Nursing
Academic Department
At UNC, nursing is about more than skills — it’s about making a difference.
Learn from expert faculty and gain hands-on clinical experience that prepares you to care for patients as whole individuals.
Grounded in a holistic view of patient care, we offer programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level that are approved by the Colorado State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (link) Our programs equip you to excel in diverse healthcare settings and have a real impact in your community.
7:30am – 5pm
Monday – Friday
School of Nursing BSN Open Admission
We are accepting applications for a Summer or Fall 2026 start! Please use the following link to find out more information, instructions, and more details!
Committed to Compassionate Care
The University of Northern Colorado has a strong history of preparing competent, compassionate, courageous nurses ready to serve patients of all backgrounds.
The UNC School of Nursing takes a student-centered, evidence-based approach to teaching. Our faculty members are not only excellent educators, they are also expert practitioners who bring years of experience to the lab and classroom.
Our programs are rich with real-world learning opportunities, including within state-of-the-art simulation centers on campus. Thanks to deep relationships with Colorado’s healthcare community, our students gain practical experience at partner sites throughout the region. Housed within the College of Natural and Health Sciences, our school is part of the larger healthcare landscape at UNC. Together, we’re transforming the lives of Colorado residents and advancing the well-being of society.
Our Programs
Undergraduate students interested in nursing may first be admitted as a pre-clinal major. This includes foundational courses and close academic advising to help ensure you’re academically prepared to apply to the nursing program.
We offer a few tracks for BSN students, including a flexible option for working RNs or students working toward their second degree.
Advance your nursing career at UNC with master’s and doctoral programs, including the MSN, DNP, and Ph.D. in Nursing Education. Specialized certificates are also available in Family Practice, Emergency Care, and Nursing Education.
More About Our School
State-of-the-Art Facilities
High-tech simulation labs give students experience with real-world settings and scenarios, from a birthing suite to bioterrorism drills.
Clinical Experience & Community Partnerships
Nursing students complete clinical rotations in a variety of facilities, from emergency departments and public health agencies to outpatient facilities and school districts.
May — UNC's Student Health Center (SHC) hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus the first week of May. It was one of 34 clinics hosted by the SHC in 2021 that provided 1,449 vaccinations. The SHC also helped coordinate additional clinics, including the availability of the state's mobile COVID-19 vaccination bus. In total there were 59 clinics on campus in 2021 providing 4,373 COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.
Faculty Expertise & Research
As part of the College of Natural and Health Sciences, the School of Nursing is connected to exciting research and discovery in a range of disciplines. Our doctoral students publish and present at conferences.
Our Mission, Vision, and Values
To improve the health and well-being of society by preparing compassionate, courageous, and competent nurses who advance nursing through leadership, scholarship, innovation, and practice.
The University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing will be known for excellence in the preparation of exceptional practitioners and nurse educators. Through innovation in practice and education, our faculty and students will transform the healthcare landscape to meet the needs of society and advance our discipline.
Excellence: being outstanding; fostered through intentional decision-making and development of high standards and processes for ensuring quality.
Professionalism: consistent demonstration of and adherence to accountability, competence, responsibility, dependability and a commitment to life-long learning.
Caring: an integral component of nursing practice requiring ongoing development of empathy, conscience, compassion, resilience, and confidence in interactions with patients, families, communities, other healthcare professionals, and ourselves.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: acknowledgement of human dignity and autonomy, privacy, equity, freedom, and inclusivity as central to cultivating deep understanding of people in the betterment of health and well-being of all members of society.
Social Justice: We can achieve a just and equitable healthcare system for all by recognizing and combating discrimination in healthcare and becoming aware of implicit bias and its effects. We oppose discrimination in healthcare and are committed to continued efforts to prevent discriminatory acts.
Student-Centered Teaching and Learning: Evidence-based, innovative teaching and learning is critical to meeting the changing demands in healthcare, nursing practice, and nursing education.
Community Engagement: collaboration with community-based partners to enrich learning, foster equitable decision-making processes, and deepen relationships and trust to meet the healthcare needs of the region.
Innovation: We value creativity, curiosity, and responsible innovation in nursing education and practice. By integrating AI thoughtfully and ethically, we prepare nurses to use technology to improve patient care, optimize systems, advance research, and strengthen clinical and academic decision-making, while upholding the humanistic values central to the nursing profession.
