A Baccalaureate degree or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four year college degree program. In your nursing courses, you will rotate through several areas of health care including pediatrics, surgery, geriatrics, medical/surgical units, labor and delivery, critical care and mental health. Unlike an Associate Degree in Nursing (2 year program) or a Diploma (3 year program), you will receive experience and education in research, community health and management. Although graduates of all professional nursing programs take the same licensing examination, some employers pay a higher salary to BSN nurses and often they are promoted to management positions. In addition, they may participate in research studies and work as community health nurses. A BSN degree also qualifies you to apply to a graduate program in a nursing specialty area.
Credit hours and Prerequisites: The baccalaureate program includes 128 credit hours. Sixty-two credit hours are required in courses that are non-nursing but provide the scientific and liberal arts base of knowledge upon which the nursing major is based. Students may complete these credit hours at a variety of accredited institutions of higher education.
Pre-nursing students should complete the necessary prerequisite and corequisite course work prior to beginning course work in the nursing major at UNMC College of Nursing as admission preference is based on GPA and number of prerequisite courses completed. Pre-nursing students have the option of completing the required Pharmacology course prior to admission or during their nursing program, prior to Level 3.
After admission: Once accepted into the UNMC College of Nursing BSN program, students must complete a 66 credit hour undergraduate nursing program. This program is structured into five levels with each level being one semester in length. After successful completion of the program, a student will graduate with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and will be eligible to become licensed as a Registered Nurse by taking the State Board Exam (NCLEX-RN). The typical program of study is outlined below:
To provide a broad variety of clinical learning opportunities for students, the College of Nursing maintains contractual relationships with more than 100 healthcare institutions across the state.
We encourage applications from individuals of both genders, diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and all age groups. Most students pursue their nursing studies while simultaneously balancing work and family responsibilities. The majority of undergraduate students attend full-time. Students in the RN to BSN program are primarily enrolled part-time.
