Nursing Pathways Program

Students gain early access to internships, faculty advising, and mentoring from top-tier nursing staff throughout this program. This access not only sets students up for success academically but also gives students an in-depth look at the vast opportunities for nurses. Students will leave with a better understanding of where their passions and talents lie in the greater healthcare field.

Students will be prepared for future success in the rapidly evolving field of healthcare and will be equipped with the foundation of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum and interprofessional acumen. The innovative Health Professions Program consists of a core of health-related courses and opportunities including early access to faculty and programs at RFU.  Through this program, students will also gain the critical skills needed to be a well-rounded nurse including how to communicate clearly and effectively, navigate an increasingly global society, and tackle complex problem-solving situations. 

Students receive top-tier academic support through a half-credit course on nursing professional development. They will also have access to supplemental instruction for all nursing courses, study tables with their peers, and additional support from our science-based academic support specialist. 

Each pathway is designed for students entering Lake Forest who have a specific academic timeline in mind. Our accelerated 3+2 option gives you a year of tuition savings. Pathway advising will start before you set foot on campus and will focus on ensuring all prerequisites are aligned over the course of your time at Lake Forest for a seamless transition to Rosalind Franklin. The 2+2+2 program is for those students planning to attend the College of Lake County for their first two years. 

• The 3+2 and 4+2 Pathway agreements, prerequisites, and proposed course schedules can be found here. 
• The 2+2+2 Pathway agreement, prerequisites, and proposed course schedules can be found here. 

The 4+2 pathway gives students the flexibility to explore various academic areas at Lake Forest and then declare their major by their second year. Students will then transition to DePaul University to complete their Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice.

Prerequisites can be found here.

This 4+2 pathway allows students to enter Rush’s Clinical Nurse Leader program and is designed for Generalist Entry Master’s (GEM) students who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, and want to pursue a career in nursing. Prerequisites can be found here.