About the School of Nursing at Penn State
Letter from the Director
Hello and welcome to the Penn State School of Nursing Web site! I hope your visit shows you what we are doing to educate the next generation of nurses and improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities in Pennsylvania, the nation and the world.
By combining exceptional academic programs with a vibrant research enterprise, a strong outreach program and opportunities to study abroad, the Penn State School of Nursing provides future professional and advanced practice nurses, nursing researchers and nurse educators with a rich, diverse educational experience. This experience is grounded in a student-centered environment with small student-to-faculty ratios which allow students to develop strong, supportive relationships with their professors and with each other. Leadership opportunities also exist through programs such as the Women’s Leadership Initiative or organizations such as the Student Nurse Association of Pennsylvania.
And let’s not forget the benefit of attending Penn State, a world-class university with world-class resources!
So, whether you’re studying in a library with more than four million volumes at your disposal, conducting research with one of the country’s leading experts in gerontological nursing, providing nursing care to someone in Appalachia, Africa or South America or just making new friends, we hope you’ll see that the Penn State School of Nursing is a great place to begin or advance your nursing career. Whatever your career goal may be, we want to do whatever we can to help you reach it!
I encourage you to explore our Web site and see everything that Penn State and the School of Nursing have to offer.
Sincerely,
Paula Milone-Nuzzo RN, PhD, FAAN, FHHC
Professor and Director, School of Nursing
Associate Dean for International Partnerships
College of Health and Human Development
Mission
The mission of the School of Nursing is to improve the health for all people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation and the world through the development of qualified nurse leaders at all levels of practice, the development of nursing science related to health and health care and the provision of nursing care to individuals, families, and communities. This mission will be accomplished through the integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship and outreach.
Accreditation
The School of Nursing is approved by the:
Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
The Associate, Bachelors and Masters programs are also accredited by the:
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006
(212) 363-5555
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One Dupont Circle, NW
Suite 530
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-6791
Programs
The School of Nursing features a complete range of educational programs in nursing.
Our Associate Degree program prepares entry-level nurses for employment in a variety of acute and long-term care settings.
The Baccalaureate Degree program has two options for study: the BS, for those students who are entering the four-year program of study for an initial professional degree; and the RN to BS for RNs who wish to complete the BS degree.
Our Master's programs provide options for advanced practice roles as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner. The Clinical Specialist option provides specialty foci in community, adult health, gerontology, administration and clinical trials research. The Nurse Practitioner option offers the family practitioner.
The interdisciplinary PhD program in nursing is designed to develop clinical scholars, faculty, and researchers who can teach and provide leadership through scientific inquiry and innovative practice.
Selected programs are offered at various locations across the state
Geographic dispersion helps us to extend our offerings to students across the state and to positively influence the health of the citizens of the Commonwealth, even in the most rural areas. The beauty of the system is that wherever you choose to study, you are a part of Penn State University and all that it represents!
Penn State University Park
University Park: BS; RN to BS; MS; PhD
Penn State Hershey
Hershey: BS; MS and PhD (MS and PhD students register as University Park students)
Penn State Campuses
- Penn State Altoona: AD; RN to BS
- Penn State Erie, The Behrend College: AD
- Penn State Harrisburg: RN to BS
- Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus: AD; RN to BS
- Penn State Mont Alto: AD; RN to BS
- Penn State New Kensington: RN to BS
- Penn State Shenango: RN to BS
- Penn State Worthington Scranton: AD; RN to BS
Additional Information
To request undergraduate information please contact your nearest campus
To request graduate information please contact: nursgrad@psu.edu