Enrollment in UT Arlington’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation is surging as more students develop the skills required to meet employer demand and patient care needs.

The college is already the largest producer of baccalaureate-educated nurses in Texas and the largest not-for-profit college of nursing in the nation. Enrollment in undergraduate nursing programs jumped 118 percent from 3,925 to 8,557 between spring 2010 and spring 2015. Enrollment in graduate nursing programs is up 431 percent for the same period, rising from 595 to 3,162.

The increase comes as the health care industry works to meet the needs of aging Baby Boomers and provide preventive care to more people.

Research shows that registered nurses improve patient outcomes, says Beth Mancini, associate dean and chair of the Department of Undergraduate Nursing Programs, and that’s driving demand. She says many employers are encouraging and, in some cases, requiring their RNs with associate degrees to obtain a BSN.

“This is why we see so many nurses returning to programs such as ours,” Dr. Mancini says. “We provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable education.” The nursing program’s graduates enjoy high success, with more than 90 percent passing their initial licensure exam on the first try. The college also gets top marks for increasing diversity. According to a report by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, UTA ranks third in the nation and highest in Texas for producing minority nurses with bachelor’s degrees.

In kinesiology, students enjoyed a 100 percent pass rate on the Texas Department of State Health Services Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers Licensing Exam, and 95 percent passed the National Board of Certification (BOC) Exam for Athletic Trainers (ATC credential) on the first try.

Coming this year is a new doctorate in kinesiology, a robust research degree that prepares individuals for scientific leadership in academic institutions.

The program shares courses with the Ph.D. in nursing, making it an innovative degree that has a strong interdisciplinary base.