Accelerated Online BSN Admissions Requirements by Program

All registered nurses (RNs) must complete an accredited nursing education program. At a minimum, aspiring nurses need to earn an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or an associate’s of science in nursing (ASN). However, a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) is highly recommended as it demonstrates additional education and competency. 

While some students may complete a BSN as their first degree, many more have only completed an associate’s or diploma but want to pursue additional education. These programs are called RN-to-BSN degrees. Many RN-to-BSN programs do not have a previous degree requirement and only ask for proof of a current, active, and unencumbered RN license. 

Additionally, some students pursue a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and want to make the career switch. These students don’t need to complete a full four-year BSN and can enroll in a program that offers just the necessary nursing education. 

Both types of BSN are available online in an accelerated format that can be completed in as little as a year. Some accelerated programs can take longer, depending on how much education is completed. Typical, accelerated BSN programs for non-nursing bachelor’s degree holders take the least time. Some schools call these programs accelerated bachelor’s of science in nursing (ABSN) or distance-based accelerated bachelor’s of science in nursing (DABSN), as is the case at Emory University. 

Other than a previous degree or RN licensure, admission requirements include prerequisite coursework, a minimum GPA in prior coursework, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and previous work experience. Applicants must demonstrate aptitude for rigorous studies as online accelerated BSN programs are intensive. 

Some programs may require applicants to take a Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) or Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) exam before applying. These tests evaluate a candidate’s academic readiness for these demanding programs or demonstrate the applicant’s current healthcare knowledge. While some schools may require all applicants to sit for these exams, some may only require it of candidates whose GPA falls below a given threshold. 

There are many accelerated BSN programs available through online learning. All accelerated online BSN programs require students to complete hands-on labs and clinical experiences in person. RNs may be able to meet these at their place of employment, although attending clinicals through the program is most common. Some may require students to all attend clinicals at approved locations near the school, while others may let students find a location near their home. 

Here is a list of 30 schools that offer accelerated online BSN degrees, along with their admission requirements: 

School	Degree Required to Apply	GPA	Unencumbered and Active Nursing License?	Prerequisite Coursework	Other Requirements
Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing	Non-nursing bachelor’s	N/A	No	General chemistry with lab, human anatomy and, physiology I and II with lab, microbiology with lab, nutrition, introductory statistics, human growth and development or lifespan development	Current resume
University of Texas at Arlington	None	2.25	Yes	None	None
Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing	Non-nursing bachelor’s	3.0 on prerequisites, 2.75 on science prerequisites	No	52 credits of prerequisite courses	HESI exam
Wilkes University	Non-nursing bachelor’s	3.0	No	Microbiology with the lab, human anatomy and physiology one and two with lab, chemistry with lab, elementary statistics, and principles of normal nutrition	Two letters of recommendation, statement of professional goals. Must reside in Indiana, Pennsylvania, or Vermont
Chamberlain University	Non-nursing bachelor’s	2.75	No	None	HESI exam, drug screening, background check.
Marymount University	Non-nursing bachelor’s	2.8	No	Anatomy and physiology one and two with lab, general chemistry for health science majors, developmental psychology, microbiology with lab, nutrition, sociology or anthropology, and statistical analysis	TEAS exam
Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Nursing	None	2.75	No	Physical or biological science, social science, statistics, college composition, humanities, electives, and US or Nevada constitution.	TEAS exam
Western Governors University	Associate’s	N/A	Yes	None	HESI exam, pass a criminal background check
West Coast University	Associate’s	2.25	Yes	None	None
Marian University Leighton School of Nursing	Non-nursing bachelor’s	2.8	No	Introduction to microbiology, human anatomy, General human physiology, elements of general and biological chemistry, abnormal psychology, and human growth and development	None
Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences School of Nursing	Non-nursing bachelors	C or higher in prerequisite coursework	No	Microbiology with the lab, human anatomy and physiology one and two with a lab, introduction to chemistry, statistics, Social and behavioral sciences, developmental psychology, and nutrition	Goal statement, current resume, and two letters of recommendation
University of Wisconsin OshKosh College of Nursing	Non-nursing bachelor’s	2.5, 3.0 on prerequisites	No	Biological concepts, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, English composition, growth development and health across the lifespan, psychology, college-level math, and speech	Criminal background check, proof of residence in an approved state,and  CNA certification. Current hospital employment and work experience as a CNA preferred
University of Indianapolis	Bachelor’s degree in any field	2.82	No	Human anatomy, physiology, microbiology, organic chemistry one and two, introduction to psychology, social science, philosophy, and statistics or college algebra	HESI exam
Arizona State University	None	2.5	Yes	English composition and college level math	Meet transfer admission requirements. Must reside in the US and there are restrictions on which states.
California State University San Marcos	ADN	2.0, 2.5 for students with a bachelor’s	No	Statistics, oral communication, written communication, critical thinking, microbiology for health sciences, introduction to human anatomy and physiology one and two, and general, organic and biochemistry for life	At least 60 transfer units.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	None	2.0	Yes	Freshman communicative skills, college algebra,  chemistry for health sciences, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, introduction to psychology, human growth and development, nutrition, and intro to probability and statistics. Two sequential courses of foreign language in high school required.	60 transfer credits
Franklin University	Associate’s or diploma in nursing	C or better in prerequisite courses	Yes	Contact the admissions team	High school diploma or 60 transferable credits
Eastern Michigan University	None	2.5	Yes	None
Widener University	Associate’s in nursing	3.0	Yes	Statistics	Students who don’t have their license yet can apply and be admitted but must be licensed before classes start
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Nursing	ADN	2.5	Yes	63 credit hours of prerequisites	Current immunizations, cleared background check.
Pennsylvania State University	None	None	Yes	Two years of a world language at the high school level
Holy Family University	Bachelor’s in any field	3.0	No	Anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 with lab, microbiology with lab, nutrition taught by a registered dietitian, an elementary statistics	Personal statement and one letter of recommendation
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	ADN or diploma	2.4	Yes	None
Drexel University	Associate’s or diploma in nursing	2.0	Yes	30 hours of nursing credits as well as English, humanities, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, sociology, growth and development, and psychology
Labouré College of Healthcare	None	2.5	Yes	None
Rockhurst University	Bachelor’s in any field	2.7	No	Anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 with lab, microbiology with lab, General chemistry or organic chemistry with lab, nutrition, statistics, and lifespan and developmental psychology	Current resume and must reside in an authorized state
LaSalle University	None	2.5	Yes	None	Must be in an authorized state
University of Hawaii Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing	Associate’s or diploma in nursing	2.0 for UH graduates, 2.5 for all other applicants	Yes	None
Concordia University Texas	None	3.0	No	Chemistry with a lab, microbiology with a lab, human anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 with the lab, nutrition,  intro to statistics,  lifespan development, medical Spanish for healthcare professionals, and introduction to psychology	TEAS exam, CPR and basic life support certification, background check, and drug screening
Southern Utah University	None	2.5	Yes	None	Drug screening