ACC, CSU Pueblo Partner on RN-MSN Program

Officials from Arapahoe Community College (ACC) and Colorado State University Pueblo convened for a signing ceremony on Tuesday, October 26, at the ACC Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock for a partnership on a new Registered Nurse (RN) to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Nurse Educator program.

The RN-MSN program provides an efficient degree pathway for nursing students to dually enroll at both institutions to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and MSN degrees simultaneously. Students may also complete ACC’s RN-BSN program – which is now fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education (ACEN) – in advance of transferring into CSU Pueblo for their MSN degree.

“We are so pleased about this partnership with CSU Pueblo,” said ACC President Stephanie J. Fujii, PhD. “This allows us to collectively create opportunities for students while addressing healthcare needs and the nursing workforce in our communities.”

Nursing students in good standing in ACC’s RN-BSN program are eligible to enroll in the RN-MSN pathway. ACC and CSU Pueblo will facilitate a coordinated dual enrollment and admissions student support program at the ACC Sturm Collaboration Campus. Students must complete 2 years of RN work to become full-time faculty (per the Colorado State Board of Nursing), but are eligible to teach in a clinical section, or become a nurse educator in a hospital setting while still pursuing the MSN Nurse Educator degree.