Lincoln University graduates have a new path to nursing careers thanks to the HBCU’s new partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia, writes Abraham Gutman for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last spring, the university shut down its nursing program because of the underperformance of its graduates on the registered nurses licensing exam. At the time, Lincoln was the only HBCU in Pennsylvania with a nursing program.

Now, thanks to the new agreement between the two educational institutions, Lincoln graduates pursuing a nursing career can advance to a 15-month program at the Community College of Philadelphia.

As part of their four-year bachelor’s degree, Lincoln students interested in nursing will complete required science courses and one math course. After graduation, they will matriculate to CCP. In four additional semesters with CCP, they can get an associates in the science of nursing.

Students who get the degree can then take the registered nurses’ licensure exam.

Lincoln president Brenda Allen said the partnership is similar to the traditional path toward medical school.

“We’ve done that in premed for 170 years,” she said. “Why not think about nursing as also a preprogram?”

Read more about Lincoln University’s nursing program solution in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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