A new program in Rockford will make it easier for people changing careers to earn a nursing degree.

The University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing is expanding its master of science in nursing program for non-RNs to its Rockford campus. The program was recently approved by the Illinois Board of Nursing.

Students in the Rockford area who meet the eligibility requirements can apply now for fall 2025 admission. Sometimes called the graduate-entry program, this program is designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another subject and would like to change careers to become nurses.

The program prepares non-nurses to sit for the registered nurse licensure exam, then work as advanced generalist nurses who act as care coordinators for a group of patients while providing direct care in complex cases.

The Rockford campus of the UIC College of Nursing currently educates students who are pursuing a doctor of nursing practice degree. The addition of the master's degree program will fill a market niche in the Rockford area, which doesn't have an option for career changers seeking a master's degree in nursing.

"This is really a great opportunity for people in the Rockford area to have access to this program because our local hospitals are in great need of nurses, especially in the rural areas," said Laura Monahan, campus director.

Monahan, who graduated from the master's degree program in 2012, had to commute several hours from the Rockford area to attend the program in Chicago when she was a student.

The UIC College of Nursing in Rockford shares a campus with UIC's colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. A close relationship among all three colleges means nursing students have access to a skills lab, a state-of-the-art standardized patient center and the full-service Crawford Library of Health Sciences.

Students for this program must live within commuting distance of the UIC Nursing-Rockford campus. That could be in Illinois or a bordering state. The program requires on-campus commitments, and faculty members arrange all clinical site placements for students.

Rockford is one of the UIC College of Nursing's six campuses. The other five are Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities, Springfield and Urbana.