By Patriot Ledger staff

QUINCY

Quincy College and UMass-Boston are teaming up to offer a joint admission program for students pursuing nursing degrees.

The program, which Quincy College says is the first of its kind in the greater Boston area, allows qualified students to gain admission into both Quincy College’s associate’s degree nursing program as well as UMass-Boston’s baccalaureate program. The purpose is to give students a new pathway to a career in the nursing field.

Quincy College is a two-year community college with campuses in Quincy Center and Plymouth. UMass-Boston is a four-year school based in Dorchester that also offers an RN program online and at Cape Cod Community College.

For more information about this joint admission program, contact the Quincy College admissions office at 617-984-1710 or admissions@quincycollege.edu.

The new program comes as Quincy College starts to explore adding its own bachelor’s degree programs in programs such as nursing criminal justice, business and natural sciences as soon as the fall of 2016. College president Peter Tsaffaras has said the city-owned college could start offering the four-year programs as soon as the fall of 2016.

Quincy College’s plans for expansion received approval from the city council in April and now needs approval from the state Legislature and governor.

Tsaffaras has said the school’s baccalaureate programs would take about 10 years to roll out.