This intensive, accelerated career entry (ACE) program is designed for students who hold a BS/BA from an accredited college or university and who wish to change careers and enter the nursing profession. Nursing faculty are dedicated to working with this unique population of students, who learn from a curriculum based on Southern's nationally accredited, traditional nursing program. Students study alongside other highly motivated, adult learners with rich life and work experiences. Coursework can be completed in 12 consecutive months. Upon successful program completion, students are eligible to register for the NCLEX licensure examination.
- The nursing curriculum can be completed in just 12 months (excluding nursing prerequisites).
- The ABSN 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 sizes and affordable tuition.
- Our faculty are dedicated to working with this unique population.
The undergraduate nursing program(s) at SCSU are recognized as high-quality programs. Our NCLEX pass rates have been mostly between 90-100% over 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.
Information Sessions
Learn about the application process, the prerequisite requirements, the plan of study, and program expectations. Register for an Information Session.
General Information
Application Dates
The application for Winter 2025 is now closed. The application for Summer 2026 opened on July 16, 2025, with a deadline of December 15, 2025.
Requirements and Application Information
- There are two entry terms for the Accelerated BSN program, Summer and Winter, each with its own application deadlines. Summer entry deadline is December 15th, Winter entry deadline is July 15th.
- All prerequisites must be complete with a C+ or greater by the respective deadlines and all proper documentation and transcripts must be provided by the respective deadlines. If applicable, CLEP examination(s) scores and AP scores must be received by the Transfer Admissions & Services Office by the application deadline.
- All parts of the application must be submitted, including supporting transcripts and/or requested documents, must be received in order to be reviewed for admission
- Official transcripts from ALL post-secondary schools attended MUST be sent to the Transfer Admissions & Services Office by the respective application deadline. Any international transcripts will need to be accompanied by syllabi for relevant nursing prerequisites in order to undergo proper evaluation. Courses on international transcripts without syllabi will not be considered for prerequisite equivalency. High School transcripts and SAT/ACT scores are not required. Resumes and recommendation/reference letters will not be accepted.
- Students may not apply to both the Accelerated BSN and Traditional BSN programs at the same time.
To be considered for the Accelerated BSN Cohort, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Conferred BA/BS degree from a fully accredited academic institution (by the application term deadline).
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (including all post-secondary GPAs from fully accredited schools attended).
- Completion of the required prerequisites, outlined below, with a C+ or greater (by the application term deadline.) Official transcripts must be submitted to the Transfer Services Office (by the application term deadline). Any outstanding or incomplete items after the intended application term deadline will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will be pushed forward in one application cycle. If applications remain incomplete after two consecutive application terms, applicants will need to reapply.
- All prerequisites must be complete with a C+ or greater however applicants are not allowed to have more than 2 repeated prerequisite courses due to an initial grade below a C+.
- Southern CT State University has an agreement with SCSU Senior students approaching graduation. The items outlined in this agreement are only applicable to matriculated SCSU students who are earning their undergraduate degree.
- Students previously enrolled in a nursing program outside of SCSU must complete the Nursing Disclosure Form (NDF) as part of their application. Students who have been previously dismissed from a nursing program are ineligible to apply to any of our nursing programs, including the Accelerated BSN program. Transfer students previously enrolled in a nursing program seeking admission to the nursing program(s) at SCSU will not be allowed to transfer over nursing credits. If offered admission, transfer students will be expected to complete all of the SCSU nursing curriculum, including labs, simulation, and clinical rotations.
SCSU does not have a limit on the number of credits that you may transfer into the university. The university currently does not have an expiration date on any of the below-required prerequisites. However, program Chairs review prerequisite courses within their discipline(s) and reserve the right to approve or deny a course based on their own program accreditation standards and requirements. It is not a requirement to take the required prerequisite courses at any specific college or university as long as they are equivalent courses. Please use the provided tools to verify course equivalencies.
Below is a list of the required prerequisite courses for the ABSN program, and their CT Community College equivalencies. Regardless of where the courses were completed, all must be completed with a grade of a C+ or higher. No grades of Pass/Fail will be accepted (except for Spring 2020) in lieu of a letter grade. Non-science prerequisites are acceptable as online courses, but science prerequisites require an in-person lab (no online labs will be accepted) and must be 4 credits. For science courses that have lecture and lab separated, both require a grade of C+ or higher. Official transcripts must be submitted to the Transfer Services Office. (Place an application during the designated application dates before you begin submitting documentation.)
| Course | Title | Credits | CT State Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 200 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 | BIO 2111 (Formerly BIO211) |
| BIO 201 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 | BIO 2112 (Formerly BIO212) |
| BIO 120 | Basic Microbiology | 4 | BIO 2350 (Formerly BIO235) |
| CHE 120 | General Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 1210 (Formerly CHE121) |
| PCH 200 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 | NTRN 1001 or NTRN 1002 or NTRN 1003 or BIO1011 (Formerly NUT102, BIO111) |
| MAT 107 | Elementary Statistics | 3 | MATH 1200 (Formerly MAT167) |
| MAT 108 (or MAT112, MAT120, MAT122, MAT130, or MAT150 | Math for Natural Sciences (or MAT112, MAT120, MAT122, MAT130, or MAT150) | 3 | MAT 108 – No confirmed as equivalent at this time (Formerly accepted MAT 142, MAT172, MAT186 or MAT254 from Gateway Community College pre-merger) Equivalents to other listed MAT options – MATH 1600, MATH 1610, MATH 2600 |
| PSY 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | PSY 1011 (Formerly PSY111) |
| PSY 219 | Lifespan Development | 3 | PSY 2001 (Formerly PSY201) |
If you attended and/or graduated from a regionally accredited institution within CT, you may see how your courses will transfer to Southern before applying. Use the TES Public View for Southern CT State University tool to identify your college or university, and appropriate course equivalencies in the country. If your school is listed, you will be able to search the courses you have taken and see the transfer course equivalency.
| Nursing Curriculum and Credits | Summer Cohort | Winter Cohort |
| NUR 340: Theoretical Foundations of Professional Nursing (3cr) | Summer | Spring |
| NUR 341: Health Assessment (3cr) Lab Included | Summer | Spring |
| NUR 342: Evidence-Based Nursing Interventions (3cr) Lab Included | Summer | Spring |
| NUR 343: Integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I (3cr) | Summer | Spring |
| NUR 344: Gerontological Nursing (3cr) Clinical Included | Summer | Spring |
| NUR 351: Nursing Research (2cr) | Fall | Winter |
| NUR 352: Adult Health Nursing (5cr) Clinical Included | Fall | Summer A/B |
| NUR 353: Integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II (3cr) | Fall | Summer A/B |
| NUR 354: Mental Health Nursing (3cr) Clinical Included | Fall | Summer A/B |
| NUR 355: Nursing Interventions Lab (1cr) | Fall | Summer |
| NUR 430: The Childbearing Family (3cr) Clinical Included | Winter | Summer A/B |
| NUR 431: The Childrearing Family (3cr) Clinical Included | Spring | Summer A/B |
| NUR 432: Adult Health II (5cr) Clinical Included | Spring | Fall |
| NUR 442: Public Health Nursing (3cr) Clinical Included | Fall | Fall |
| NUR 443: Nursing Capstone (5cr) Clinical Included | Spring | Fall |
| NUR 444: Leadership, Management and Health Care Issues in Nursing (3cr) | Spring | Fall |
| TWO NUR Electives (1cr each) | Spring | Fall |
To learn more and compare our Nursing programs, contact the School of Nursing.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing at Southern Connecticut State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (2018), employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032 with an expected demand of more than 193,000 RNs nationally. With more than 500,000 seasoned RNs anticipated to retire by 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new RNs for expansion and replacement of retirees, and to avoid a nursing shortage. In Connecticut, nearly 46% of the full-time nursing workforce is over the age of 50, indicating a need for a significant number of new nurses to fill the anticipated retirements that will occur over the next decade. (Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, 2022).
Typical Job Titles
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Critical Care Nurse
- Home Health Nurse
- School Nurse
- Pediatric Nurse
- Case Manager Nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Community Health Nurse