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May 18, 2009

The University of Illinois Global Campus Graduates First Class through the College of Nursing; Launches New Online Master's Program

Students Receive Bachelor’s Degrees; New Students Can Pursue Master’s in Management Information Systems

Less than eighteen months after accepting its first group of online students through the Global Campus, the University of Illinois College of Nursing presented its first graduating class at a ceremony held at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The College of Nursing will award the students with fully-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.

"We are very pleased to have reached this important milestone in the UIC College of Nursing-Global Campus partnership," says Dr. Patrick Robinson, Executive Assistant Dean at UIC’s College of Nursing. "Baccalaureate education for nurses is a vital component for increasing patient safety and quality of care."

According to a recent article by USA Today, the national nursing shortage could reach 500,000 by 2025. As more experienced nurses retire, they are leaving behind key roles in management. Filling those gaps will require a new generation of nurses to further their education and advance through the ranks. "Our unique partnership allows us to contribute significantly to these goals," emphasizes Dr. Robinson. Through the University of Illinois Global Campus and UIC’s College of Nursing partnership, registered nurses have the opportunity to advance through the ranks of their hospitals and health care organizations by finishing their BSN in a convenient, online format.

To gain admission to the online BSN program, students are required to have a current RN license and have completed specific prerequisites in college-level coursework. Generally, these include an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) and additional courses that normally are not part of an ADN curriculum, but are required to be eligible to receive a degree from the UIC College of Nursing. Most of these courses can be taken at local community colleges. Global Campus has already partnered with Kankakee Community College, Prairie State College and Parkland Community College to ensure graduates of these schools qualify for BSN admission.

Commencement ceremonies for the UIC College of Nursing took place on May 7th, at the UIC Pavilion.

NEW! Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems

In other news, a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Data Mining is now available entirely online through the University of Illinois Global Campus. Developed in partnership with the College of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, this advanced degree will develop highly-trained professionals with fundamental knowledge of both information technology and business, preparing them for managerial roles as information systems professionals.

In December 2008, U.S. News & World Report identified Data Mining as an "ahead-of the-curve" career and as one of the top 10 high-paying careers with the best average starting salaries. According to Information Week, a typical person working in the Data Mining/Data Warehousing field in the Chicago area is expected to earn a median base salary of $96,000.

To gain admission to the MS in MIS degree, applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, and at least three years of full-time work experience in a technical or business area. Additionally, course work in mathematics through the level of calculus covering integration and differentiation, and statistics through regression analysis is required, along with GMAT or GRE scores from exams taken within the last five years.

About the University of Illinois Global Campus

The mission of The University of Illinois Global Campus is to serve society and transform lives by educating qualified students with excellence, via the Internet, through high-quality bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, certificates and professional development courses.

The Global Campus offers online bachelor's completion degrees, master's degrees and graduate certificate programs in collaboration with partnering academic units on the University of Illinois brick-and-mortar campuses at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. Each program's curriculum is developed by world-class University of Illinois faculty who are leaders in their fields of study. In addition, Global Campus programs are overseen by an academic council and taught by high-quality instructors who meet rigorous requirements in both their academic fields and in online pedagogy. Through the Global Campus, the University of Illinois aims to expand availability of quality education programs over the Internet to students who could not previously attend campus communities.

About the UIC College of Nursing

The UIC College of Nursing, founded in 1951, was the first public institution in Illinois to offer a curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The College’s mission is to educate highly competent nurse leaders for clinical practice, academic scholarship, and healthcare administration.

The College of Nursing is a leader in nursing research, with numerous federal and state funded grants. Currently, it is ranked third nationally in research funding from the National Institute of Health. These research endeavors, along with the highest quality education and patient care, places the College of Nursing as one of the premiere programs in the nation.

About the UIC College of Business Administration

The UIC College of Business Administration is a major research-based institution whose mission is to create new knowledge, business, value and leaders for the global marketplace. The college offers a high-quality business education that includes an innovative curriculum taught by renowned faculty.

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