Student enrollment at UNMC reached an all-time high for the second straight year, as 3,067 students are enrolled this fall, a 2.2 percent increase over last year’s total of 3,002.
Rubens Pamies, M.D, UNMC vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies, said several factors contributed to the increase in enrollment.
“Success in student recruitment and the growth of our research enterprise is one of the biggest reasons,” Dr. Pamies said. “As we continue to enhance our exceptional national and international reputation in education and research programs, we are able to bring in more faculty with even greater scientific accomplishments, which is attractive to students and makes recruiting easier. It’s all part of the chancellor’s strategy to build a world-class health science center.”
Dr. Pamies said new facilities also attracts students. “They see our facilities with the most updated equipment. Due to the support from the community, we’ve been able to build the best facilities around. Who wouldn’t want to work in the best facilities?”
Graduate College
The Graduate College saw the biggest enrollment increase over last year. Currently 152 students are enrolled in the master’s and doctorate degree programs through the college. The enrollment number of 590 surpasses last year’s figure of 538. The entering class consists of 76 percent women.
The largest increase in enrollment was due to admissions in graduate nursing programs — an increase over last year of 49 students. The college offers 11 master’s degrees and 10 doctoral degrees in programs such as nursing, cancer research, public health, genetics, cell biology and anatomy, and pathology and microbiology.
“Our innovative educational programs in our colleges, such as our nursing programs, continue to climb in the national rankings,” Dr. Pamies said.
Virginia Tilden, Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said one of the reasons for the increase in graduate nursing program applicants is that more Nebraska nurses want to become advance practice nurses (nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists), as well as faculty in schools of nursing. “This rise in admissions is due to the increased visibility of advanced practice nursing and the role of faculty as a rewarding career path,” she said.
College of Nursing
Admission to the college is highly competitive with 747 applicants for 328 slots this year across the college’s four divisions in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, and Scottsbluff – an admission rate of 44 percent of qualified applicants. The incoming students’ GPA is 3.48. The new Accelerated Baccalaureate in Nursing program is in demand, and is offered in Omaha and Lincoln. In January, the first class of Accelerated BSN students will begin in Scottsbluff, a program which is jointly supported by the university and by Regional West Medical Center. There are a total of 714 students enrolled this fall.
College of Medicine
The College of Medicine had nearly 1,225 applicants for its 123-member entering class, the highest number of applications since 1996. The incoming GPA of the incoming students is 3.71, which is the fourth highest GPA among the college’s incoming classes in the past decade. There are a total of 482 students enrolled.
School of Allied Health Professions
This year, there were 689 applicants in 10 programs, which represents nearly 14 percent increase over last year, with the number of applicants exceeding those from last year in eight of 10 programs. There are 165 new students this year. The average GPA of the entering students in five of 10 programs was 3.7 or above. There are a total of 352 students enrolled.
College of Pharmacy
There were 257 applicants to the college this year, with 66 students being accepted into the doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program. Among the new students, 89 percent (59 students) are Nebraska residents, 71 percent (41 students) are female and nine are minority students, including one from Dillard University. Overall, there are three Dillard students enrolled in the College of Pharmacy. The average cumulative GPA of the incoming class is 3.71. There are a total of 258 students enrolled in the college.
College of Dentistry
Forty-seven first-year students entered the doctor of dental science (D.D.S.) degree program. The class consists of 53 percent women — the first class in the history of the college in which women have outnumbered men. The entering students have a grade point average of 3.78. A record number of 1,044 students applied to the dental program, an increase of more than 42 percent from last year. Twenty-four students are entering the college’s dental hygiene program. Four of the hygiene students are at the Panhandle Health Center near Scottsbluff. There are a total of 268 students enrolled in the college.