The City University of New York (CUNY) colleges serves as the public university system of New York City. There are 24 campuses that compromise the CUNY system offering prospective students a broad range of study opportunities. Students considering careers in nursing have 17 university campuses to chose from in the CUNY system, with degrees ranging from an associate degree for entry level positions, to the doctorate level for studying advanced nursing theory.

Associate Degrees in Nursing

Students seeking to enter a degree program in nursing leading to licensure may begin at the associates level, a two-year degree program that prepares a student for a position as an entry-level registered nurse.

Students will take two years of college, requiring 60-credit hours, that will include a variety of courses such as skilled nursing care, physiology, biology and patient management. In addition to classroom study, students will spend 2-3 days per week in a health care setting, learning hands-on nursing procedures.

The CUNY system has nine different universities that can help students become an entry-level registered nurse. Those universities include the following:

Borough of Manhattan Community College

Bronx Community College

Hostos Community College

Kingsborough Community College

La Guardia Community College

Medgar Evers College

New York City College of Technology

Queensborough Community College

College of Staten Island

Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing

Those seeking to advance beyond an entry-level position as a registered nurse and take on management responsibilities, will need a bachelor's degree in a nursing. This will involve taking 60-credits beyond the associate degree, for a total of 120-credits to earn the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Students can expect to take courses in advanced nursing procedures, nursing management and administration, critical care nursing theory, and professional nursing thesis, among others.

The CUNY system offers 6 different universities where students can pursue that goal:

Hunter College

Lehman College

New York City College of Technology

York College

Medgar Evers College

College of Staten Island

Master's Degrees in Nursing

For prospective students who want to enter teaching at the college level, or function as trainers or high level administrators in the practice of nursing, those seeking advanced education in particular specialties such as psychiatric nursing, or becoming a licensed nurse practitioner - will need a graduate degree at the master's level. CUNY has three campuses where these courses are offered: Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island

These three colleges offer students a number of graduate programs in nursing, preparing students for positions of administration, specialty focus and programs leading to licensure as a nursing practitioner.

Post Master's Certificates and Doctorates Degrees in Nursing

Beyond the master's level, the CUNY system offers prospective students the ability to study advanced nursing theory. Advanced nursing theory helps to prepare students to work as researchers, college professors or educational administrators in the field of nursing, or to work as a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. For doctoral studies, those colleges in the CUNY system include the College of Staten Island and the Graduate School and University Center.

For the post master's certificates, CUNY offers programs at the College of Staten Island, Lehman College and Hunter College.

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