In a lawsuit filed Thursday against Seattle University, four former and current students say the school was deceptive, promising a degree that none of the students ever received.

The students were enrolled in a doctorate program but believed they’d be able to attain a master in nursing.

“Being a graduate student was always my goal,” said Shelby Stephens, a former Seattle University graduate student. “It was years and years of preparation; I did undergrad at UC Santa Cruz to end up going to this graduate school.”

The university was the plan for Stephens, where she could get a Master of Science in Nursing. It would allow her more clout and pay. 

“Seattle U is a reputable institution; I chose it for that reason,” said Stephens.

Stephens now says the university isn’t reputable and didn’t live up to its promises. She enrolled in 2019 and spent an entire year working to get her degree. With a diploma in hand, her goal was to get a nursing job in California. Then she got a phone call, “And was told by the California Board of Registered Nursing that I didn’t have a degree on my transcript.”

Unbeknownst to Stephens and her fellow students, there was a serious controversy behind the scenes over the university's advanced nursing program. The state of Washington was sending letters to the university warning that their Master is Nursing program has not been approved by the nursing commission. 

“I was just desperate, when you’re in that state, you’re like well I don’t have a job, I don’t have a degree and I don’t have any way of making money,” said Stephens.

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