The University of Memphis, with its annual enrollment of 21,000, is the largest of Tennessee's three major universities. The university's Loewenberg School of Nursing offers several degree options for budding nurses. A bachelor of science in nursing degree may be taken as a stand-alone program, as an accelerated program for those who hold a different bachelor's degree, or as an upgrade for registered nurses. The school also grants master's degrees in several specializations.
The Baptist College of Health Sciences is affiliated with the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, replacing the on-site nurse training program that dated to 1912. The school now offers a full range of allied health programs in addition to its nursing degrees. The College of Health Sciences offers three paths to a bachelor's degree in nursing. Students may opt for a traditional four-year day program, a four-year evening and weekend program for working students or an accelerated RN-to-BSN program for registered nurses wishing to upgrade their education.
The Tennessee Technology Center at Memphis is one of 26 administered statewide by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The schools are vocational in their nature, focused on imparting directly job-related skills. Nursing at TTC in Memphis consists of a one-year vocational certificate program in practical nursing. Graduates must then pass the appropriate examinations to be certified as a licensed practical nurse.
Southwest Tennessee Community College offers a wide range of associate degree programs in the arts and sciences, as well as a number of vocational certificates. The nursing program at STCC awards an associate science degree, which is suitable for a career as a registered nurse. The program may be taken as a traditional two-year associate degree, or as an accelerated degree for currently licensed LPNs wishing to upgrade their education.