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The University at Albany and Albany Med Health System have teamed up to launch a nursing degree program amid an ongoing shortage of nurses working at hospitals across New York.

The four-year Bachelor of Science degree in nursing program will see students complete classroom and lab work at UAlbany’s main campus, and work clinical rotations alongside practicing nurses at Albany Med Health System facilities throughout the Capital Region, according to a Thursday announcement by both institutions.

“Working with the Albany Med Health System, our students will engage in rigorous clinical training that will ensure they are ready for jobs in a range of specialty areas,” UAlbany Provost Carol Kim said in a statement. “AMHS is the ideal collaborator to make this sort of program possible, offering top-tier, hands-on opportunities for our students, while bolstering the local health care workforce.”

UAlbany students will be able to enroll in the program during the upcoming spring semester, while external candidates can apply to enroll for the fall 2026 semester by March 1.

Students in the program will be able to learn alongside nurses and other interdisciplinary health care teams beginning their first semester, marking the earlier clinical exposure offered by any nursing program in the state, according to the announcement.

It is the first Bachelor of Science in nursing program offered at a public university in the Capital Region. Similar programs are offered at Bryant & Stratton College and Maria College in Albany.

“This partnership embodies the Albany Med Health System’s and University at Albany’s shared commitment to our communities and to the betterment of health care for all,” said Dr. Jason Mouzakes, executive vice president and hospital general director at Albany Medical Center. “We are extraordinarily grateful for this opportunity to enhance our nursing pipeline while opening doors for people in our community who want to make a very tangible difference in the lives of others.”

The announcement comes as hospitals throughout the region continue to grapple with a nursing shortage.

Albany Med, earlier this year, was fined $375,000 by the state’s Department of Health to settle hundreds of violations pertaining to the state’s minimum staffing law, marking the largest fine the state has handed down for such violations.

A 2024 survey of the hospital by the state found 500 violations of the 2022 state law that set minimum staffing levels for all medical settings across the state. As part of the agreement, the fine would be reduced $125,000 once the hospital implements a corrective plan.

Locally, staffing has been a key issue during contract negotiations for hospitals throughout the region, including Ellis Hospital in Schenectady and Nathan Littauer in Gloversville.

In recent years, hospitals have been partnering with local colleges to offer degree programs that aim to create a pipeline for new nurses.

Albany Med partnered with

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