Drury, Cox College sign dual-degree agreement

Drury University and Cox College announced a dual-degree agreement Friday that will allow students to get a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the same time.

The program can be completed in four or five years, depending on the number of summer courses a student takes, according to a news release. Program participants will remain Drury students regardless of where they are taking courses, meaning they can continue to live in campus housing and participate in student activities.

CoxHealth also guarantees employment interviews to qualified graduates for posted positions at the health system, and students can apply for up to $10,000 of student-loan forgiveness over their first two years of employment with Cox.

"Students will earn two degrees while Drury and Cox College collaborate to provide an outstanding education," said Charles Taylor, Drury vice president of academic affairs, in the release. "In addition, society benefits as Drury and Cox College educate workers for a profession that will profoundly influence the nation's future."

Program participants will be in high demand, according to the release; the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center estimates that 1,600 new registered nurses will be needed annually in Missouri between now and 2016.