• Florida A&M University announced the launch of three new graduate nursing degree programs in an effort to combat the state’s acute nursing shortage 
• The university is partnering with Wiley University Services to offer online alternatives at an affordable pricepoint 
• Program curriculum tracks will include nursing leadership, informatics, and nursing education
• The program is set to begin courses for the spring semester of 2023 

Florida A&M University (FAMU) on Thursday announced an expanded partnership with Wiley’s University Services division to launch three new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program tracks for the Spring 2023 semester.

The highest-ranked public historically black college or institution in the nation, FAMU, is the most recent state university to take swift action to help overcome labor market shortages that are anticipated to confront the healthcare sector for years following the COVID-19 epidemic.

A McKinsey report calls for new routes to nursing education and professions and projects a nationwide nursing shortfall of up to 450,000 by 2025. FAMU’s three new MSN program tracks will include Nursing Leadership, Informatics, and Nursing Education. Beginning in the spring semester of 2023, the curriculum expands upon a Master of Science in Nursing degree that FAMU introduced last autumn.

“The School of Nursing continuously seeks strategies that increase student success outcomes and enhance our ability to address the nursing workforce needs. These new degree tracks in our Nursing program will help to address the growing demand for health care professionals,” said FAMU Dean of Nursing Shelley A. Johnson.

Wiley partners with higher education institutions to deliver online degree programs that help students learn new skills, earn their degrees, and reach their career goals. Wiley-supported programs are, on average, more affordable than comparable online programs, generate strong student outcomes as measured by graduation and retention rates, and perform well in terms of student and faculty satisfaction.

“We are pleased to expand our partnership with Florida A&M University to launch three new graduate degree in nursing tracks that directly link students’ education with careers,” said Todd Zipper, Wiley’s executive vice president and general manager of University Services and Talent Development. “Given the nursing shortage across the country, this partnership will meet the growing demands of the market and provide a pathway to critically important careers for more graduates. We look forward to continuing to drive strong outcomes for FAMU’s students.”

FAMU’s school of nursing in recent years has ranked among the nation’s best. The university’s graduate program in 2015 received the maximum eight-year reaccreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), as well as placing among the top 20 best-value nursing programs in the U.S., and among the top 25 nursing programs in the eastern region by The Nursing Journal.

In the most recent state budget, FAMU received nearly $70 million, of which the school plans to allocate more than $1 million for the school of nursing.