Post-Master’s Certificate
Penn College offers a post-master’s certificate in nursing education which is designed for nurses that already possess a master’s degree in nursing, but not in nursing education. This 15-credit online option provides advanced practice nurses with the necessary tools to be successful in nursing education by completing courses specific to educational theory and teaching strategies, assessment and evaluation in nursing education, and curriculum development. This certificate culminates with two hands-on practicum courses, at a location of the student’s choosing. The first practicum is focused on didactic education and the second is focused on clinical and simulation-based learning.
Master's Degrees
Penn College offers two Master of Science degrees focused on science- or technical-related disciplines that build on baccalaureate degrees. These one- or two-year degrees require a minimum of 30 credit-hours of coursework at the 500-level or above.
The master’s degree in nursing (MSN), nursing education concentration, is an online, 37-credit program designed to be completed in two years on a part-time basis. The curriculum provides 22 credits of core coursework in theory, research, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and health assessment in addition to 15 credits specific to nursing education. Students finish the program by applying what they learned in two hands-on practicum courses, at a location of their choosing. The first practicum is focused on didactic education and the second is focused on clinical and simulation-based learning.
The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is an in-person, 24-month program divided into a 12-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical phase. In the didactic year, students focus on the provision of medical care across the lifespan for preventive, emergent, acute, chronic, and rehabilitative patient encounters. Even during the didactic phase, students experience hands-on learning by applying newly learned concepts in the simulation laboratories. The program's newly renovated, real-world simulation labs include a mock emergency room, labor and delivery room, surgical suite, inpatient unit, pediatric office, and state-of-the-art cadaver laboratory. The simulation labs are furnished with the latest technology including high-fidelity mannequins and advanced medical equipment similar to what students will see in the clinical setting. The clinical year provides supervised clinical practice experiences in seven core medical specialties (family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, women’s health—including prenatal and gynecological care, and behavioral and mental healthcare), as well as the opportunity to complete an elective rotation of the student’s choosing. Clinical rotations occur in all patient care areas, across rural and urban demographics, both in-state and out-of-state.
Bachelor's Degrees
Penn College offers bachelor’s degrees that may parallel or build upon the two-year majors, or that may stand as their own unique majors. While the associate's degrees primarily emphasize practical applications, the bachelor's curricula complete a larger base of education by adding advanced practical applications and a stronger emphasis on our core education model focusing on the Foundations (communication, collaboration, critical and ethical thinking, quantitative thinking, and technological literacy) and the Perspectives (arts, global and cultural diversity, historical, natural sciences, and social science). A capstone/senior project requires students to synthesize the breadth of knowledge gained from the core education and the discipline-specific content.
The College awards two types of bachelor's degrees:
- The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree requires a minimum of 120 credits or four years and satisfaction of core requirements, special designated courses, and major requirements. These degrees are traditionally focused on science- or technical-related disciplines.
- The Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.) professional degree requires a minimum of 150 credits or five years and satisfaction of core requirements, special designated courses, and major requirements.
Associate's Degrees
Associate's degree majors help students prepare for employment or serve as the basis for additional education. Associate's degree majors require a minimum of 60 credits.
The College awards three types of associate's degrees:
- The Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree (offered in General Studies) is designed to parallel the first two years of a liberal arts education at a four-year college. Credits earned usually can be transferred as the first two years of bachelor-degree study.
- The Associate of Applied Arts (A.A.A.) degree is offered in Advertising Art. This major offers students the opportunity to gain the technical and professional skills needed for employment and to prepare for transfer to a four-year college.
- The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree offers students the opportunity to gain the technical and occupational skills needed for employment. Many four-year colleges accept all or a substantial portion of A.A.S. degree credits toward a bachelor's degree.
Competency Credentials
These offerings provide specialized training programs to respond to needs of individuals, business, and industry. The credential offers formal recognition for competence in an area of specialization. Each credential is equivalent to no more than one semester of full-time college work and requires 9 - 18 credits.
An Individual Competency Credential is developed to meet a student's personal goals. Advisors work with the student to develop a planned sequence of courses.
Standard Competency Credentials listed in this Catalog have been developed to provide training in well-established areas for professional upgrading or retraining.