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Associate Dean’s Message

Welcome to TCU Nursing!

Enabled by a trust fund established by late Dr. Charles Houston Harris, what is now TCU Nursing was organized as an academic unit of TCU in 1946 and became the first baccalaureate nursing program in Texas. Over the last  76 years, our graduate and undergraduate programs in nursing have produced professionals who are highly sought after in the healthcare marketplace, both regionally and nationally.  We are a dynamic department of faculty and staff that offer students clinical and simulation experiences in a wide variety of practice settings as we seek to fulfill the aims set by the Institute of Medicine Report (2010), The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the National Academy of Medicine (2021), The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. 

As a proud TCU Nursing alumna, I welcome you to TCU Nursing and encourage you to visit our offices anytime. Explore our web pages to see for yourself the exciting opportunities we offer for graduate and undergraduate studies.

Suzy Lockwood PhD, MSN, RN, OCN, FAAN
Associate Dean for Nursing & Nurse Anesthesia
Professor, Nursing

Academic Strengths

  • Our low student-to-faculty ratios ensure individual attention, close supervision, academic innovation, and excellence
  • In addition to our traditional five semester degree program, there is an accelerated 19-month degree plan (summer-fall-spring-summer-fall) for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field
  • Interprofessional education opportunities are offered in collaboration with a major health sciences center each semester
  • Active student organizations, including the National Student Nursing Association, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority, and Sigma Theta Tau, Beta Alpha Chapter
  • A strong partnership with the Army and Air Force ROTC programs that has been in place for 50+ years
  • First-time NCLEX pass rate consistently higher than the state and national averages, with more than 90% of our students employed at graduation
  • Study abroad opportunities for students at all levels – current courses offer experiences in Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
  • Students have opportunities to work closely with faculty who are scholars, teachers, practitioners, and leaders in their professions
  • More than 15,000 square feet of state-of-the-art simulation and practice lab space with equipment offering students learning opportunities for clinical reasoning and decision-making
  • All graduate nursing coursework is delivered through an interactive online platform by faculty that have specialized training to teach online
  • Graduate nursing offers seamless transition from BSN to DNP in multiple APRN specialties
  • On-campus intensives are integrated into the DNP program curriculum for skills development
  • Strong academic practice partnerships benefit graduate nursing students providing opportunities in rural health and underserved clinics