CANTON, N.Y. (WWTI) – North Country nurses now have a new path to earn their advanced degrees through a partnership between SUNY Canton and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Representatives from both colleges recently signed a memorandum of understanding allowing Upstate Medical to offer their Doctor of Nursing Practice degree remotely through Canton’s Margaret Sovie School of Nursing.

SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran said the new arrangement will present more opportunities for area nurses to advance their careers.

We created this partnership to help address the critical shortage of highly trained and expert nurses in our immediate area,

SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran

Upstate Medical’s degree is for nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and others who play a pivotal role in the future of health care. It prepares for future leadership, health policy and advocacy roles, emphasizing inter-professional practice and information technology.

SUNY Canton will offer learning and teaching space for students in Upstate Medical’s DNP program locally. Previously, students would have to travel or commute to Syracuse to participate in the program.

Upstate Medical will rely on SUNY Canton’s distance and online learning strengths to provide valuable classes. The college has offered remote synchronous and asynchronous learning for nearly three decades. Students enrolled in the program will have access to SUNY Canton’s wireless internet, classroom, library, and lab resources.