The Colorado State University System is set to launch a dual nursing program in fall 2026. The 3+2 Direct Entry Nursing Program, which offers students the opportunities to graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years, comes in light of collaboration between the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses.
The ongoing nursing shortage is what makes this program important, said Lise Youngblade, interim provost and executive vice president of CSU Fort Collins.
By the time the program’s first cohort of students graduates in 2032, Colorado is expected to have a shortage of 221,850 registered nurses. The 3+2 program aims to address this shortage by accelerating students into the workforce.
“Our goal is to get those students the highest level of education possible at the most reasonable cost possible,” said Susan Belport, director of the Fort Collins program.
The first cohort of students will begin at the Fort Collins campus this fall, earning a Bachelor of Science with a pre-nursing concentration in one of three majors: health and exercise science, human development and family studies and nutrition science.
These pre-nursing concentrations act as “formal on-ramps into a collaborative CSU-CSU Pueblo dual-degree pathway,” said Jen Aberle, associate dean for undergraduate affairs in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Although these three majors have historically offered strong pre-health pathways that students interested in nursing pursued, the new pre-nursing concentrations offer a “more intentional and streamlined academic experience” and support a wide range of student goals, Aberle said.
Prospective program participants will apply for one of the 40 slots at CSU Pueblo’s School of Nursing during the fall 2027 semester. Applicants are required to have an overall 3.0 GPA and have a C or higher in all pre-nursing prerequisite courses. Accepted students will be notified in spring 2028 and start their nursing courses in spring 2029 at the Fort Collins campus.
Despite demands over the years, the Fort Collins campus hasn’t offered a direct pathway to nursing prior to the 3+2 program, Youngblade said; the 3+2 program changes this. While graduates of the program will receive their master’s degree from CSU Pueblo School of Nursing, their classes and learning experiences will take place on the Fort Collins campus, with the fourth floor of the CSU Health and Medical Center being remodeled to host educational experiences.
“They’re getting a degree at Fort Collins,” Youngblade said. “They just walk in the door and it’s all set up. They don’t have to worry about credits transfer back and forth … (or) how financial aid worked between the two (campuses). … We want to be seamless for students.”
As director of the program, Belport is increasing the program’s value by collaborating with community partners to get students’ experience, including fulfilling their minimum 400 hours of clinical experience to get their RN license. More nurses will be needed due to rural population growth in Northern Colorado, such as Weld County, adding to the demand for rural health care services.
“Every community is a little bit different, and if we’re not graduating nurses who can meet that community demand, then we need to make some changes,” Belport said.
The program’s accelerated pathway will also cost students less in the long run. This program may help students address upcoming changes to federal student loans, Belport said, which have lowered caps for direct unsubsidized loans for those pursuing a graduate degree in nursing.
After graduating and completing two full years of nursing school, graduates are qualified to become nursing faculty. This qualification also addresses a barrier for nursing programs when expanding enrollment: a lack of qualified faculty with degrees to teach.
Though the program will only offer 40 spots, Belport said there are many other avenues for students to enter the nursing field beyond the 3+2 program and reminded students that they have advisers and resources to support them.
“We want everybody who wants to be a nurse to find a way, whatever their path is to get there,” Belport said.
Reach Chloe Rios at science@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.