Oregon Coast Community College has joined a consortium of five other community colleges across the state to offer the first bachelor’s degree program in its 37-year history.
The bachelor’s degree program in nursing is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026, after its curriculum was approved last week by the college’s seven-member board. It still needs approval from the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, which oversees college programs across the state. The commission is expected to consider the community colleges’ proposal in early 2025.
“This is the first bachelor’s degree in Oregon Coast Community College’s history and it marks a significant milestone for our institution and community,” college president Birgitte Ryslinge said in a statement. “The bachelor of science in nursing program reflects our commitment to meeting regional workforce needs and expanding educational opportunities in Lincoln County.”
The college will work with Chemeketa, Linn-Benton, Central Oregon, Klamath and Treasure Valley community colleges to offer the classes to 45 students the first year. Six students are expected from OCCC, said college spokesman Dave Price.
Price said the multi-college proposal has been in the works for two years.
“It’s a long process to launch this,” he said.
Oregon Coast CC said the new nursing program is different from other four-year degree offerings available to its students in aquarium science or teaching, which partner with universities and require at least some time spent on their campuses.
The new nursing degree will be offered entirely at OCCC, the college said in a news release, “giving local students an accessible path to a four-year nursing degree close to home.”
The program is tailored to working students, the college said, featuring online and hybrid learning opportunities to fit work schedules. The degree program is expected to take 15 months.
“Essentially all of our students will be working (licensed practical) nurses,” Price said.
The curriculum was developed by Crystal Bowman, OCCC’s dean of Nursing and Allied Health, and faculty from the other community colleges.
“It will be a proud day for OCCC when we award our first Bachelor of Science Nursing degree,” Bowman said, adding that the program will offer a foundation for nurses to enhance their careers and serve the community.
There is a demand for nurses across the state, but especially in rural areas. While the job is demanding, many full-time registered nurses with just a few years of experience are paid in the six figures and surveys show that Oregon nurses are among the highest paid in the nation. Before a union-negotiated pay increase this spring, the base pay scale at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport ranged from $88,800 a year for a full-time nurse with no experience to $135,000 for a nurse with 30 year’s experience.
Most employers today require nurses entering the profession to hold Bachelors degrees. It only makes sense for community colleges that presently offer only Associate degrees to change over to Bachelor degree programs. This curriculum offered by OCCC looks like a top notch program.