In response to recommendations made by the Illinois Implementation Commission on Nursing (IICON) to increase the number of baccalaureate nurse graduates in Illinois, Chicago State University conducted a feasibility study that led to the initiation of the Division of Nursing at the University. In March of 1971, a director and assistant director were appointed to develop the nursing program. Approval of the program was obtained from the Illinois Department of Registration and Education and the Illinois Board of Governors in 1972. During the summer of 1973, the first dean was appointed and in 1974, the Division became a College.

The period between 1975 and 1980 were years of development and expansion. The program received an initial eight-year accreditation from the National League for Nursing (NLN) in 1981, and was re-accredited in 1989 by the National League for Nursing (NLN), and in 1997 by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC). In 1992, the College of Nursing and the College of Allied Health were merged into the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions and in 1995 it became the College of Health Sciences.

The mission of the Department of Nursing is to provide educational experiences that empower learner,promote competence in the area of professional nursing, strengthen the capacity for employment in a variety of clinical practice settings within the healthcare community, and develop a sense of civic responsibility.

The Department of Nursing at Chicago State University seeks to educate nurses who will be able to demonstrate excellence through practice, scholarship, leadership and service, while caring for diverse populations.