Quick Facts

Founded in 1883

The College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina had its origin in 1882 when the City Council of Charleston approved a request by the City Hospital for $2,000 to establish a "Training School for Nurses," The school was opened in 1883 (first students accepted in 1884) and continued operating at the City Hospital until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1886. It was reestablished as "The Charleston Training School" in 1895. A two-year program of instruction was offered, with some lectures given by the Medical College Faculty. In 1904 Roper Hospital took over administration of the program until 1916, when the Board of Commissioners of the Roper Hospital proposed the incorporation of the Training School with the Medical College. In 1919, the Roper Training School for Nurses became the School of Nursing of the Medical College of the State of South Carolina and expanded to a three-year diploma program. In 1966, the School of Nursing began to phase out the three-year program and established a four-year baccalaureate program leading to the B.S. in Nursing. In 1976, the College of Nursing began to offer a Master of Science in Nursing program. The College of Nursing launched a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing in 2001. The College of Nursing also offers a B.S.N. degree program for registered nurses at a satellite site at Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C.