MALTA — Kishwaukee College and Northern Illinois University recently expanded their academic partnership, announcing a new degree completion option for the Associate Degree Nursing program at Kish and the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science Completion Program at NIU. 

The agreement was formally signed and executed by both institutions on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Kishwaukee College.

The RN to B.S. Degree Completion is a customized academic pathway between both institutions that allows students to complete the Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing Program at Kish while taking a number of classes at NIU. After graduation from Kish, students complete final course work at NIU to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. 

“This innovative program has students taking classes simultaneously at both institutions,” said Derryl Block, Dean of NIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “The program is a result of collaboration between Kishwaukee and NIU to better guide students to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing in order to be better prepared to serve the needs of individuals, families, communities and populations.” 

“The trend in healthcare is for an increase in nurses who hold a BSN and this agreement will allow more of our students to achieve that goal in a time- and cost-efficient manner,” said Bette Chilton, Dean of Health and Education at Kish College. “This is a great step forward for our students and for healthcare professionals in our local hospitals and clinics.”

As part of this partnership, Kish will facilitate students’ clinical experiences. Additionally, students will be able to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) after successfully completing the Kish portion of the program. 

For more information, please contact Bette Chilton at Kishwaukee College at bchilton@kish.edu or call 815-825-9308 or Amber Davis at NIU at adavis16@niu.edu or call 815-753-6557.