Ithaca College and the University of Rochester have an affiliation agreement for graduate study in nursing. If you earn an eligible IC bachelor's degree and meet the conditions below, you gain early admission consideration and a fast-tracked application to a nursing degree program at the URochester School of Nursing.
University of Rochester: School of Nursing
For Students Who Find Nursing Along the Way
Plenty of people pivot into nursing. You start in exercise science, or psychology, or something else entirely, and somewhere in a lab or a clinical placement or a conversation with a faculty member, the work clicks. This pathway is built for that moment.
You do not have to switch majors or trade the undergraduate experience you came here for. Spend four years at Ithaca College following your curiosity, building your record, and getting to know faculty who will know you well. Then step into one of two nursing programs at URochester, a school ranked among the best in the country, with a smoother application, an earlier decision, and real money on the table.
This is a pathway into an Accelerated Bachelor's into Nursing Practice (MDE) in Nursing (ABSN) or a Master’s Direct Entry (MDE) rather than an accelerated or combined program. You complete your full four-year IC degree first, meet all the admission requirements, then begin at URochester the fall after you graduate. Your advisor and your department chair can help you plan for it early and stay on pace.
The Benefits
A fast-tracked application. IC students receive early action on admissions decisions.
A waived application fee.
A guaranteed 30% tuition scholarship for students admitted to the MDE program.
A route to full tuition coverage. ABSN students who commit to working at one of three URochester Medicine hospitals for three years after licensure may qualify for full tuition through the UR Nursing Scholars program.
Eligible Ithaca College degrees
Both of these URochester programs are designed for students
who hold a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing, so any Ithaca College major can qualify.
Some science prerequisite coursework is required before you begin at URochester.
Talk with your advisor early so you can fit those courses into your four years at IC.
University of Rochester nursing programs
Early admission is available to these two programs:
Accelerated Bachelor's in Nursing (ABSN) A three-semester program that prepares you to pass the licensing exam and practice as a registered nurse.
Master's Direct Entry (MDE) into Nursing Practice A path to RN licensure plus master's-level preparation in leadership, policy, and quality improvement.
How to Qualify
Meet the following requirements to be considered for early admission.
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Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at Ithaca College.
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Remain continuously enrolled at Ithaca College after you are accepted at URochester, through the completion of your bachelor's degree.
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Submit an early action application for entry the fall semester after your expected IC graduation. For the first cycle, applications open November 16, 2026 and close January 15, 2027.
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The URochester School of Nursing sets its own admissions requirements, including prerequisite coursework, and makes the final admission decision.
Key Dates
Applications open: October 1, 2026
Applications close: January 15, 2027
First students begin at URochester: Fall 2027
Curious to learn more?
Contact your academic advisor or Jana Waller (Associate Dean, Health Sciences and Human Performance) to talk through whether this pathway fits your plans.
