Lewis-Clark State College will begin offering a Master of Science degree in nursing, the school announced Monday.

The online graduate program is the first full master’s degree in the college’s 131-year history.

LCSC received approval from its accrediting body, the Northwest Commission on College and Universities, in June after getting approval from the Idaho State Board of Education in February. The master’s was also able to be offered at LCSC because of an amendment to Idaho code that allowed LCSC to offer graduate-level courses. The bill was sponsored by Dan Johnson, a former senator and current Lewiston mayor, and former Rep. Paul Amador. It was led by LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton and signed by Gov. Brad Little, according to a news release from LCSC.

“It is a proud day in the history of Lewis-Clark State College,” Pemberton said in the news release. “As it has always done, LC State continues to thoughtfully, collaboratively and purposefully evolve and expand to meet the greatest needs in Idaho, especially in north Idaho. This master’s degree is the perfect addition to our broad and vital menu of existing healthcare education programs.”

The program will include coursework in leadership, management and business processes as well as the required 500-hour practicum experience to complete a national certification exam following the American Association of Colleges and Nursing Essentials. The program will be offered online and those who graduate from LCSC with a certificate in nursing management and leadership can transition into the degree. Nurses with an associate degree can complete bridge coursework to enter the master’s program, according to the news release.

There are no master’s degrees focused on nursing leadership offered at Idaho public institutions, and by offering the degree, LCSC will fill a need expressed by local and regional partners for more leaders and managers, according to the news release.

“LC State is excited about the approval of this new graduate degree in nursing,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Fred Chilson said in the news release. “A number of hours were spent collaborating with our sister institutions to ensure we were not duplicating efforts, but addressing healthcare shortages in different areas.”

He stated that LCSC is committed to helping with Idaho’s health care challenges, including reduced costs and improving health care infrastructure.

“This degree investment is not only beneficial for individual nurses but also for the entire community, ensuring that all Idahoans have access to high-quality healthcare services,” Chilson said in the news release.

In 2023, LCSC was ranked as the top nursing school in Idaho by nurse.org. Its licensed practical nurse and Bachelor of Science in nursing programs were ranked fifth in the nation by BestAccreditedCollege.org.

“LC State has a long history of preparing excellent nurses,” said Krista Harwick, associate dean of the School of Professional Studies in the news release. “As healthcare evolves, nurses are integral to contributing to evidence-based practice, and leading in development of new delivery care models. We are proud to have worked with our healthcare industry partners to develop graduate level coursework that provides a strong foundation for nurse leaders who will contribute to health system changes.”

Harwick also oversees LCSC’s Healthcare Education Center, which offers programs in the medical and healthcare fields such as medical assistant, radiographic science, administration, management, kinesiology and sports nutrition.