Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Program
SCSU welcomes the 6th ACE cohort graduating in 2013!!
The ACE program is an accelerated BSN program for individuals already holding a BS/BA in any field from an accredited college or university who wish to enter the nursing profession. The intensive program allows qualified individuals to complete the nursing coursework in 12 consecutive months.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by year 2012, one million more registered nurses will be needed in the United States. An analysis of nursing workforce needs at the state level indicates that Connecticut will be one of the states that will experience the worst shortages unless actions are taken to remedy the situation. In fact, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects that by 2010, Connecticut nursing workforce will be 33% short of what is needed and by 2020 that number will increase to 57% (Connecticut League for Nursing, 2005). In order to meet this demand, many colleges and universities across the nation have developed accelerated BSN programs for students with baccalaureate degrees in other fields to increase access for people desiring a change in career later in life, and allow faster entry into the workforce. In fact, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2005) there are 168 accelerated BSN programs in existence, with 46 more in the planning stages. While Connecticut has several of these programs, none are located within the state university system, limiting program choice options for students who want a quality program at a reasonable price.
The undergraduate nursing program at SCSU is recognized as a high quality program. Our NCLEX pass rates have been mostly between 90-100% over nearly three decades and employers readily hire and confirm the quality of our new graduates. Many curricular changes have been implemented during the last several years to improve the quality of our instruction and better prepare students for the realities of practice
Advantages of the ACE Program
* The nursing curriculum can be completed in just 12 months (excluding nursing prerequisites).
* The ACE program is based on the same curriculum as SCSU's highly successful and nationally accredited traditional nursing program.
* There are opportunities to learn with other highly motivated, adult learners with rich life and work experiences.
* We offer small class size and affordable tuition.
* Our faculty are dedicated to working with this unique population.
Admission to the ACE program
THE UNIVERSITY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2013 ACE COHORT.
Steps and Dates to apply for 2014 ACE Cohort
Step 1: Apply to the university on April 15, 2013. You will follow the link through www.southernct.edu/admissions/. The link will be specifically for ACE applicants and Not accessible until April 15th, 2013. Applications will only be available online and between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm Because of limited space and resources the application will CLOSE at 4 pm on April 15, 2013
- When completing the University application select Spring 2014 as desired entry term
- In personal statement dialog box type NA/Ace
- HS and SAT/ACT are not required
- Official transcripts MUST be sent to the Admissions office of ALL post secondary schools attended. THE ADMISSIONS MUST HAVE THEM BY JUNE 30, 2013 in order to review your file and be considered an applicant
- At the time of application to the University there is no limit on the number of prerequisites completed
Remember when applying to the ACE program a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required by the nursing department. Overall GPA is derived by dividing your QPR by # of Credits
DO NOT complete a Graduate Program application. This is an Undergraduate program.
Step 2.Submission of the ACE application to the nursing department. The ACE application will be available November 1, 2013 at www.southernct.edu/nursing/applications.
- 3.0 minimum GPA to be considered
- Prerequisite courses completed with C+ or better
- 2 recommendations(use evaluation forms attached to ACE application)
- Essay (use question on application)
- At the time of application to the ACE program you may not have more than 4 outstanding prerequisites to complete. ( if accepted the remaining need to be completed by June 30, 2014
- BA/BS degree from an accredited university/college
In order to be eligible to apply for the 2014 ACE cohort you must be accepted by the University undergraduate committee as outlined above. You letter of acceptance to the university will be part of the documentation required with the ACE application submission
With only 30 students being accepted into the program each year admission is competitive and qualified students may not be accepted because of limited Department of Nursing resources and clinical placements. The Department of Nursing admission committee members will evaluate the overall academic record and select candidates whose academic and personal qualifications present the greatest potential for program success. Students applying to the ACE program should understand that, if accepted, they will need to follow the ACE's program's plan of study and required course sequencing. Students are advised to refer to the Student Policies Governing Academic and Professional Responsibilities of Undergraduate Programs in Nursing (2011). Students are ineligible to apply for admission to the SCSU nursing program if:
-They have been dismissed for academic or clinical reasons in another nursing program. -They have failed to meet benchmark scores on assessment testing in another nursing program.
Students may not apply to both the ACE andtraditional BSN program in the same year.
Transfer of Credits and PreRequisite Course Requirements
SCSU does not have a limit on the number of credits that you may transfer into the university.
The following Prerequisite(or equivalency) courses are REQUIRED prior to entering the program. Please note that when you make 1st application to the university it does NOT matter how many prerequisites you need to complete. When you make application to the ACE program (2nd part of application process) you may NOT have more than 4 outstanding prerequisites at application due date(1/15). If accepted into the program then remaining courses must be successfully completed(C+ or better) by June 30.
Prerequisite Courses:
SCSU CT CC Equivalency
Human Biology 110 (A & P) Biology 211
Human Biology111 ( A & P) Biology 212
Microbiology 120 Biology 235
Math for Natural Sciences(Math 108) Math 142
Elementary Statistics (Math 107) Math 167
General Chemistry (Chem 120) Chemistry 121
General Psychology (Psy 100) Psychology 111
Life Span Development (Psy 219) Psychology 201
Once the University Admissions office receives ALL of your transcripts they will evaluate your credits and send you an equivalency worksheet(needs to be submitted with your ACE application ) indicating how your courses transferred into the university. THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE DOES NOT REVIEW TRANSCRIPTS UNTIL FORMAL APPLICATION TO THE UNIVERSITY IS MADE. THE NURSING OFFICE DOES NOT DO UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REVIEWS.
Plans of Study
Summer Session C - Begin Program
- NUR 340 (3cr.): Theoretical Foundations of Professional Nursing
- NUR 350 (2cr.): Therapeutic Nutrition
Fall
- NUR 341 (3cr.): Health Assessment
- NUR 342 (3cr.): Evidence Based Nursing Interventions
- NUR 343 (3cr.): Integrated Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I
- NUR 344 (2cr.): Gerontological Nursing
- NUR 351 (2cr. online): Nursing Research
Winter Sessions
- Nursing Electives (1cr/course): Two required
Spring
- NUR 353 (3cr.): Integrated Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II
- NUR 352 (4cr.): Adult Health Nursing
- NUR 340 (3cr.): The Childbearing Family
- NUR 354 (3cr.): Mental Health Nursing
- NUR 431 (3cr.): The Childrearing Family
Summer A
- NUR 443 (4cr.): Adult Response to Complex Stressors
- NUR 442 (3cr.): Community Health Nursing
- NUR 433 (3cr.): Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice Across the Life Span
Summer B - Complete Program
- NUR 442 (4cr.): Nursing Capstone
- Nur (3cr): Current Issues in Nursing
For further information contact:
Marenda Weaver
Pre-Nursing Advisor/Information Coordinator
203 392-8954
