Graduate students from 14 Western states can now attend University of Colorado Denver College of Nursing (CON) programs they don't have in their states while paying in-state tuition rates.

UC Denver CON recently was approved by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) to offer new programs through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) effective with the 2009-10 academic year. Colorado is one of 15 states that comprise WICHE. 

The school's three approved degree programs for WICHE/WRGP include two master of science program options, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and the Ph.D. program:

• Nursing — Health Care Informatics option — master's degree program
• Nursing — Pediatric Nurse Leadership option — master's degree program  (new)
• Nursing Practice — doctoral degree program  (new)
• Nursing — Ph.D. degree program

"With the approval from WICHE/WRGP, nurses throughout the West will have access to these two new graduate program areas," said Patricia Moritz, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., professor and dean of the College of Nursing. "This will help to enable those living in the Western states to have advanced practice nurses who are specialists in areas such as mental health, children with special needs and clinical doctorate education."

Classes are offered online with some intensive classroom activity for each of the options offered through WRGP.