College of Charleston, MUSC Launch Joint Nursing Degree
A four-year nursing program will begin in fall 2027 to address South Carolina's nursing shortage.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
Live Poll
Do you think South Carolina is doing enough to train more nurses?
The College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina have launched a four-year joint nursing degree program. Its first class is set to begin in fall 2027.
Why it matters
South Carolina had nearly 12,000 fewer nurses than needed as of December 2025, according to the state's health resources agency. MUSC's dean said increasing enrollment is key to closing that gap.
The program runs four years, with students spending all four years on the College of Charleston campus. The first two years cover general education and basic science, while years three and four include upper-division nursing coursework taught by MUSC faculty plus simulation and clinical experiences.
The players
College of Charleston
A public liberal arts university in Charleston, South Carolina, founded in 1770 and one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States.
Medical University of South Carolina
The state's only academic health sciences center, based in Charleston, which trains physicians, nurses and other health professionals and operates a major hospital system.
The details
The two universities are developing the curriculum together and plan to renovate College of Charleston space for the program. Graduates will receive a diploma bearing the seals of both institutions. The program is intended for traditional first-time college students entering directly from high school, with applications open through a January 15 deadline.
Timeline
December 2025: The health resources agency estimated South Carolina's nurse shortage at nearly 12,000.
January 15: Application deadline for the joint nursing program.
Fall 2027: The first class is expected to begin.
Industry Context
The partnership uses a model in which a general university handles early coursework while a medical university supplies upper-division clinical instruction, a division of labor MUSC's dean described as necessary because MUSC cannot teach humanities and electives on its own. The approach ties enrollment growth directly to the state's nursing workforce gap.
Students in Charleston and across South Carolina now have a four-year route into nursing that begins on a College of Charleston campus. Prospective students from high school should note the January 15 application deadline for the program.
The takeaway
Prospective nursing students in South Carolina can apply to the joint program by its January 15 deadline ahead of the fall 2027 start. Expanding enrollment is the main lever the partners see for narrowing the state's nursing gap.
What happens next
The first class of the joint nursing degree program is expected to begin in fall 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Nursing Jobs for context on career paths in health care.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Live5news.
Live Poll
Do you think South Carolina is doing enough to train more nurses?
