Alverno College to Expand Nursing Program to Arizona

MILWAUKEE, WI— Alverno College is planning to expand its nursing program to Arizona and, in August 2022, pending approvals, will open a second location dedicated to health care there, Alverno College President Andrea Lee, IHM, Ph.D., announced Thursday.

In partnership with Synergis Education, an education provider, Alverno will initially offer the college’s Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program to students in Mesa, Ariz., which is 20 miles from Phoenix.

Designed for women and men who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing, the DEMSN allows students to receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing with 18 months of full-time study.

Students will be prepared to sit for the NCLEX to become a registered nurse at the conclusion of the program.

This initiative builds upon Alverno’s bold plans to expand its health care footprint.

“Alverno has always sought to meet the needs of the time, to be nimble, and to ensure that those seeking educational access find open and welcoming doors,” said Lee. “We have tremendous regard for our partner in this endeavor, Synergis Education, and are thrilled to launch this program in a region where there is so much demand for skilled, compassionate health care providers.”

Alverno’s program through the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions will be distinctive in the region as the only Catholic, Franciscan DEMSN program, an advantage for students seeking a more personalized environment and curriculum and multiple starting points.

Alverno’s DEMSN program launched on the Milwaukee campus in January 2020. Three cohorts of master’s-credentialed nurses will have graduated from the program in Milwaukee before the first cohort of Arizona students is admitted.

Alverno’s DEMSN program awards graduates a BSN and an MSN, the only program in the area that will do so.

Alverno is working with local hospital organizations in the Phoenix area to arrange a full rotation of clinical placements.