News Releases

University of Maryland School of Nursing and Frederick Community College Sign Dual-Admission Partnership Agreement

May 3, 2017

dual admission

Students will be granted special status, allowing them to take UMSON courses.

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and Frederick Community College (FCC) in Frederick, Maryland, recently signed an agreement of dual admission that will ensure students’ seamless transition from FCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program to UMSON’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The program will be available to nursing students this fall.

Through the agreement, students can apply and be admitted to UMSON’s BSN program while in FCC’s ADN program. Students enrolled in the program will receive transfer credits from UMSON for completed coursework at FCC and will be granted special student status, allowing them to take UMSON courses while still working on their associate degree, thereby saving them time and money in completing their BSN degree.

“Our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Nursing is an important opportunity for our nursing students,” said Vanessa Lovato, director, nursing education, FCC. “Students will be able to complete their ADN and BSN all while remaining in their home community, which will encourage degree completion, thereby increasing the number of baccalaureate nurses.”

An effort to increase qualified nursing candidates, the agreement will also help further the mission of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Future of Nursing Campaign for Action to advance comprehensive health care change. Specifically, it will address one of the eight goals set forth in the IOM report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health: to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020.

“The University of Maryland School of Nursing is excited about the dual-admission partnership with Frederick Community College,” said Linda Murray, DNP, CPNP-Ped, assistant professor and director of the RN-to-BSN program at UMSON. “Through this partnership, UMSON is doing its part to adhere to recommendations set forth by IOM and is providing convenience and choice to FCC students.” 

To matriculate to UMSON’s BSN program, students must graduate with an ADN from FCC and satisfy UMSON’s progression criteria.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the United States. Enrolling more than 1,800 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.