New degree programs coming to Northwest Missouri State were part of President Lance Tatum's state of the university address before the start of the new academic year.
Click the LISTEN button to hear comments from Northwest Missouri State president Lance Tatum.
In a university news release, Tatum outlined Northwest’s work to establish a Center for Rural Health focused on advancing healthcare education, supporting professionals already serving rural communities and strengthening partnerships to improve healthcare throughout the region. The University took a step toward that vision with the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and plans to accept its first four-year nursing class in the fall of 2027.
“Rural Missouri is losing healthcare access at an alarming pace,” Tatum said. “Communities that have supported Northwest for generations are watching hospitals reduce services or close altogether. Northwest has both an opportunity and a responsibility to respond.”
Additionally, Northwest is expanding opportunities for adult learners through the implementation of a Bachelor of Professional Studies program, a fully online, 90-credit-hour bachelor’s degree designed to serve military veterans, working professionals, transfer students and others who may have accumulated college credit but have yet to complete a degree.
“This program removes barriers without lowering expectations,” Tatum said. “It preserves the academic quality Northwest is known for while meeting students where they are.”