Erie Community College, State University of New York

Erie Community College has partnered with Daemen College to offer a 1+2+1 dual degree program in nursing for fall 2007.

This innovative collaboration will allow students to earn both an associate and bachelor’s degree in nursing in just four years.

Qualified students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing will take liberal arts and science courses during their first year at Daemen, and then enroll in ECC’s nursing program for their second and third years of study.

After successfully completing their third year, students would earn an associate degree in nursing. At that time, students would also be eligible to take the professional licensing exam. Once they pass the exam, students would be able to work as registered nurses while completing their fourth year at Daemen to earn a bachelor’s degree.

According to the agreement, students will pay the tuition of the institution they are attending at the time.

ECC has reserved up to 10 spots in its nursing program for dual-degree students.

With this dual-degree program, ECC and Daemen can provide students with a high quality education at a significant cost savings, with minimal duplication of efforts and resources, Patrick Wiles, ECC associate vice president for health sciences said.

This partnership comes at a time when there is a growing nursing shortage both locally and nationwide. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projects a 12 percent nursing shortage in New York by 2010 and 24 percent shortage by 2020.

“Collaborative efforts between institutions offering nursing education will help address the growing demand for nursing and allied health professionals,” Wiles said.

"With this program, we are trying to break down some of the barriers to nursing education," Daemen Professor of Nursing Dr. Mary Lou Rusin, RN, said. "These include a lack of clinical placements, as well as a lack of qualified nursing faculty. Last year, more than 3,200 qualified applicants were turned away from baccalaureate nursing programs in New York State due to a lack of qualified faculty. This partnership between Daemen and Erie Community College represents an effort to change that."

ECC currently has 283 students enrolled in its nursing program. Nearly 90 percent of ECC students passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam last year.

For more information regarding the nursing dual degree program, contact ECC Admissions at (716) 851-1ECC or Daemen’s Nursing Education Admissions Office at (716) 839-8225.

Erie Community College is a comprehensive provider of quality, flexible, affordable and accessible academic training programs, along with related services, that meet the needs of a diverse student body and promote regional economic growth.