Explore the 3+1 Nursing Dual Degree program
This collaborative dual degree program allows you to earn two bachelor's degrees. You’ll spend three years at Wayne State College to earn a B.S. in Health Sciences, followed by one year at Creighton’s 12-month Accelerated BSN program on campus in Omaha or Phoenix, beginning in either January or August.
Eligibility for the 3+1 Nursing (ABSN) Pathway:
You can apply for the 3+1 program through Wayne State College. Then, during your junior year, you will apply to Creighton’s Accelerated BSN program.
Progression requirements to continue your BSN at Creighton:
The following requirements must be met while enrolled at Wayne State for admission into the Creighton University College of Nursing program. The student must:
- Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Complete 33–34 semester hours of prerequisite courses
- Carry a grade of “C” (2.0) or above in the prerequisite courses to be accepted to Creighton
About Creighton's Nursing Program Accelerated Nursing Curriculum
Fast facts
Degrees offered:
- B.S. in Chemistry/Health Sciences from Wayne State College
- Accelerated B.S. in Nursing (ABSN) from Creighton University
School: Science, Health, and Criminal Justice
Department: Life Sciences
Ready to change lives
Nationally top-ranked Creighton University prepares students for success in careers in Nebraska, across the region and the world through a Jesuit, Catholic education.
From service-based learning to opportunities in research and internships to the support of a close-knit community, Creighton students are well-prepared to make a difference.
- #51 (top 8%) best undergraduate nursing program in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report
- 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate average over the past 5 years
- 100% of recent graduates are fully employed or enrolled in a graduate/profession school (based on a 73% knowledge rate)
- Nursing graduates are working in 22 states across the country.
Omaha, Nebraska
Creighton been training nurses for nearly 60 years at their Omaha campus, and today nursing students learn in the newly built CL and Rachel Werner Center for Health Sciences Education. With strong and established community connections, students have access to learning experiences in multiple specialties at clinical sites. Sites include CHI Health, Methodist Health System, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha VA Medical Center, and other community-based locations.
Phoenix, Arizona
In Phoenix, students begin their training at Creighton's state-of-the-art, interprofessional health sciences campus in the Phoenix Medical Quarter. The Phoenix program is helping to meet the critical need for nurses in the region. Clinical experiences occur in Dignity Health, Valleywise Health, Destiny Springs Healthcare, Aurora Behavioral Health, Children’s Rehabilitative Services and other clinical and community partners.
One of the Jesuit values at the foundation of a Creighton University education is cura personalis, or “care of the person.” Here, caring is a career, and through Creighton College of Nursing education, you'll enter the world with the diverse skills needed to become a life-changing professional.
Recent graduates are working in specialties such as:
- Clinical Research
- Critical Care
- Emergency Care
- Heart and Vascular
- Labor and Delivery
- Medical/Surgical
- Neonatal ICU
- Neurology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Oncology
- Operating Room
- Pediatrics
- Population Health
- Progressive Care Unit
- Psychology
2025-26 Estimated Annual Cost of Attendance
cost per credit hour
Tuition: $6,057
Fees: $2,351
Food plan: $4,830
Housing: $4,870
Most Affordable College in Nebraska
- College Affordability Guide, 2024
Wayne State is considered the most affordable four-year college or university in Nebraska. With same rates for in- and out-of-state students, our tuition guarantee, and our generous scholarship packages, it is clear to see how WSC earned the title. In fact, the average remaining annual cost of attendance for 2024-25 is $2,268 for undergraduate students after financial aid and scholarships.
Department faculty

Douglas Christensen, Ph.D.
Professor
Dr. Doug Christensen is a biology professor at Wayne State College. His teaching interests include utilization of molecular biology in a broad range of sciences (including medical, environmental, and industrial fields); teaching about battles between the immune system and the evolving world of bacteria and viruses; microbiology; molecular genetics; and immunology.

Buffany DeBoer, MSE
Instructor
Buffany DeBoer is a biology instructor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests are general education biology and environmental science.

Mark Hammer, Ph.D.
Professor
Dr. Mark Hammer is a biology professor at Wayne State College. He advises students who are interested in a career as a conservation biologist, physician assistant (including RHOP pre-PA), or occupational therapist. He is also the director of the A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum.

Michael Mutehart, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Michael Mutehart is a life sciences professor at Wayne State College. Mutehart has a strong background in clinical anatomy education. His teaching responsibilities are mainly in the field of human gross anatomy and its related counterparts (histology, comparative anatomy, etc.).

Shawn Pearcy, Ph.D.
Professor
Dr. Shawn Pearcy is a biology professor at Wayne State College. His teaching interests are biology, human physiology, vertebrate embryology, and physiological ecology.

Danielle Peekenschneider, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Danielle Peekenschneider is a biology professor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests include general education biology, oncology, and immunology.

Jillian Wormington, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Jillian Wormington is a biology professor at Wayne State College and the zoological curator of the A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum.
Get in touch
Department of Life Sciences
Carhart Science Building, Room 106
Phone: 402-375-7329
Student clubs for pre-professional health majors
Biology Club - For students interested in biological sciences
Exercise is Medicine - Works toward improving the health and well-being of the campus community
Health Science Club - For students pursuing careers in health-related fields
Physician Assistant Club - For students in the PA program or interested in healthcare

Awards and Rankings
Recognized for excellence
Best Colleges for Health Sciences in Nebraska
CampusReel recognized Wayne State as one of the Best Colleges in Nebraska for Health Sciences based on alumni salaries after graduation, student loan debt, and other metrics.

A Best College of Distinction
Wayne State was recognized as a Best College of Distinction for our excellence in student engagement, teaching, community, and successful graduate outcomes.

A Top Public College in the Midwest
WSC was identified as one of the top public universities in the Midwest for 2025 by U.S. News & World’s Best Colleges ranking report.

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