Within Dallas College, El Centro has been the forefront of medical education, built in the 1960s and offering satellite medical programs to other colleges within the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD). In 2020, DCCCD made the decision to merge the institutions, which were previously treated as separate entities, into a single college with campuses across the Dallas area. This merger was followed by the launch of the bachelor’s in education alongside the announcement of the bachelor’s degree in nursing.
The program is officially titled a Registered Nurse Bachelor of Science in Nursing, allowing students to be fully licensed as a nurse in the state the program was completed in. Such a program came about due to a projected shortage of nurses in Texas, with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration providing a $1 million grant to further the development of the program.
It was approved to begin development in 2022, founded by Dean Juanita Flint and gaining approval from all necessary organizations in 2024.
Long before the launch of the program, an associate in nursing was the only available option for those pursuing nursing. Brookhaven, El Centro, Mountain View and North Lake were the only campuses offering them. Due to the bachelor’s program’s offering as an online service, more students across all campuses will be able to apply for and progress through the program.
Tuition will also be much lower than other schools, with Dallas College charging $2,800 for the program in contrast to most colleges charging between $8,000 and $16,000.
However, despite prior statements claiming otherwise, there will be three classes requiring in-person training. These classes will be in-person due to the necessity of face-to-face interaction.
Due to the infancy of the program, there will only be 20 applicants accepted, holding an eight-week session in the summer before continuing into the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.
