Accelerated BSN Programs
(found programs from 228 schools)

***New "Back to School" Nursing Scholarship Program

Below is the most comprehensive listing on the web of accelerated second degree BSN programs, for non nurses with Bachelors degrees who want to become nurses. If you’re an RN looking for Bachelors completion programs, the page you want is here: RN to BSN program directory.

Accelerated BSN Basics

An Accelerated second degree BSN program is a full time commitment. What you are essentially trying to do is compress four years of full time nursing school into an average of about 15 months (the most common program length we saw - in general, the minimum is 12 months, the maximum is 18). This is not something you can do in your spare time.

The basic idea is that an Accelerated second degree BSN gives you credit (often referred to as "general education" or "lower division" credits) for non-nursing classes you already took in college. Then it puts you through a sequence of nursing theory and clinical classes to prepare you to sit for the national licensing exam for Registered Nurses, called the NCLEX.

There are only a small handful of online Accelerated second degree BSN programs available (see the sidebar to the left). Beyond these, you will want to look primarily at schools within driving distance of where you live, as you can expect to spend significant time on campus.

Accelerated BSN Programs: Other Things To Think About

One tip: unless you’re already covered by a spouse’s plan, you should make sure to ask if you can purchase health insurance through the school (since you won’t be able to hold down a full time job while completing the degree).

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Are we missing any schools or programs? If so, please let us know! We appreciate your help in making this the best directory of Nursing Degree Programs on the web. You can send us an email at schools@bestnursingdegree.com.