Prospective Students

Urban Health Program

The College of Nursing Urban Health Program (UHP) is committed to the education of underrepresented nursing students as nurses and leaders in society. Groups that are considered underrepresented in nursing are African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans.

The goals of the UHP are to recruit and retain, through graduation, students from groups underrepresented in nursing; to educate the next generation of nursing leaders, from entry level to advanced practice (clinical, teaching, and research); and to facilitate appreciation of cultural diversity in the College of Nursing, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and in society.

The UHP's goals are achieved through recruitment of talented students and facilitation of retention through graduation once students enroll in their nursing program. Once enrolled, a network of College of Nursing faculty and the UHP staff assist students with transitioning to the new role of "nursing student." Each UHP student is assigned an academic advisor and matched with a peer mentor to assist with the transition.

Retention activities are designed to strengthen academic skills and achievement, provide a supportive psychosocial environment, and to increase awareness of the multiple nursing opportunities, and issues and trends in nursing and health care.

Academic support includes counseling, guidance, academic advisement, individual and group tutoring, and connection with university resources, such as Academic Center for Excellence (for individual and group workshops on college survival skills related to time management, stress management, study skills, test taking skills), and the writing lab.

Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of professional socialization activities, such as the Nursing Students Council, the National Student Nurses Association, Graduate Students Organization, the Honor's College, mentored research program, seminars, workshops, and professional nursing related conferences presented throughout the USA. There also are opportunities to conduct research in international countries, and to serve as a student senator on the UIC Senate.

The UHP's mission is to assist underrepresented nursing students achieve their dreams of being nursing leaders and productive citizens in underrepresented and other communities.

For more information, contact the UHP office: 312.996.0810, or e-mail Dawn Carter. You may also contact the University of Illinois at Chicago UHP Management Office.