ince arriving on campus last spring, Dr. Cooper has increased admissions and completed the final steps for full program certification from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, Oct. 9, 2025—For Rebecca Cooper, DNP, Centenary University’s Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program represents extraordinary opportunities—for her students and for her own career. Named director of the RN to BSN last spring, she arrived on campus when the program was midway through an accreditation process with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). She hit the ground running. 

In her first few months on campus, Dr. Cooper filed a required accreditation self-study report and prepared for a site visit on Oct. 1, while simultaneously recruiting new students for the fall semester. Both efforts were successful: The program enrolled 12 new students this fall—its largest cohort to date—and the CCNE site visit was successful. Full program accreditation is now pending final review from the CCNE Accreditation Reviewer Committee in spring 2026. 

            “It’s definitely been busy,” said Dr. Cooper, who relocated her family from Arizona last March to accept the position at Centenary. “It typically takes six to 12 months to complete a self-study, but I submitted it in August. I’ve also been attending nursing career fairs at Atlantic Health System hospitals to introduce the RN to BSN to potential students. Now that accreditation is almost finished, I plan to visit other health systems and community colleges to continue growing enrollment.”

Developed in collaboration with Atlantic Health System, the RN to BSN degree creates an academic pathway for registered nurses to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, providing opportunities for nurses to advance to healthcare leadership positions requiring a BSN, as well as branch out into public health and school nursing careers. The program can be completed in five semesters and is structured in a cohort model to ensure that working professionals build a sustainable network as they pursue their BSN. Taking into consideration the time constraints of adult students, classes are fully asynchronous and many working nurses can complete the majority of the practicum experience at their place of employment. In addition to employer-sponsored tuition assistance, Centenary nursing students can receive financial support through the Reeves Scholarship Program, which provides up to $3,000 toward tuition for RNs who work at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ.

A native of Vernon, NJ, Dr. Cooper was inspired by her mother—an emergency trauma nurse—to study nursing. After working for several health systems in New Jersey, she relocated to Arizona in 2019, serving as a travel and hospital staff nurse before joining the faculties of Chamberlain University College of Nursing and the Arizona College of Nursing, where she advanced to assistant dean of nursing. A graduate of the Hackensack UMC Mountainside School of Nursing and Chamberlain University, Dr. Cooper earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Capella University.

Now, she looks forward to growing the RN to BSN program at Centenary University: “Coming back home to my New Jersey roots is what initially drew me to Centenary. When the program receives accreditation—which is expected next spring—that will be my greatest career accomplishment.”

Applicants to the RN to BSN program at Centenary University must be registered nurses who have a full and unrestricted license. Community college students who will soon complete their nursing coursework are also eligible to apply. For more information about the RN to BSN, or to start an application for the fall 2026 cohort, click here or contact Rebecca Cooper, DNP,  at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2409.

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY                                 

Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Ph.D. in Happiness Studies and first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.