The accelerated program prepares students to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Graduates of the program are prepared to take the RN licensure examination, and for entry-level nursing positions in all health care settings. The program provides a foundation for graduate study in nursing. The curriculum is the same as the traditional BSN in a compressed format. A new class of students will begin in May and finish in June of the following year. Instruction is intense with courses offered full time with few breaks between sessions. There may be weekend clinical time. Students will receive the same number of clinical hours as their counterparts in the traditional program.

The rigorous 13-month curriculum recognizes each person’s past experiences and success and is geared toward students who are capable of undertaking this course of study. This program is recommended for students who have senior standing (90+ credits) or have a previous bachelor’s degree or higher.

Tuition and fees for the accelerated program are approximately double of the cost of the traditional four-semester program.

Preprofessional Curriculum

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and includes 54 credit hours of major (professional) courses. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the College of Health Professions, students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing must take the following prerequisite (preprofessional) courses. All preprofessional courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C (2.000). Prior to enrolling in the professional courses, students must have completed all preprofessional and general education courses.

Admission to Accelerated BSN Program

Students should request application materials from the School of Nursing, or obtain application materials online, prior to enrolling in their last semester of prerequisite courses. Applications for summer semester admission are required by February 1. To qualify as a candidate for admission to the School of Nursing, students must:

1. Be enrolled in, or admitted to, WSU;
2. Have completed, or have plans to complete, the prerequisite requirements prior to beginning the professional curriculum;
3. Have an overall grade point average of at least 3.000 in all courses completed and no grade lower than a 2.000 in any of the specified required courses;
4. Submit application materials including expected semester of enrollment; and
5. Complete the standardized TEAS test with a minimum percentage score, or achieve an ACT score greater than or equal to 27 points, or an SAT score greater than or equal to 1125.

GPA requirements to finalize admission and prior to starting BSN courses:

• Cumulative GPA for all science classes (chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology) must be 3.000 or better;
• Cumulative GPA must remain at 3.000 or better; and
• All prerequisites must be successfully completed with a grade of C (2.000) or higher.

Other Requirements

Uniforms are required for all applied learning. Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from health care agencies used for these experiences. Students are required to purchase professional and general liability insurance in the amount of $1 million per single claim/$3 million aggregate per year. The insurance must be renewed annually.

Students must successfully complete a background check prior to beginning any nursing course.

Students must provide evidence of personal health insurance and evidence of a completed physical examination prior to clinical laboratory experiences each academic year. Additional costs for instructional materials, testing and lab experiences may be required throughout the program. CPR certification is required. Information related to these requirements is available from the School of Nursing.

Program Requirements

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Additional required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

Accelerated Program Progression

Applied Learning

Students in the accelerated nursing program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing all required coursework culminating with the NURS 497 Capstone course.