A growing profession, nursing is a rewarding and flexible career. As a nursing major, you will learn to think critically and apply the nursing process when caring for patients of all ages in a variety of settings.

At a Glance

  • Flexibility
    Full Time
  • Delivery Options
    On Campus
  • Degree
    BS

Get Started

What courses will you take?

Nursing student poses wearing UMass Lowell blue scrubs and a stethoscope

The B.S. in Nursing program at UMass Lowell provides a strong foundation in how to apply ethical principles and legal requirements in the delivery of care, develop therapeutic relationships with individuals and groups, and promote health in diverse populations. 

From Interprofessional Education (IPE) activities, you'll learn how to work in teams with students from different disciplines such as dietetics, public health, exercise physiology, physical therapy and pharmacy.

During the senior year, you'll experience a semester of immersion in the nursing specialty area of your choice, working one-on-one with an expert nurse preceptor. 

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be eligible to sit for the Board of Registration in Nursing’s NCLEX examination for licensure as a registered nurse (RN).

The UMass Lowell nursing program is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. 

Visit the Academic Catalog for complete a course listing.

  • Degree Pathways are a semester-by-semester sequence of courses recommended for successful completion of a degree, diploma, credential or certificate from the university. The most current degree pathways are:

    Visit the Academic Catalog for all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.

  • The Baccalaureate Program prepares nurse generalists who:

    1. Develop therapeutic relationships with individuals, families, groups and communities
    2. Demonstrate competence in the implementation of standards of practice
    3. Apply ethical principles and legal requirements in the delivery of care to individuals, families, groups and communities 
    4. Collaborate with individuals, families, groups, communities and health care professionals in the delivery of care
    5. Utilize theories and research findings in practice
    6. Promote health in diverse populations
    7. Participate in efforts to influence health care policy
    8. Assume responsibility for learning and professional career development

    Graduates of the Baccalaureate Program are prepared to:

    1. Pass the NCLEX - RN licensure exam
    2. Sustain employment in the practice of nursing
    3. Participate in nursing continuing education programs
    4. Obtain nursing practice and/or specialty certifications
    5. Obtain advanced certificates and/or degrees
    6. Become members of professional organizations
    7. Participate on committees in health care agencies
    8. Present papers and posters related to nursing practice
    9. Engage in research utilization and evidenced-based practice

Why study nursing at UMass Lowell?

Nursing student wearing blue scrubs and gloves works in a UMass Lowell simulated hospital room

Advanced Nursing Laboratories

Build your confidence and experience before going into a care setting through our state-of-the-art facilities, which include: 

  • Simulation laboratories with observation rooms
  • Demonstration hospital wing and true-to-life exam rooms
  • “Smart” technology for presentations
  • Mentoring, tutoring and open lab hours to help you succeed
Nursing student wearing blue scrubs holds tubes near a patient bed in a UMass Lowell demonstration hospital wing

Hands-On Experience

Gain hands-on experience through our collaborative relationships with more than 250 clinical agencies, including:

  • Acute care hospitals (major teaching, community-based, medical centers)
  • Long-term care settings
  • Assisted living facilities
  • Primary care practices
  • School health settings
  • Visiting nurse and home care agencies
  • Occupational health setting
  • Child care and adult day health settings
Nursing student sits at an outdoor table

Fun Outside the Classroom

Put your learning into practice. Check out some of the fun ways UML students come together.

Nursing student wearing blue scrubs sits at a table in a UMass Lowell classroom

Bachelor’s-to-Master's Program

Get on the fast track to an advanced degree with our combined B.S/M.S. program. 
  • Available to juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.500 or better
  • Offers a continuous, coordinated sequence of courses
  • Reduced credit-hour requirements can save you time and money

What can you do with a degree in nursing?

UMass Lowell’s nursing graduates are in high demand, with 86 percent landing jobs or being accepted into graduate programs within six months of graduation.

UMass Lowell graduate Lianna Partee taking notes at a desk working as an RN at a hospital

The clinical aspects of the nursing program are developed, coordinated and supervised by the nursing faculty and are provided in collaboration with members of our community agencies. Student clinical placements may include:

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
  • Greater Lawrence Family Health Service
  • Holy Family Hospital
  • Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
  • Lawrence General Hospital
  • Lowell Community Health Center
  • Lowell General Hospital
  • Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Tewksbury Hospital
  • UMass Memorial Medical Center
  • VNA of Greater Lowell Winchester Hospital

Meet Our Alumni and Students

Caroline Owusu works at a table in a hospital
Caroline Owusu '23
Nursing

Caroline Owusu lost an internship because of the COVID-19 pandemic – and found a passion for research.

I just felt more comfortable knowing I had the RHSA behind me.
Read More About Caroline Owusu 
Margaret Fitzgerald with a group of people at the Solomont School of Nursing's 50th Anniversary celebration at the Inn & Conference Center
Margaret Fitzgerald '86
Nursing

While working for 16 years in an intensive care unit, Margaret Fitzgerald decided that she could do more to prevent patients from ending up in the hospital. So she earned a master’s degree in nursing at UMass Lowell to become a nurse practitioner.

The influence that the School of Nursing has had on health in the Merrimack Valley and beyond is extensive, and I’m proud to be part of its legacy.
Read More About Margaret Fitzgerald 
Matthew Fowler wearing scrubs and a stethoscope in a nursing simulation lab at UMass Lowell
Matthew Fowler '18
Nursing

After Matthew Fowler's mother underwent heart surgery, he observed the nurses, who worked with both intelligence and kindness. The experience inspired him to choose nursing as his career.

My experience here at UML has been nothing but positive. The nursing professors are unbelievable.
Read More About Matthew Fowler 
Twins Jessica and Jennifer Dossantos
Jessica Dossantos '23
Nursing

Jessica Dossantos chose UMass Lowell for its patient simulation labs – and because her twin sister liked the university, too.

I want to become a travel nurse and go into different areas where I haven’t been before.
Read More About Jessica Dossantos