History

Nursing then ...

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing is the first continuing nursing school on a university campus in the United States. The school opened in March 1909, offering a three-year program in which four students were enrolled. In 1919, a five-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree in nursing began. The shorter nondegree program continued until 1947.

In response to the need for more prepared teachers and supervisors, specialized baccalaureate programs for R.N.s were established in the fields of nursing education (1922) and nursing administration (1955). These specialized programs were phased out in the early 1960s with the establishment in 1962 of a general nursing program for R.N.s and a four-year (13 quarters) generic baccalaureate program.

Nursing now ...

The first professional graduate programs at the master's level were initiated in 1950 and 1951. These programs were phased out as master's degree programs in nursing were developed and offered through the Graduate School beginning in 1962. Graduate programs in nursing have undergone considerable change over the last 20 years, and the curriculum has evolved in order to offer a variety of focus areas to accommodate the diverse interests of students. In the Fall of 1999, the University of Minnesota made the transition from the quarter system to the semester system. Along with this transition, revised undergraduate and graduate programs were launched. The programs are described in the School of Nursing and Graduate School catalogs.