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UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing

Nursing
BS

Earn your BSN

UMass Dartmouth's bachelor of science in nursing program provides a seamless progression from student to practicing nurse.

Today's nurses must be knowledgeable and analytical, caring and creative. They are key members—and often the leaders—of teams of health care professionals. The College of Nursing & Health Sciences provides the comprehensive education, both theoretical and practical, needed in this challenging and rewarding profession.

Undergraduate nursing applicants are accepted for fall admission only.

As an incoming student, you will be assigned a faculty advisor who understands your career goals and will work with you throughout the entire program.

In your first year, you'll experience your first nursing course and build a strong core of knowledge in select science courses.

Before you go into the field, our modern nursing lab provides you with the tools and equipment you’ll need to:

  • assess patients
  • interact with colleagues
  • utilize complex care management software

Years two and three feature clinical, in-the-field placements at partner sites throughout the region, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. During your final year, you’ll be paired with a registered nurse. This partnership allows you to provide real care to real patients. Your mentor will be by your side for advice and encouragement.

It all adds up to a nationally recognized, competitive program that is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is recommended by the American Nurses Association.

The College of Nursing & Health Sciences provides you with the most current perspectives on the discipline of nursing based upon the values, skills, and competencies essential for nursing practice in the 21st century.

  • First year: you will be introduced to core nursing concepts, values, and beliefs—and your university studies in the sciences and liberal arts will provide a strong foundation for concepts you will encounter in the study of nursing.
  • Second year: you will begin to acquire the skills in observation and communication necessary to assess an individual’s needs, set measurable and realistic goals of nursing care, and utilize evidence-based interventions to maximize health.
  • Third year: emphasizes the transfer and application of knowledge in clinical situations. You will develop skills in caring for acutely ill adults, childbearing and childrearing families in the hospital and community, and populations at risk in communities. The family as a unit of care, as well as populations at risk in communities, become the foci for the nursing process.
  • Senior year: you will learn how to collaborate with members of the healthcare team, advocate for the needs of patients, and intervene to shape the healthcare environment. You will refine the skills required to manage the complex health needs of individuals, groups, and populations. The emphasis is on the analysis and synthesis of knowledge to maximize health.

Your capstone experience—in the last half of the final year—facilitates this process. Students assume the role of a professional nurse, under the supervision and guidance of a staff nurse mentor.

For the BS in nursing, you will complete a total of 120 credits.

Important Note for Prospective Students: 

The ​College of Nursing & Health Sciences has determined that the nursing major curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the following states: 

  • Massachusetts 
  • Rhode Island 

The ​College of Nursing & Health Sciences has not determined whether the nursing major curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure in other states and jurisdictions. A complete list with the determinations will be available in the near future. 

If you are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state before beginning the academic program located outside your state. State requirements can be found at ncsbn.org.

 

Student success

Veronica Fernandes, UMassD student majors in nursing, earns a BS in Nursing
Veronica Fernandes '18

Bridging the Atlantic Program provides foundation in community nursing

Clinical placements

  • Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center
  • Bradley Hospital
  • Brigham & Women's Hospital
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Mercy Medical Center
  • Mt. Auburn Hospital
  • Newton-Wellesley Hospital
  • St. Anne's Hospital
  • Southcoast Health System
  • Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children's Hospital
  • Tufts Medical Center
  • UMass Memorial Medical Center

Graduate schools

  • Barry University
  • Boston College
  • Georgetown University
  • George Washington University
  • Northeastern University
  • Penn State
  • Simmons College
  • UMass Medical School
  • UMass Amherst
  • UMass Dartmouth
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Tampa
  • Yale University

Career placements

  • Boston Medical Center
  • Brigham & Women's Hospital
  • Bradley Hospital
  • Children's Hospital Boston
  • Dartmouth Hitchcock
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Mass General Hospital
  • Mt. Auburn Hospital
  • Newton Wellesley Hospital
  • Rhode Island Hospital
  • Southcoast Health System
  • Steward Health Care System
  • VA Boston Health Care System
  • Yale New Haven Hospital

UMassD advantages

  • Community: each class has a faculty advisor, and classmates meet regularly as a group to share clinical experiences
  • International experiences: enroll in an international community health nursing experience
  • Involvement: participate in the UMassD chapter of the National Student Nurse Asociation
  • Nursing Labs & Media Center: gain valuable skills in the college's clinical simulation lab, physical assessment exam rooms, and state-of-the-art media center
  • Scholarships: are available for nursing students, based on academic achievement and financial need

Nursing faculty

Mary Beth Sosa
Mary Beth Vieira, PhD
Valerie Seney
Gerri-Lyn Boyden
Gerri-Lyn Boyden, PhD
Jessica Bowen
June Andrews Horowitz, uploaded 2/3/22
June Andrews Horowitz, PhD
Jennifer Viveiros
Jennifer Viveiros, PhD
Karen Barnett
Karen Barnett, DNP
Kimberly Christopher
Kimberly Christopher, PhD
Kathleen Elliott
Kathleen Elliott
Photo of Kristen Sethares
Kristen Sethares, PhD
Lisa Dumont
Maryellen Brisbois
Maryellen Brisbois, PhD
Melissa Desroches
Melissa Desroches, PhD
Melissa Duprey
Melissa Duprey
Michelle Glowny
Michelle Glowny
Mary McCurry
Mary Mccurry, PhD
Mary Rose McDonough
Mary McDonough, PhD
Michelle Pinto
Michelle Pinto
Monika Schuler
Monika Schuler, PhD
Mirinda Tyo
Mirinda Tyo
Natalie Correia
Peeranuch LeSeure
Peeranuch LeSeure, PhD
Shannon Avery
Shannon Avery-Desmarais, PhD
Susan Hunter Revell
Susan Hunter Revell, PhD
Uloma Onubogu
Uloma Onubogu
Usama Saleh
Usama Saleh
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