Across North Carolina, workforce projections continue to highlight the growing demand for nurses and the need for innovative pathways that help more learners enter the profession. Accelerated bachelor’s nursing programs across the Charlotte region are emerging as an important strategy for strengthening the healthcare workforce while creating new entry points for adult learners and career-changers.

In Fall 2025, UNC Charlotte welcomed its first accelerated nursing cohort, launching the region’s only public accelerated BSN pathway. Supported by a $2.4 million investment from the N.C. General Assembly, the university expanded faculty capacity and learning space to help second-degree students move quickly into nursing coursework and clinical training while maintaining academic rigor.

UNC Charlotte’s initiative is part of a broader regional landscape that includes accelerated programs offered by Cabarrus College, Gardner-Webb University, Johnson & Wales University, and Northeastern University. These programs typically follow full-time, sequential semester structures lasting approximately 16–18 months and combine classroom learning, simulation labs, and clinical experiences designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-RN.

For the South Piedmont Regional Workforce in Motion Collaborative, the growth of accelerated programs reflects a broader shift toward flexible, responsive education models that meet workforce needs. As our region continues working together to strengthen recruitment, retention, and long-term pipeline development, UNC Charlotte’s accelerated program serves as a valuable example of how targeted investment and cross-sector collaboration can help move solutions upstream building a workforce that is not only larger, but more resilient and rooted in our communities.