In these recessionary times, nurses are still in high demand, so it’s a significant development that George Washington University has announced plans to establish a separate School of Nursing, as the Washington Business Journal reported on Friday.

Nursing degrees had already been available through the Department of Nursing Education inside the School of Medicine, but the separate school will allow the university to offer additional degrees like a master’s of science in nursing, a doctorate in nursing practice and a second bachelor’s in nursing, plus a number of post-master’s certificate programs.

The new school will offer classes at both the main campus in Foggy Bottom and in Loudoun County.