This past fall, for the first time ever, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University admitted 100 students to the nursing program as freshmen. As part of the freshmen-direct admission program, students begin nursing courses during their first semester of college. The inaugural freshman-entry nursing class was chosen based on outstanding academic achievement. These students are not classified as “pre-nursing” and will not be required to apply to the nursing program during their sophomore year. They take their nursing courses, along with all of the other science and general education requirements, throughout the entire degree process which is typically four years.
“We want students fully connected with us from the beginning of their baccalaureate education through graduation,” said College of Nursing Assistant Dean Nancey France. “This new program allows students to be a part of the College’s unique, caring-based nursing curriculum from the day they step foot on campus.”
As one of the few Florida schools to admit freshmen directly into the nursing major, FAU aims to continue attracting the top level of nursing talent. In addition, the Freshman Direct Admission track provides students with four years of socialization and mentoring to increase their readiness to practice. The College offers the freshmen-direct admission program in addition to the original three tracks of nursing study at the baccalaureate level, including the traditional BSN, five semester, full-time, upper-division track; the accelerated BSN, four-semester, full-time track for students with bachelor’s degrees in other disciplines; and the RN to BSN track, designed for registered nursing student with diplomas or associate degrees in nursing.
