Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Program
The ACE Program
The ACE program is an accelerated BSN program for individuals with a BS/BA in any field from an accredited college or university who wish to enter the nursing profession. The 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
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
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 Requirements
Students interested in the accelerated career entry (ACE) program in nursing must complete a dual admission process. Initially, students must submit by AUGUST 1, 2008 all necessary documents to the University's Undergraduate Admissions Department. This includes undergraduate university application,application fee, original transcripts and any other requested or applicable documents. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure all required information and documentation is submitted to SCSU's Admissions Department by the above deadline. You MUST already have your Bachelor's degree by August 1 in order to eligible to apply to the university for the ACE program.
Then the second part of this dual application process for the ACE program is to submit the ACE application and all required documentation to SCSU's Department of Nursing. The applications to begin the ACE program in August 2009 will be available online November 1, 2008 and must be completed in full and returned by January 15, 2009 in order to be considered as a viable applicant. You will be notified in early April of your acceptance or denial into the program. At the time of ACE application due date you MUST already hold either a BA/BS degree.
Please note that applicants cannot apply to our traditional BSN program and the ACE program.
Admission requirements include the following: baccalaureate degree (BA or BS) from an accredited college/university in any field, minimal overall GPA of 2.75 or GPA of 3.0 from the most recent 60 credits, completion of nine prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better listed below, two favorable letters of recommendation from recent employer and/or faculty, and original trancript(s) from any postsecondary intitution attended.(please note that transcripts cannot be shared between the University Admissions office and the ACE committee). An interview may be required following the initial screening of applicants. 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 (2007).
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.
Transfer of Credits
Credits from all accredited universities are eligible for transfer review. The SCSU Admission policy states that "a maximum of 90 credits are eligible for transfer from a four-year university."
Because of time constraints neither the Admissions Department or the Nursing Department are able to evaluate credits without formal application to the University. Upon completed application to the University, Admissions will evaluate the student's transcripts and provide the applicant with a Transfer Equivalency Worksheet. A copy of this Worksheet must be submitted with your ACE application.
If you have credits from an accredited College or University in Connecticut you should refer to the University Transfer equivalency page for further course transfer information. That page can be found by following the link Learn more about equivalency.
Prerequisite Requirements
Prerequisite course requirements for entering the ACE nursing program include:
| Biology I10 | Human Biology I w/lab | 3 credits |
| Biology 111 | Human Biology II w/lab | 3 credits |
| Biology 120 or Bio 233 | Basic Microbiology w/lab | 3 credits |
| Chemistry 120 | General Chemistry w/lab | 4 credits |
| Math 107 | Elementary Statistics | 3 credits |
| Math 108 | Math for Natural Sciences | 3 credits |
| Psychology 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 credits |
| Psychology 210 or Psy 219 | Infant & Child Development | 3 credits |
Students must achieve a grade of C or better in all of the above prerequisite courses.
Upon completed application to the University, Admissions will evaluate student's transcripts and provide the applicant with a transfer evaluation worksheet.(sumbit with ACE application)
At the time of application due date(2/1) no more that 4 nursing prerequisites can be outstanding. All required nursing prerequisites must be completed and reported by June 30
Course and Clinical Experiences Schedule
Students should be prepared to attend classes and clinical experiences during day, evening, or weekend hours. Due to the limited availability of placements, clinical experiences may be scheduled at various times and include health care agencies that are within the Greater New Haven areas as well as agencies that are at a further distance from campus. To successfully meet program objectives, it is essential that students be flexible and available to participate in clinical experiences as scheduled.
ACE Program Plan of Study
The ACE program is a rigorous and intensive academic program that requires a full-time commitment. Individuals who are accepted into the program are strongly encouraged not to be employed during the course of the program. The specific plan of study is presented below:
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 440 (1cr.): Seminar on Health Care Issues
- NUR 459 (2cr.): Leadership and Management in Nursing
For further information contact:
Marenda Weaver
Pre-Nursing Advisor/Information Coordinator
203 392-8954
