About the Connell School
At the Connell School of Nursing, we know that nurses are more than caregivers, they are also educators, practitioners, scientists, and leaders. We prepare students to be all of these things, so they can achieve their personal and professional goals while improving health care locally and globally.
Connell School of Nursing Facts & Figures
#1
Top-ranked master's nursing program in Massachusetts
2024 U.S. News & World Report
85+
Clinical partners in the Greater Boston area
34%
Undergraduate students who study abroad
Mission & Strategic Aims
The mission of the Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing is to prepare compassionate, professionally competent nurses whose practice and scholarship are scientifically based and grounded in humanizing the experience of health and illness. In keeping with the University's Jesuit, Catholic ideals, we focus on formation of the whole person and promotion of social justice. The William F. Connell School of Nursing educates students as reflective lifelong learners who use knowledge in service to others. The faculty develops and disseminates knowledge for the advancement of professional nursing practice and the improvement of health and health care for a diverse and global society.
Nursing is the art and science of human caring. The recipients of nursing care are individuals, families, communities, and populations who are sick and well; culturally and linguistically diverse; within all socioeconomic strata; and at all stages in the life cycle. The study of nursing is based on a common intellectual heritage transmitted by a liberal education and the art and science of nursing.
Nursing focuses on the life processes and patterns of the individual in the context of the family and the community and also the health needs of the population. Nursing recognizes the contribution of cultural diversity and social environments to the health/illness beliefs, practices, and behavioral responses of individuals and groups.Nursing education prepares students for the appropriate level of knowledge and skills by building on the liberal arts and sciences. Nursing curricula are logically ordered to provide core knowledge and the application of that knowledge. The preparation for nursing care requires a holistic approach in education, and education is most effective when it involves active participation by the learner. Students are supported in developing clinical skills and the ability to think and act ethically. Students are active participants in shaping the learning environment within the Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing.
The Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing instills the values of service to others, truth through scholarly inquiry, and justice through promoting equal access to care for all people. Service, scholarship, and justice in caring include all people in the global community, particularly the underserved. The faculty believe that promoting the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of health are essential to understanding the human dimension of holistic nursing care. Nurses engage in partnerships with individuals and groups to promote and optimize wellness. The nurse respects the uniqueness of the person and the individual's right to choose and actively participate in decisions about health care. Nursing promotes self-determination by empowering clients and advocating for those who cannot do so independently.
1. Educate the whole person.
2. Develop and disseminate research.
3. Foster clinical partnerships.
4. Promote public health.
5. Cultivate a joyful, diverse, and inclusive community.
“The constant hum of innovation and activity makes CSON unique. It's what defines us as a community—our feet grounded in Jesuit traditions and our minds focused on changing the world.”
Explore the Connell School
Academic Programs
We offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, along with continuing education opportunities for nursing professionals.
Clinical Placements
Our students hone their clinical skills through placements with our more than 85 clinical health care partners in the Greater Boston area.
Our Community
By fostering a culture of support and excellence, we position our students to be leaders on campus, in our local communities, and abroad.
CSON at 75
The School of Nursing opened in 1947 with 35 registered nurses enrolled in a B.S. program. Seventy-five years later, CSON is the top-rated nursing school in the state with 750 undergraduate and graduate students and an alumni community of more than 10,000.
A Look Inside the Life of a BC Nurse
The Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory is a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space with 12 hospital beds, low-fidelity manikins, and task-training models.
Students practice on each other in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space.
Students and faculty work through a simulation of providing end-of-life care.
Students walk across Middle Campus at sunset with Gasson Hall in the background.
Maloney Hall, home to the Connell School, features state-of-the-art facilities, including the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, the Simulation Lab, four examination rooms, and the Student Learning Commons.
Our state-of-the-art simulation labs provide students the opportunity to practice in a risk-free environment and build their confidence.
Students taking a global health class in one of the University's many lecture halls.
A class in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory.
A BC nurse engages with a young patient in Nicaragua while participating in one of CSON's seven international programs.
Bapst Library has been nationally recognized as one of the most beautiful libraries in higher education.
A pediatric nurse practitioner student examines a young patient during her clinical placement.
CSON's Simulation Laboratories include two control booths and viewing rooms to help prepare students for what they can expect during their clinical rounds and throughout their careers.
CSON offers seven international programs to help its students better understand global issues and the diversity of health care needs. (A BC graduate student examines a child in Nicaragua.)
These stained glass panels were transported from CSON's old home in Cushing Hall and reinstalled in Maloney Hall.
The Pinning Ceremony (pictured here in 1965) has been an important tradition at the School of Nursing since its founding in 1947.
The Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory is a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space with 12 hospital beds, low-fidelity manikins, and task-training models.
Students practice on each other in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space.
Students and faculty work through a simulation of providing end-of-life care.
Students walk across Middle Campus at sunset with Gasson Hall in the background.
Maloney Hall, home to the Connell School, features state-of-the-art facilities, including the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, the Simulation Lab, four examination rooms, and the Student Learning Commons.
Our state-of-the-art simulation labs provide students the opportunity to practice in a risk-free environment and build their confidence.
Students taking a global health class in one of the University's many lecture halls.
A class in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory.
A BC nurse engages with a young patient in Nicaragua while participating in one of CSON's seven international programs.
Bapst Library has been nationally recognized as one of the most beautiful libraries in higher education.
A pediatric nurse practitioner student examines a young patient during her clinical placement.
CSON's Simulation Laboratories include two control booths and viewing rooms to help prepare students for what they can expect during their clinical rounds and throughout their careers.
CSON offers seven international programs to help its students better understand global issues and the diversity of health care needs. (A BC graduate student examines a child in Nicaragua.)
These stained glass panels were transported from CSON's old home in Cushing Hall and reinstalled in Maloney Hall.
The Pinning Ceremony (pictured here in 1965) has been an important tradition at the School of Nursing since its founding in 1947.
The Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory is a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space with 12 hospital beds, low-fidelity manikins, and task-training models.
Students practice on each other in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, a 2,000-square-foot work and learning space.
Students and faculty work through a simulation of providing end-of-life care.
Students walk across Middle Campus at sunset with Gasson Hall in the background.
Maloney Hall, home to the Connell School, features state-of-the-art facilities, including the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory, the Simulation Lab, four examination rooms, and the Student Learning Commons.
Our state-of-the-art simulation labs provide students the opportunity to practice in a risk-free environment and build their confidence.
Students taking a global health class in one of the University's many lecture halls.
A class in the Brown Family Clinical Learning Laboratory.
A BC nurse engages with a young patient in Nicaragua while participating in one of CSON's seven international programs.
Bapst Library has been nationally recognized as one of the most beautiful libraries in higher education.
A pediatric nurse practitioner student examines a young patient during her clinical placement.
CSON's Simulation Laboratories include two control booths and viewing rooms to help prepare students for what they can expect during their clinical rounds and throughout their careers.
CSON offers seven international programs to help its students better understand global issues and the diversity of health care needs. (A BC graduate student examines a child in Nicaragua.)
These stained glass panels were transported from CSON's old home in Cushing Hall and reinstalled in Maloney Hall.
The Pinning Ceremony (pictured here in 1965) has been an important tradition at the School of Nursing since its founding in 1947.
The BC Nurse: First Steps
Follow our nurses as they make their way through campus to Maloney Hall, and learn how a degree in nursing can lead to an extraordinary journey.