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Sept. 1, 2016 - King’s College and Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) have announced the creation of a 1-2-1 Dual Bachelor of Nursing Degree program based on students doing course work on both campuses. A national search for a director/program chair will begin shortly.

The King’s-LCCC agreement is the first of its kind in the region for a collaborative nursing program and builds on the existing strong relationship between the two institutions. In 2014, King’s and LCCC agreed to terms of a five-year dual admission agreement that guarantees students pursuing Associate in Applied Science, Associate in Arts, and Associate in Science degree programs at the community college will be granted admission and a merit scholarship to King’s in order to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

As currently configured, students in the nursing program will spend their first and fourth years at King’s completing the core and upper level nursing requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree; the middle two years will be devoted to nursing studies at LCCC, including labs and clinical studies.

King’s interest in developing this program was inspired in part by the success of its Physician Assistant Studies Program, which has expanded in recent years to help meet the demand for highly qualified health care professionals in the region and beyond.

“This new program will make it possible for King’s and LCCC students to earn the BS in Nursing credential, which is becoming the standard (entry level) credential for the nursing profession,” said Fr. John J. Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s College. “By adding nursing, King’s now offers a comprehensive suite of health care-related programs, including physician assistant studies, athletic training, and exercise science, giving students another path to an in-demand profession.”

“We’re pleased to be able to capitalize on the success of our strong nursing program and enter into a new agreement with King’s College to benefit students,” says Thomas P. Leary, president, LCCC.  “This unique program, which allows students to earn a degree from both institutions, further solidifies our cooperative educational partnership with King’s while supporting students who wish to continue their education and complete their bachelor’s degree.”

While prospective students will apply to the program through King’s, King’s and LCCC mutually will determine the number of students to accept into the program each year based on academic standards agreed to by both institutions. While King’s will be the institution of record for the purposes of admission, the decision to admit students will be shared by King’s and LCCC through a joint admission committee. Program development and the accreditation process will begin in earnest as soon as the director/program chair has been named.