UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH
PROGRAMS OF STUDY IN NURSING & ALLIED HEALTH
The COLLEGE OF NURSING enrolls students in BS, RN-BS, RN Refresher, MS, and PhD programs
of study. Since 1969, our programs have prepared professional nurses for leadership and
innovation in health care in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. For more information
visit www.umassd.edu/nursing .
BS Program in Nursing
The purpose of the BS program in nursing is to provide students with the most current
perspectives on the discipline of nursing, based upon values, skills, and competencies
essential for nursing practice in the 21st century.
RN-BS Program Option
The College of Nursing offers registered nurses the opportunity to advance their professional
knowledge by completing a baccalaureate degree program in nursing. The RN-BS option offers
nursing courses with an online learning component. Nursing courses include face-to face class
sessions in addition to Internet classes, thus adding value to the student learning experience.
Non-nursing course credits are transferred based on distribution requirements for the
baccalaureate degree program in nursing.
Master of Science (MS) Program
The MS program in the College of Nursing fosters scholarship, critical thinking, creativity, and
prepares nurses for leadership as advanced practice nurses. In addition, the MS program offers
advanced level courses that serve as a base for PhD study.
The curriculum incorporates core courses, track courses (dependent on student's chosen track),
practicum courses supportive of advanced practice nursing, and supporting elective courses.
Students may elect to pursue graduate study on a part-time (usually 6 credits per semester) or
full-time (9 credits per semester) basis. However, all degree requirements must be completed
within five years of the date of matriculation in the program.
Three options exist in the MS Program: Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP), Adult Health Clinical
Specialist or Nurse Educator; and Community Health Nursing Clinical Specialist and Nurse
Educator (CHN). Other study options include RN-BS-MS Fast-Track Program; Graduate
Admission Program (GAP) for RN’s with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees; and Post-Master’s
Certificate for Adult Nurse Practitioners.
PhD Program in Nursing
The innovative PhD Program in Nursing is intended to address the critical nursing shortage by
preparing qualified nurse scientist educators who will advance knowledge in nursing education,
improve nursing practice in the care of people living with chronic illness’ and become leaders in
nursing research practices in the care of people living with chronic illness.
The program is designed to offer a unique curriculum with courses in nursing science;
substantive knowledge (health within chronic illness experience); research methodologies; and
role development (nurse educator).
The DIVISION OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING EDUCATION offers a degree completion
option for employees in the SouthCoast healthcare industry. This program addresses
educational attainment needs for hospital support service areas. It begins with a Certificate in
Undergraduate Studies. The certificate program is 21-credits (7 courses) and it provides an
entry-level opportunity for students to increase their educational attainment needs. Student
can then choose to continue and complete their degree in Liberal Arts with career tracks in
Business or Engineering. A total of 120 credits are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree. For
more information visit http://www.umassd.edu/pce.
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a minor Med Lab Science
(available in September 2009)
This program allows individuals in healthcare professions with an associate's degree (A.A./A.S.),
or post secondary health career certificate entry to pursue a bachelor's degree. This career
laddering enables individuals to advance to supervisory or other positions with increased
responsibility within their employment. Approved credits from an Associate’s Degree or
certificate in a health career track may be transferable as acceptable scientific and technical
background toward a bachelor’s degree. http://www.umassd.edu/cas/medlabscience
Become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) (non-credit)
This program is designed to teach students how to handle medical, traumatic and psychiatric
emergencies; ranging from simple cuts to heart attacks and strokes. As part of this program,
students will perform clinical time in a hospital emergency room, and on an ambulance. During
this program you will be given the knowledge and skills needed to handle many types of
emergencies. For the student wishing to obtain certification as an EMT, upon successful
completion of this program, you will be eligible to sit for the state of Massachusetts Emergency
Medical Technicians Exam. Whether you are looking for a career change, starting a career,
looking for an exciting part-time job, or just want to know what to do to help during an
emergency, EMT training could be for you. This program is sponsored by the Institute for
Emergency Medical Education. The curriculum follows the Federal Department of
Transportation guidelines, but exceeds both the MA Department of Public Health, Office of
Emergency Medical Services, and DOT's minimum requirements. Instructors and coordinators
are state approved EMT's. In addition to meeting two nights per week, students will be required
to attend three (3) Saturday classes.
(http://www.umassd.edu/pce/noncredit/coursedescriptions.cfm#healthcare)
Certified Nursing Assistant /Home Health Aide Training Program (non-credit)
This six week state approved nurse aide training program prepares students for the state
certification exam and subsequent employment in long term care facilities, hospitals and home
care. Classroom and lab instruction includes basic nursing skills, infection control, safety
principles, communication skills, basic anatomy, nutrition and the aging process. Students gain
hands on experience during four clinical days at a local long term care facility. Home Health
Aide, CPR and First Aid certifications are also included. Daytime classes are held MondayThursday, 9 am-1 pm; clinical hours are 7 am-2 pm. Evening classes are held Monday-Thursday,
5-9 pm; clinical hours are 7 am-2 pm. Cost of books, state exam fee, HHA, CPR and First Aid
training are included. The student is responsible for purchasing uniforms and shoes. Prerequisite: To be eligible for this course you must have a high school diploma or GED, recent
physical exam (within the last year) and test free of tuberculosis. Registered students will be
sent a physical exam form to be completed by their physician prior to the first day of class.
(http://www.umassd.edu/pce/noncredit/coursedescriptions.cfm#healthcare)
RN-Nursing Refresher Course (non-credit)
The RN Refresher Course was established to fulfill a need which exists among nursing
professionals. The goal of the course is to offer a quality program that is taught by the best
professionals and specialists in the area. The course offers a variety of topics, based upon
general themes which are reflective of the latest trends in health care.
For questions about this Nursing Refresher Course, please email Professor Lorraine Fisher at
lfisher@umassd.edu.
(http://www.umassd.edu/pce/noncredit/coursedescriptions.cfm#healthcare)
Applied Behavior Analysis Programs UMass Dartmouth Evergreen/Beacon Initiative
Master of Arts in Psychology – Applied Behavior Analysis Option
Behavior Analyst Post-Master's Certificate Program
These programs are an industry/educational collaboration among the Evergreen Center,
Beacon Services, UMass Dartmouth Professional & Continuing Education and UMass Dartmouth
Psychology Department. This collaboration seeks to provide high quality, convenient
educational service for behavior analyst practitioners interested in earning a master’s degree in
Psychology concentrating in Applied Behavior Analysis and to prepare students to sit for the
Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) exam. In addition, this program provides career
professional development opportunities to employees of these organizations, as well as to
other non-affiliated professionals.
The master's program is a three year, 36-credit program from an accredited university that
includes the ABA specific courses, and fieldwork experience. The 15-credit certificate program
includes the ABA specific courses plus optional fieldwork supervision. All courses are offered
under the direction of the UMass Dartmouth Psychology Department, and specific ABA courses
will satisfy the content requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)
exam. (http://www.umassd.edu/pce/aba/welcome.cfm)
The PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT at the University Massachusetts Dartmouth offers a BA
program, a MA Research track, a BA/MA track that combines a BA and MA in Research, a MA
Clinical/Behavior track, a MA Applied Behavior Analysis Track (ABA), and a Post MA Certificate
ABA program. All programs provide students with a solid background in psychological theories
and research. Some programs concentrate on research skills and preparation for Ph. D.
programs; others provide coursework and experience that allow graduates to seek employment
in a variety of human services programs. The programs with a human-service orientation are
listed below.
Undergraduate Programs
We have a 3-course Counseling sequence for students interested in BA level employment in a
Human Services Agency. Generally students enroll in PSY 406 (Counseling I) in the spring
semester of their Junior year. This course provides students with an introduction to
philosophies, theories and techniques of counseling, and demonstrations of various
psychotherapeutic methods. Students enroll in PSY 407 (Counseling II) during the first semester
of their senior year. The course is a continuation of PSY 406 and gives students tape and
supervised practicum experiences including 4 hours in field placement at a clinical site in the
community. Finally, students take PSY 480 during the second semester of senior year in which
they spend one day a week in a cooperating state or private mental health facility. The
students interact with the clients with strict on-site and off-site supervision.
http://www.umassd.edu/cas/psychology/undergraduate.cfm.
Clinical/Behavior MA track
This is a 60 credit Masters program with a fixed curriculum that lasts for three calendar years.
Students completing this program are eligible to sit for the Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Exam. Typically, graduates work in mental health, developmental disability, educational, and
social services agencies. Students learn the practice of psychotherapy and psychodiagnostics
with an emphasis on behavioral practice.
http://www.umassd.edu/cas/psychology/graduate.cfm. Applicants should contact the program
director Dr. Paul Donnelly (pdonnelly@umassd.edu).
The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Option and the Post MA ABA Certificate
The Psychology Department offers two graduate programs of study leading to certification in
behavior analysis (Board Certified Behavior Analyst - BCBA). The MA program is a designed for
those with a BA degree who wish to pursue a career in behavior analysis. Those with an
MA/MS degree in Psychology, Special Education or closely related fields may pursue the Post
MA Certificate which also leads to eligibility for the BCBA designation. Graduates of the
program are prepared for leadership positions in human service, educational and
developmental disabilities settings solving a wide variety of behavioral problems through the
application of learning theory and behavior change principles. Both programs include 5 core
courses that are approved by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, making graduates
eligible to take the BCBA exam. In addition to the core ABA courses the MA program also offers
a range of courses which allow graduates to read, understand and critically evaluate relevant
theoretical and empirical literature. Fieldwork courses serve as a capstone experience in ABA.
Both programs are offered through the division of Professional and Continuing Education (PCE).
Please the website (http://www.umassd.edu/pce/aba/welcome.cfm) or contact the program
director (Dr. Jack Conboy) at jconboy@umassd.edu.
Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology – degrees offered: Doctor of Philosophy; Master of
Science.
The Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (BMEBT) program is an intercampus,
interdisciplinary graduate program that awards both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees through the
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING. The program offers graduate education that is at the intersection
of biology and engineering; that is readily accessible to individuals with strong quantitative skills
from a wide range of science/engineering undergraduate degrees; that addresses
contemporary biomedical/health research problems; and contributes significantly to meeting
the workforce needs of allied biomedical industries. The program prepares students for
professional careers in industry or academia by developing an in-depth understanding of this
broad diverse field of knowledge through advanced coursework, creative individual and
collaborative research, and experience in clinical and industrial practice.
http://www.umassd.edu/engineering/mtx/bmebt/
Medical Laboratory Science
UMass Dartmouth offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Laboratory Science. All
graduates meet requirements for national certification or state licensure.
The Department of Medical Laboratory Science offers four options: Clinical Laboratory Science,
Cytotechnology, Health Services and Biotechnology.
Clinical laboratory scientists analyze blood and other body fluids to evaluate health
status, diagnose disease, and aid in the proper management and treatment of disease.
The program focuses on the standard clinical laboratory disciplines of Clinical Chemistry,
Hematology, Urinalysis, Microbiology, Immunology, and Blood Banking. Increasing
emphasis is placed on laboratory instrumentation, computers, quality control and
genetic/molecular diagnostics.
Cytotechnologists use the microscope to detect changes in the body's cells, which might
indicate cancer or other diseases.
Health Services is a program which allows other health professionals with an associate's
degree to advance to a bachelor's degree. This career laddering enables individuals to
advance to supervisory or other positions with increased responsibility within their
employment.
Laboratorians working in biotechnology can be employed in highly diverse situations
ranging from the traditional laboratory-centered position to sales, marketing, research
& design to governmental oversight and regulatory compliance.
The UMass Dartmouth clinical laboratory science program is completed within the traditional
academic calendar and the Department arranges hospital affiliations.
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