CONHI earns top honors for online programs in advanced nursing

Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021

 

The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation has been named one of 2021’s best schools for online programs and courses in advanced nursing by EduMed.org. Just 8 percent of colleges and universities across the country earned a position in one of EduMed.org’s higher education rankings.

UTA was ranked for online program excellence among the Best Online RN to MSN Bridge Programs.

CONHI’s RN to MSN program tracks are designed for licensed registered nurses who wish to earn a BSN and continue their education immediately to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Administration, Education, or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).

In addition to a flexible online learning environment and expert instructors, students benefit from a curriculum that combines the latest nursing theory with hands on practicum experience. Upon graduation, students are qualified for national FNP certification or prepared to launch a successful career as a nurse educator or nurse administrator.

“We are proud of our continued success and recognition of our online programs. It is a testament to the effort and commitment our faculty and College have put in to make them so successful for our students,” said Dr. Jeanean Boyd, chair of the Department of Undergraduate Nursing. “Our RN to MSN program prepares students who already have a strong background in nursing to step directly into advanced practice, and we are proud of our alumni who are doing that work out in the community.”

UTA’s recognition comes at a time when students across the country are taking more of their courses either fully or partially online. According to data from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in online courses increased by 93 percent between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Nearly two-thirds of college students took at least one online course in 2020.

“We set out to find the advanced nursing programs that are making online education a priority,” said Wes Ricketts, founder of EduMed.org. “Each program in our rankings has a winning combination of flexibility, affordability, academic rigor and student support.”

EduMed.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. The website’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying advanced nursing programs. Primary data points include:

• Number of online programs in advanced nursing
• Online program tuition and fees
• Access to academic counseling
• Access to career placement services
• Number of online students
• Percentage of students with institutional aid

To be eligible, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online or fully online program in the ranking subject.