OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – The nursing program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) will expand its Oxford offerings to include a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program next year.

The UMMC School of Nursing has been awarded a $750,000 grant from AccelerateMS through the state’s Office of Workforce Development to reinstate the traditional BSN pathway at the School of Nursing’s instructional site in Oxford.

Currently, the University of Mississippi campus includes an accelerated BSN program that allows students with baccalaureate degrees in other subjects to earn a BSN and prepare for licensure tests in a year’s time. With this expansion, Ole Miss students will be able to earn a four-year degree in nursing.

“In Mississippi and nationally, there is a need for more nurses,” said Dr. Scott Rodgers, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at UMMC. “Our mission is to educate the next generation of nurses, nursing leaders and nurse educators. The growth of UMMC’s nursing program in Oxford will increase the number of registered nurses caring for patients in Mississippi.”

Nursing at Ole Miss expanded to the South Oxford Center, the former Baptist Memorial Hospital building that was purchased by the University of Mississippi in 2017. The building was converted into a simulation practice lab for nursing students.

The first cohort of 50 traditional BSN students will begin May 2024 and is expected to grow to 70 in its second year. The current ABSN program includes a 70-student cohort.