History

At its founding in 1953, the School of Nursing offered the first baccalaureate nursing program in public higher education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Four years later, the School launched the first such Master of Science degree program, and in 1994, the state's first publicly supported Ph.D. program in Nursing in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Worcester Graduate School of Nursing.

Continuous accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), coupled with the success of graduates in passing both licensing and certification exams, testify to the enduring quality of the School's programs, faculty, and curriculum.

The School of Nursing is one of the eleven schools and colleges comprising the University of Massachusetts Amherst, founded in 1863. The university is a Carnegie Designated Research Extensive university and the flagship campus of the five-campus public university system. Sponsored research now totals $100 million a year, with increasing emphasis on the life sciences and biotechnology applications.

Embodying the university's commitment to high-quality, accessible education, the School of Nursing is committed to meeting the challenges faced by the nursing profession in the context of the changing dynamics of society and the delivery of health care.

(revised 5.26.04 hw)