Graduates of Oakland Community College’s associate’s degree program in nursing have a new route to advance their credentials.
An agreement with the Wayne State University College of Nursing will ease the transition of OCC alumni into Wayne State’s program, allowing them to receive a bachelor’s degree in five semesters with classes taken in Oakland County.
The agreement allows graduates with an Associate Degree in Nursing from OCC to transition to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Wayne State with minimal duplication of courses.
“This program is very advantageous for our students,” said OCC Interim Dean of Nursing and Health Professions Lori Przymusinski, MSN, RN. “The caliber of students we will provide Wayne State is very high.”
Nancy T. Artinian, interim dean of the Wayne State University College of Nursing, said the college hopes to start enrolling OCC nursing graduates now to start the program in January.
“Wayne State University nursing graduates are prized for their leadership, case management and practitioner skills in all areas of the healthcare system,” Artinian said. “We are excited to see what this partnership leads to.”
The agreement is designed for students who follow a prescribed plan of study and receive an ADN at OCC. The credits transferred from the ADN will be included in the total credit hours required for a BSN. To qualify, standard admission, curriculum, and graduation requirements for OCC and WSU must also be met.
The agreement is in effect now through June 30, 2016, and subject to review for continuance after three years. Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students.
OCC also signed a reverse transfer agreement recently with Grand Valley State University. The accord helps students who transferred to Grand Valley from OCC complete an associate’s degree at OCC. The initiative applies to students who completed at least 40 credits at OCC and transferred to Grand Valley before earning an associate’s degree. GVSU, located in Allendale, enrolls more than 24,000 students a year and offers more than 200 areas of study, and 81 undergraduate and 31 graduate degrees.