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FPB Fast Facts

Changing lives through leadership, research, and service

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (FPB) at Case Western Reserve University is a globally-recognized leader in nursing education and research. As such, we believe in producing confident, dynamic healthcare professionals and are committed to the success of our students.

Check out the following facts about FPB and contact us for more information on joining our community of leaders and scholars. Together, we can work to improve health care for all.

To learn more, contact our Office of Student Services and Financial Aid today at 216.368.2529 or admissionsfpb@case.edu.

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Focus on leadership.

FPB prepares nurses to be leaders who can make a difference whether they are working with underserved populations, developing new knowledge through research, influencing public policy, teaching, or making critical decisions that can save lives of patients of all ages. Our creative approaches to learning and high academic standards provide the tools to make your goals a reality.


Proud history.

BoltonFPB was endowed in 1923 and is named after Frances Payne Bolton (1885-1977), the first woman to be elected from Ohio to Congress and the first congresswoman to representthe United States in the United Nations General Assembly. She also sponsored the Bolton Act of 1943, which created the U.S. Nursing Cadet Corps.


Home to many firsts.


Top-ranked, well-regarded.

RankingsFPB consistently ranks among the top nursing programs in the country (#15 for our graduate programs, according to 2011 rankings in U.S. News & World Report). Our commitment to excellence in research and scholarship, small class sizes, distinguished faculty, global initiatives, and other academic innovations poise FPB as a leading institution of nursing education for students at all levels of study.

Other national rankings for FPB from U.S. News & World Report include:

  • Nurse anesthesia: #7 and #11
  • Nurse midwifery: #17
  • Gerontology nurse practitioner: #5


Leading research.

Collaboration among faculty, students, clinical agencies, and communities supports innovative, outcome-based research and the advancement of knowledge. Areas of research and training include cardiopulmonary, gerontology, health services, maternal-child, mental health, and oncology/genetics.


Location, location, location.

FPB is located in University Circle, a 550-acre cultural and scientific mecca on the eastern edge of Cleveland, Ohio. Our students have ready access to premier healthcare organizations, including:
  • University Hospitals Case Medical Center: Among the nation's leading academic hospitals, forming the largest biomedical research center in Ohio and one of the top 20 in the country
  • Cleveland Clinic: The second largest medical group practice in the world and the largest hospital in Ohio; one of 10 U.S. hospitals designated "The Best of the Best" by U.S. News & World Report
  • Louis Stokes VA Medical Center: Recognized for more programs of clinical excellence than any other VA medical center in the United States
  • MetroHealth Medical Center: A regional referral hospital that is one of only 19 Level 1 trauma centers with a burn unit and a rehabilitation facility specializing in spinal cord injuries


Vast clinical experience.

clinicalsFPB students graduate with the advantage of experience. BSN students begin their clinicals their third week on campus and clock nearly double the national average of clinical hours during their time at FPB. Both our undergraduate and graduate students fulfill their clinical duties at local world-class hospitals or at one of Northeast Ohio's hundreds of nonprofit agencies.


Innovative academic programs.

FPB has a range of programs for undergraduates to post-doctoral students and everyone in between. Whether you are an undergraduate with an interest in health care, a seasoned nursing professional ready for advancement, or someone looking to transition to a new career, FPB has an academic program to help you fulfill your educational and professional goals.

BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: Undergraduate students (first-year or transfer).
  • CAREER PATH: Careers in healthcare systems, nonprofit agencies, and other organizations.
  • NOTES: Offers students nearly double the national average of clinical hours, research opportunities, and service learning at home and abroad. Students admitted directly into the nursing program; nursing courses and clinicals begin in the first semester. Renewable partial-tuition scholarship awarded to first-year BSN students.

Graduate Entry (Master of Nursing - MN)

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: Individuals with a non-nursing bachelor's degrees looking to transition to careers in advanced nursing practice and/or research.
  • CAREER PATH: Prepares students for RN licensure and pursuit of an MSN, DNP, and/or PhD.
  • NOTES: Pre-licensure phase focuses on quality and safety and awards a generalist Master of Nursing (MN). Students receive about 14 credits toward an MSN. Students are admitted through the DNP.

MSN (Master of Science in Nursing)

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: BSN and MN nurses; ADN or diploma RNs may apply for bridge program to prepare for the MSN.
  • CAREER PATH: Career advancement; opportunities to prepare for roles as nurse practitioners, anesthetists, midwives, or clinical nurse specialists.
  • NOTES: Most courses available in intensive, online, or weekend formats. See our list of majors
  • Students have the option to blend majors to create custom programs, such as pediatric/family, and to pursue joint master's degree opportunities with other schools at the university.

DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: Master's-prepared nurses.
  • CAREER PATH: Leadership in nursing practice, health system administration, and clinical research.
  • NOTES: Offered in intensive formats on- and off-site; choice of practice or educational leadership electives.

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing)

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: MSN nurses; fast-track option available to BSN and MN nurses.
  • CAREER PATH: Researcher, scientist, and/or university-level faculty member.
  • NOTES: Optional education track available that focuses on skills for teaching and mentoring.

Post-Doctoral Opportunities

  • WHO SHOULD APPLY: Scholars with a PhD in nursing.
  • CAREER PATH: Researcher, scientist, and/or university-level faculty member.
  • NOTES: A number of current research projects at FPB offer post-doc opportunities.


High-tech health care.

lrc_labOur state-of-the-art Learning Resource Center simulates an ambulatory clinic, a medical-surgical unit, an intensive care unit, a newborn nursery, a neonatal intensive care unit, and a family of life-like "Sim" patients for teaching, training, and practice.


Diverse community of scholars.

FPB believes in a culture of inclusion that encourages relationships and interactions among people of different backgrounds, enhances human dignity, actively diminishes prejudice and discrimination, and improves the quality of life for everyone in our community. Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply for admission, and visiting scholars and faculty from around the globe are perennial constituents of the FPB environment.


Global health.

FPB is home to the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Research and Clinical Training in Home Care Nursing and offers our students a number of opportunities to study or conduct clinical or service projects abroad (recent sites include Guatemala, Australia, Hong Kong, Chile, Denmark, and the Virgin Islands). We also partner with prestigious universities around the world, such as Aichi Medical University in Japan, where we are building an extension of our flight nursing program–the first of its kind in Asia.


Service learning.

flu shots FPB students take part in a number of required civic engagement projects, not only to expand their worldviews and skill sets but also to provide accessible health care and critical health education to children and families in Cleveland, across the country, and around the world.


Quality and safety.


FPB is a leader and innovator in preparing future nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems.


Centers of excellence.


Faculty fellows.

faculty_alumni Many of our faculty members are fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. Also, FPB is proud to have 14 endowed professorships (and counting)–more than any other nursing school in the country.


Stellar, supportive alumni.

Our alumni comprise a global network of leading practitioners, researchers, and educators. They have served as presidents of all major nursing organizations and maintain leadership positions at organizations and universities across the country and around the world. Their strong, passionate commitment to FPB has created the largest endowment of any nursing school in the country.