Accelerate Faculty

As COVID-19 made clear, nurses are among our most essential workers — and not just when they don their protective gear and step up to the front lines of a pandemic. Every day they deliver vital preventative care to keep families and communities healthy and help patients recover from illness and injury. At Alverno College, home to one of the oldest nursing programs in the state, you’ll be well prepared to make an impact on the health and wellness of individuals and communities.

You’ll also be in demand. Wisconsin and the nation continue to face a shortage of health care professionals, and nursing remains one of the fastest-growing professions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whether you decide to devote your career to hands-on patient care, advance into nursing leadership or pursue a nontraditional nursing path, Alverno’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree will be the foundation of your success.

The Alverno difference

At Alverno, we’ve trained nurses since 1932 and are well known for creating highly skilled nursing leaders. Our program’s long history and size will instantly connect you to a powerful career network. Our innovative curriculum — grounded in Alverno’s 8 Abilities — will sharpen your self-assessment, problem-solving and collaboration skills so you can succeed as an exceptional caregiver, trusted colleague and workplace leader.

Alverno’s nursing faculty are experts in wellness, oncology, geriatrics, critical care, mental health, community health nursing and other specialized areas of nursing. You’ll thrive in small class sizes led by caring faculty who will give you insightful feedback on your strengths and how you can improve.You’ll build your skills and confidence by practicing in state-of-the-art learning and simulation centers that mimic real-life health care environments. And you’ll graduate ready for the working world: Alverno nursing students consistently surpass the national average pass rate on the NCLEX (nursing licensure exam).

“Alverno is not your traditional college, and that’s what makes it so unique and special. There’s an emphasis on personal growth, professional development and becoming that strong woman we all know we can be.”

— Soua, Nursing major

Coursework

All Alverno students must complete 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition to your general education requirements, you’ll take courses in biology, chemistry, human anatomy and physiology, life span development, abnormal psychology and more. As you advance in the program, you’ll take more specialized nursing courses, learning how to care for aging adults, women, children, complex patients and communities. You’ll also study nursing science and nursing leadership and policy.

Clinical experience

Real-world experience is key, and at Alverno, you’re guaranteed to get it — with no wait list to get into clinicals. You’ll benefit from Alverno’s strategic alliance with Ascension Wisconsin, a Catholic network of 24 hospitals and 100-plus clinics statewide, plus our strong partnerships with other local hospitals, clinics, home health care organizations, long-term care and mental health facilities, and more. As you advance in your studies, you’ll take on more responsibility, demonstrate your skills and begin your transition from student to practitioner.

Career opportunities

Alverno nursing grads are highly sought after: Most of our students have nursing jobs or graduate school plans lined up before graduation. You’ll be ready to serve as a staff nurse in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, community health departments and schools. A bachelor’s degree in nursing is also excellent preparation for graduate programs that could pave your way toward a career as an advanced practice nurse, nurse educator, health care administrative leader or nurse researcher.

Admission requirements

Your first step is to apply for admission to Alverno by completing the free application at alverno.edu/apply. You should mark your intended major as nursing. This will be the start of your pathway to nursing; as you begin at Alverno, you will be notified of the criteria required to be formally admitted to the major.

For your first two years at Alverno, you will be matched with a professional academic advisor who gets to know you and guides you through your education, helping you chart your path and register for classes. As a junior, you'll be paired with a faculty advisor who will support your success to graduation.