16,000.
Additionally, the Nursing program will provide a seamless path for students from the beginning of their academic journey through to bachelor’s degree completion. Being able to enroll at one institution for the entirety of coursework significantly reduces barriers for students and solves common articulation problems between traditional two-year and four-year colleges.
Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon said the new bachelor’s program is part of Dallas College’s mission to provide trained and educated nurses to fill the needs of an expanding workforce.
“The addition of this degree program unlocks exciting territory for Dallas College, reaffirming our position as an institution committed to eliminating barriers for students on their path toward career and life advancement,” Lonon said. “Most importantly, the program’s impact transcends our campuses, ensuring a stronger, more qualified health care workforce for Dallas County and beyond.”
Dallas College launched its first bachelor’s degree program, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching (B.A.S. ECE), in 2020. The first cohort of more than 100 students graduated from that program last Spring.
For more information about the RN-B.S.N. program, please visit:
Dallas College RN-B.S.N.
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