Marywood University has reached an agreement with University of Scranton to allow current third-year nursing students to complete their degree, after its nursing program lost accreditation from the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission last month for not complying with certain standards.

Marywood University President Anne Munley said that third-year nursing students with good grades can submit a transfer application for Scranton's nursing program.

Selected students will then be placed in an accelerated or traditional batch and will have the option to graduate in May or August of 2014.

"Our primary concern is our students," said Marywood University President Sister Anne Munley. "We are most grateful to the president of the University of Scranton and to key administrators and nursing faculty for forging this partnership in the best interest of our students."

Scranton spokeswoman Amy Gruzesky said that the university has thus far granted admission to 12 students from Marywood's nursing program

Marywood college officials have appealed the Commission's decision and have decided to reapply for accreditation with the commission and as well as another agency, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which is a part of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Marywood's nursing program is also under provisional approval status from the state.

Marywood University, founded in 1915, is a coeducational, Catholic liberal arts university with approximately 3,500 students.