Missouri Baptist University to Offer New Pre-Nursing Major

 has joined forces with the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College to offer a new pre-nursing major for undergraduates at the university. Students in the program will spend two years at MBU and then transfer to Goldfarb for two years of nursing classes to finish a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

At a recent reception on Missouri Baptist's Creve Coeur campus, admissions counselors answered prospective students’ questions about the brand-new major. MBU Admissions Director Aaron Black said that the pre-nursing major has already received 79 applicants, more than any other major at the university.

Dr. Lydia Thebeau, Associate Professor of Biology at Missouri Baptist, worked with the admissions department to initiate the agreement with Goldfarb after realizing that many of the students in her classes were there to take pre-requisites for nursing. It was originally the university’s intention to form what's called an articulation agreement with an institution like St. Louis University, but Thebeau found that the increase in cost to students transferring there would be significant. Goldfarb was a better option when it came to students’ expenses.

Black agreed that the program is a “way to serve the students better.” The university often gets calls from people that have the school confused with Missouri Baptist Hospital’s student nursing program, so the admissions staff is glad to now be able to tell callers that MBU has its own nursing major.

Lamar Wilkes, Admissions Advisor at Goldfarb, said that the nursing college also saw the partnership as “a great opportunity.” Goldfarb’s main campus is on the grounds of Washington University Medical Center, but it just opened another branch at Missouri Baptist Hospital that held its first classes in January. The new branch’s proximity to MBU made the partnership especially appealing.

Taylor Hosna, a high school senior, was at the reception with her parents Martha and Mark. She will be attending Missouri Baptist on a track scholarship and is interested in the nursing program. “I like working with kids,” she said, “I’m thinking about being a pediatric nurse.”

Students accepted to Missouri Baptist will still need to apply to transfer into Goldfarb’s Upper Division nursing program after completing their general education requirements at MBU.  Goldfarb, which was described by Wilkes as the “number one nursing school in the state,” accepts 96 transfer students a year into its upper division and graduates over 300 students per year.

The MBU admissions staff pointed out that spending freshman and sophomore years on campus would offer students a richer experience when compared to general education programs at community colleges.  They talked up the benefits of participating in sports, being part of a small academic and social community, and experiencing the school’s Christian focus. Students will take courses in English, Fine Arts, and Humanities, in addition to introductory Biology and Chemistry classes, before moving onto the Goldfarb’s nursing curriculum and hands-on labs.

Black said that the University is still not quite sure what to expect from the program’s inaugural year, but the record number of applications is a good sign. Thebeau said that the program is developing “way faster than we ever envisioned,” despite not being heavily marketed. The admissions office estimates that 35-50 students will be entering the pre-nursing program this fall.