February 8, 2023

SVSU launches part-time nursing program to add pathway to nursing degree

New program will provide greater flexibility for working professionals

Saginaw Valley State University is responding to regional workforce needs by creating another method to grow the nursing talent pipeline. Beginning with the spring semester, which starts Monday, May 9, SVSU will offer a new part-time nursing program designed to allow students to balance life, career and education demands.

“We are thrilled to provide more opportunities for individuals seeking a career in nursing, allowing them to follow their dream of becoming a nurse while still being able to fulfill family and work obligations,” said Marcia Ditmyer, dean of SVSU's Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services. “By providing students with a year-long, part-time option, students will have the flexibility to ensure the school/life balance they need. We will begin accepting applications on Monday, Feb. 27.”

The new program is expected to bring positive change for employers and communities that have been hit hard by nursing shortages. The nursing profession has suffered departures in great numbers, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and an aging workforce, resulting in pressing challenges for health care organizations and their patients. Meanwhile, the demand for services continues to grow, and projections indicate that current growth within the nursing profession will not be enough to fill the number of positions needed.

While students in SVSU’s part-time program would be expected to attend class year-round, students who need to suspend their studies will have more flexibility when resuming them.

“Since the part-time program has the same classes as our full-time program, we have the flexibility to let students who fall out of the sequence to take classes in the full-time program,” explained Rose Lange, SVSU professor of nursing. “We also have the flexibility to allow full-time students to move into the part-time program, if needed.”

Students who enroll in the part-time nursing program may be able to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in as little as three years after completion of their prerequisite courses. Full-time SVSU nursing students typically finish in two to two-and-a-half years.

“We are starting with a small cohort – approximately 15 students – this spring,” said Lange, “but we hope to have a full cohort of 32 students by next year. We plan to fill classes with both part-time and full-time students.”

For additional information about SVSU’s nursing program, visit https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn/ or email nursing@svsu.edu.

The application to apply to the nursing program can be found at:  https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn/programrequirements/application/.