Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

CONCORD — Registered nurses with an associate degree from a North Carolina community college may save time and money to earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences because of a new agreement between the N.C. Community College System and N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, of which Cabarrus College is a member.

The Community College System’s acting president, Jennifer Haygood, and Independent Colleges and Universities President Hope Williams, along with Cabarrus College Provost Meg Patchett, signed the agreement on Feb. 15.

“This agreement reduces barriers for registered nurses with associate degrees who want to continue their education,” Haygood said. “Students will be able to plan with confidence that their community college courses will both transfer and satisfy requirements of participating NCICU campuses.”

Under the agreement, a student who completes an associate in applied science degree in nursing with a GPA of at least 2.0 and a grade of C or better in specified courses and who holds a current unrestricted license as a registered nurse in North Carolina will have fulfilled the lower-division general education requirements and nursing program entry requirements for participating colleges and universities.

Because nursing program admissions are competitive, students are not guaranteed admission to the program of their choice.

The N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities announced plans to build an online portal to provide comprehensive information to community college students about course equivalencies with independent colleges. The portal will be funded by a $25,000 grant from the Council of Independent Colleges, with an additional $25,000 raised by N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities.

For more information on Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, visit www.cabarruscollege.edu.