Nursing Department

Saint Mary's has a long history of preparing nurses for success: 

1977: A cooperative associate degree in nursing program was initiated between Saint Mary's College and Samuel Merritt College of Nursing (now a university). This program operates as a stopgap until a joint Bachelor in Science Nursing (BSN) degree program can be approved and Samuel Merritt accredited by WASC. 

1981: Thanks to a new cooperative endeavor between Saint Mary's and Samuel Merritt called the Intercollegiate Nursing Program, or ICNP, the first students were admitted to the new BSN program. 

1985: The first graduates of ICNP completed their degrees. Students generally completed their first two years of prerequisites and general education at Saint Mary's, often living on campus, and finished their final two years of nursing courses at Samuel Merrit in Oakland. Saint Mary's employed a nursing advisor and shared the dean of nursing position with Samuel Merritt.

2008: The ICNP ended in 2008 and the joint degree program was discontinued. At its height, more than 350 students were enrolled in the ICNP. 

2015: Beginning in 2005 and ending this year, students in Saint Mary's School of Science took part in a 2+2 format with Samuel Merrit, in which they transferred seamlessly to Samuel Merritt for two years of nursing coursework. 

Saint Mary's Department of Nursing is rooted in the Lasallian tradition of delivering a holistic, compassionate education experience. We are devoted to offering high-quality education grounded in professionalism, role clarity, diversity, inclusion, innovation, research, and ethics with a goal of “do no harm" in service to others.