After Taking In Saint Rose Program, UAlbany Broadens Nursing Options

By Lucienne Burns | December 8, 2025 

Equipment located inside the Nursing Suite in the Social Science building. 

Photo Credit: Lucienne Burns | The ASP

About a year after adopting the College of Saint Rose’s 1+2+1 nursing program, the University at Albany is broadening its nursing pathways with the launch of a new four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.

This degree differs from UAlbany’s existing programs as it is in partnership with Albany Med Health System (AMHS) and is structured differently, according to a university press release.

This program takes a different approach than UAlbany’s existing bachelor in science nursing degree, a 1+2+1 program adopted from The College of Saint Rose amidst its closure in 2024. 

UAlbany’s 1+2+1 program is structured beginning with one year of classwork, two years of clinicals, and completing remaining coursework in their senior year. With this pathway, students sit for their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to obtain their RN certification after the third year, meaning if they pass they can practice during their final year of coursework. 

This 1+2+1 option was adopted from the College of Saint Rose’s nursing program, offered in partnership with St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing. UAlbany took over this program in 2024, offering an easier transfer process for undergraduate students at Saint Rose who would have to move to other institutions. 

In contrast to the existing program, UAlbany’s new program adopts a more interactive, hands-on approach to nursing as early as the first semester. This is unlike traditional 1+2+1 or 2+2 models, where students do not gain this experience until they begin clinicals in their second or third years. 

UAlbany Director of Nursing Cassandra Marshall stated that during the program’s design process, she strongly advocated for this unique approach. 

“Nursing is a practice discipline, and early exposure helps students build clinical confidence, communication skills, and professional identity from day one,” Marshall said in an email to the ASP. “It also allows our students to connect with the Capital Region’s healthcare systems early, which strengthens recruitment and retention in a region that continues to face nursing workforce shortages.” 

The clinical experience does not stop at the students’ first semester– it is continuous across all four years. Students in this degree program will sit for their NCLEX after completing the full four years. 

This new program offers many “firsts” throughout the state in nursing education, maintaining a unique approach with its early clinical structure. 

Out of all the nursing programs in New York State, this program offers the earliest clinical exposure to students, along with it being the first and only option for students wanting to attain a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from a public institution in the Capital Region, according to the press release. 

While the 1+2+1 degree was established to continue education for Saint Rose students, non Saint Rose students have additionally joined the program, so it will not be taken away any time soon. Instead, the new program will build upon UAlbany’s existing programs, as maintaining different options can accommodate students with varying needs. 

“This new degree builds upon the foundation of the 1+2+1 and RN to BS completion pathways,” Marshall said. “That program has its own purpose and offers a different timeline that some students prefer, particularly those interested in entering the workforce sooner.”

The goal of the new program is to expand opportunities for students while also building skills such as confidence, critical thinking and professional identity from early on in their education. 

This new program is not the only nursing degree in the region that Marshall has been involved with implementing.  

Marshall was previously the chair of nursing at Saint Rose, helping create its 1+2+1 program in partnership with St. Peter’s. Four years later, Marshall became the transition coordinator for that same program to move to UAlbany. 

Nursing at Saint Rose returned to its now closed campus in 2020, after not offering nursing options since 1934. The newly-reinstated program hosted its first and final cohort graduating in 2024, the same semester that the school closed down. 

In Marshall’s role coordinating the program’s shift, one of her goals was being able to continue the legacy of this program. Prior to 2024, UAlbany did not have a nursing program for students who needed to earn their RN– only offering completion and master’s programs aimed towards students already holding licenses. 

“It has been incredibly meaningful to help bring two nursing programs to the Capital Region that directly respond to community needs,” Marshall said. “I was part of the creation of the 1+2+1 program at St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing, and being able to lead the program and accreditation work at Saint Rose was huge.” 

Marshall explained that she holds the Saint Rose program close to her heart, and that she is excited to be able to keep it going while creating separate opportunities for students with the new program. 

Expanding UAlbany's nursing options after coordinating the move of the 1+2+1 program is an effort Marshall has found rewarding, specifically in being able to build clinical partnerships and design curriculum along with the benefits to students. 

Following the launch of the new program, Marshall also announced the exploration of other potential expansions, such as “certificates, specialty tracks, high school pipeline opportunities, and graduate-level options.” 

These options would complement the school’s existing options for nursing, now consisting of two bachelor of science options, a completion program for registered nurses with associate degrees, and a Master of Science in Population Health Nursing. 

“There is a real possibility here to transform how we educate nurses in the Capital Region and create multiple, flexible entry points into the profession,” Marshall said. “I am incredibly passionate about building those opportunities and meeting the needs of students, hospitals, and communities in a meaningful way.”

*The public online archive of the Saint Rose Chronicle is no longer available. This article was written referencing the print version “Saint Rose Nursing Shifts to UAlbany” written by Lucienne Burns in spring of 2024.