Texas A&M University-Kingsville plans to launch a pathway for registered nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing this fall, having recently received state coordinating board approval.
The program will be housed by the new College of Nursing and Health Professions. The university is currently accepting applications for the RN-BSN program starting this fall, according to a June 22 news release.
The university has also secured approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for the RN-BSN program.
The Texas A&M University System has granted approval for a Master of Science in nursing, but this new program is still under review by the state coordinating board and will be submitted for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approval later this summer. The program is anticipated to launch in spring 2027.
According to the nursing program website, the master’s program would include a nurse educator track and a health care leader track.
Additionally, the university intends to add a Bachelor of Science in nursing program for students who don’t already have a registered nursing license, including licensed vocational nurses. This pathway is still awaiting approvals and is anticipated to start in summer 2027.
In the meantime, the university is taking interest applications for the Master of Science in nursing and pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in nursing programs.
The College of Nursing and Health Professions is the university’s new hub for health profession degrees, including communications science and disorders, social work, nutrition and dietetics.
“Expansion in the allied healthcare space will provide the opportunity for students in South Texas to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to meet the healthcare demands of their communities close to home,” Denise Neill, the university’s inaugural director of rural nursing and health sciences, said in the news release.
“Students who might not choose to seek a career in a health-related field if they had to go to a larger city, will have the opportunity to stay home and still obtain an education.”
The Texas A&M University Vashisht College of Medicine also recently announced the launch of a rural campus in Kingsville in collaboration with the university. The medical college will retain oversight of academic curriculum, student placement and faculty appointments while the Kingsville university is providing classroom facilities.
The Kingsville campus will host eight medical students per year. These students will learn from providers in Bee, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg and Nueces counties, including the Christus Spohn Health System, the Community Action Corporation of South Texas’ Federally Qualified Health Centers and Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
In May, Texas A&M University-Kingsville also sought approval from the Texas A&M University System regents for a new Bachelor of Science in public health program.
Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: A&M-Kingsville’s new nursing college will begin with RN-to-BSN degree
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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By Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times | USA TODAY Network
