Accelerated (Second Degree) Program

Application Period

Acceptance Cohort Application Period Classes Begin
Fall January 1 - June 1 August

NOTE: It is strongly advised that new applicants apply to the University AT LEAST ONE MONTH PRIOR to submitting an application for the program. This will allow the University time to fully evaluate the student’s application/supporting documentation and perform any necessary transfer articulations. 

Background

The Accelerated (or “Second Degree”) BSN Program is designed for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in an area other than nursing and have graduated with at least a 3.0 Cumulative GPA but who also desire to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing, albeit at a faster pace than the generic track. Students are admitted into this program during the Fall semester. Courses within this program are primarily taken on-campus (that is, on Albany State University’s East and West Campuses) with the potential for some courses to be offered as online or hybridized, but this is not guaranteed.

Clinical experiences are held in our clinical skills lab(s), Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and other facilities in the surrounding area as needed. All students will be expected to comply with all requirements set forth by the clinical institution, including their code of conduct. The institution reserves the right to prevent entry or request withdrawal from the clinical site any student the institution believes constitutes a risk of harm to patients, visitors, or employees or who fails to follow the institution’s policies and procedures. If students are precluded from a clinical site by an institution, the Department of Nursing has no obligation to find an alternative clinical site for the student, and this may prevent the student from progressing in the Nursing Program.

Program Format

This accelerated track comprises five (5) consecutive semesters beginning in the Fall semester (including Summer), during which students are exposed to the various fields and specializations within the field, including Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and many others. This program culminates with the student earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which, following successful completion of the state licensing exam for Registered Nurses (the NCLEX), prepares students with the knowledge and clinical skills to function as a beginning nurse, nurse manager, or leader within various healthcare settings. Additionally, our BSN graduates are prepared to enter graduate nursing programs in order to advance their careers, two of which are offered at this institution!

Admission Criteria

Applicants must:

  1. FIRST, submit an application to Albany State University and be admitted in good standing.
  2. AFTER being accepted as a student at Albany State University, submit the completed program application, unofficial transcripts from all institutions previously attended, application fee, and TEAS results by the application deadline.
    • In addition to a printed copy, applicants who take the TEAS exam at a testing site other than ASU’s West Campus Testing Center must also have their official TEAS scores transferred to Albany State University via ATI Testing’s “TEAS Transcript.”
  3. Pass the standardized entrance exam for admission to nursing at or above the established percentage rate within no more than two (2) attempts within 12 months of application submission. As TEAS scores are valid for 12 months after the published testing date, scores older than 12 months of age at the time of application submission will not be considered.
    • Currently, the entrance exam is the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), and the minimum qualifying score is 70.0%.
  4. Successfully complete and exit all learning support courses.
  5. Have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited program in a field other than nursing with a graduating cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0. Courses taken and degrees earned after obtaining the first bachelor’s degree will not factor into the 3.0 required graduating GPA for admission consideration.
  6. Complete the following 31 hours of baccalaureate Core Curriculum prior to Fall admission: English Composition I & II, two (2) sequential courses in an Area D science (either Biology I & II or Chemistry I & II), Microbiology, Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Human Growth and Development, and Pre-Nursing Seminar. With the exception of Pre-Nursing Seminar, each course listed previously must be successfully completed with a letter grade of “C” or better. Beginning Fall 2023, Pre-Nursing Seminar must be completed with a letter grade of “B” or better.
    • Pre-Nursing Seminar is an ASU-exclusive course and may be taken during the first semester of enrollment in the Accelerated BSN program, provided no other criteria are outstanding. Alternatively, medical terminology courses taken at a non-ASU institution may be utilized as a substitution for this course; however, this waiver is given on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed, and the course must have been completed with a letter grade of “B” or better.
    • Applicants who have graduated from an institution outside of the University System of Georgia (USG) may be required to complete additional Core coursework in order to satisfy graduation requirements mandated by the USG.
  7. Complete all required science courses with a grade of “C” or higher in each course. Only one (1) science course failure is allowed, and this course must be repeated prior to entry into the nursing program. If the science failure(s) occurred more than 3 years ago, the student has the opportunity to repeat the course(s) one (1) time.
  8. Successfully complete Human Anatomy and Physiology course(s) that are less than 6 years old at the time of potential admission to the nursing program. Any Human Anatomy & Physiology courses that are older than 6 years of age must be retaken and passed with a letter grade of “C” or higher.
  9. Following admission to the nursing program, students will be required to submit documentation evidencing satisfaction (and/or maintenance) of the following requirements prior to the established pre-clinical deadline for each nursing course with a clinical/laboratory component:
    • Annual flu vaccinations
    • Complete criminal background check and 10-panel drug screening (via PreCheck)
      • Students are subjected to compulsory background checks per clinical agency requirements and may also be required to submit to random tests for illegal use of controlled substances as a provision by the law or regulations of the contracting agency. If the site refuses to allow a student to attend clinical experiences, the nursing program is not obligated to find another clinical site, and the student will not be able to complete the nursing program at ASU. Therefore, it is important to conduct personal record checks prior to admission to the nursing program.
    • Active health insurance (or enrollment in the Student Health Insurance Plan)
    • Immunization record documenting the following: measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, varicella, and any other immunization(s) deemed necessary by the University and/or the clinical site. Hepatitis B vaccination is also recommended for clinical settings but is not required.
    • Active malpractice insurance (University-provided)
    • Basic life support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers card (must be certified by the American Heart Association)
    • Tuberculosis screening

NOTE: A student who has failed (“D,” “F,” “WF,” or “U”) two (2) nursing courses, whether at a 2-year or 4-year institution (including ASU) will not be eligible for admission or continuation in the nursing program at ASU. Students with no more than two (2) nursing failures may be considered for entry (or reentry) into the nursing program on a case-by-case basis only after a 3-year period has passed from the most recently-earned failure. Only one (1) nursing failure may be forgiven.

Program of Study

nURSING Program of Study Notes

  • Area A2: Quantitative Skills
  • Area D: Science, Math & Tech
  • Area E: Social Sciences
    • One of the Social Science Electives MUST be PSYC 1101: General Psychology
    • SOCI 1101: Introduction to Sociology is RECOMMENDED as the second elective in this area

Curriculum Pattern

Fall University Entry / Fall Program Entry

NOTE: Applicants who have graduated from an institution outside of the University System of Georgia (USG) may be required to complete additional Core coursework in order to satisfy graduation requirements mandated by the USG.

Fall Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester
NURS 1232: Pre-Nursing Seminar (if needed) (2)
NURS 2210 Pharmacology (3)
NURS 2231 Fund. Concepts of Prof. Nursing (5)
NURS 3510 Health Assessment (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS: 11 or 13		 NURS 2331 Adult Health Nursing I (5)
NURS 3134 Pediatric Nursing (5)
NURS 3320 Pathophysiology Health Prof. (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS: 13		 NURS 2601 Intro. to Geriatrics (3)
NURS 4131 Research (3)
NURS 4240 Community Health Nursing (5)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS: 11
NURS 3335 Mental Health Nursing (5)
NURS 4140 Leadership (2)
NURS 4342 Adult Health Nursing II (5)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS: 12		 NURS 3136 Women’s Health Nursing (5)
NURS 4111 Directed Study/NCLEX Prep (3)
NURS 4345 Senior Comp. Nursing (5)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS: 13