Healthcare-Professional-to-RN Bridge (Cordele)

Application Periods

NEXT CORDELE HCP-TO-RN BRIDGE COHORT - SPRING 2026
Acceptance Cohort Application Period Classes Begin
Spring* June 2 - November 1 January
Summer* November 2 - April 1 May
Fall* January 1 - June 1 August

* NOTE: The Healthcare-Professional-to-RN Bridge Program only accepts a cohort every 5 semesters. Additionally, 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 Healthcare Professional to RN Bridge program is an accelerated Associate Degree Nursing program for applicants who already hold active paramedic and/or LPN licensure. Currently, the Healthcare-Professional-to-RN Bridge accepts a new cohort of students every 5 semesters and, as such, may begin in the Spring, Summer, or Fall semester. This accelerated program meets one day a week to incorporate classroom lecture, online activities, and clinical rotations. Courses within this program are primarily on-campus (that is, on Albany State University's Cordele Campus) with the potential for some courses to be offered as online or hybridized, but please be aware that this is not guaranteed.

Clinical experiences are held in our clinical skills lab(s), Magnolia Manor, Phoebe Sumter, and Crisp Regional, as well as other facilities within 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

Freshmen desiring to attend this program will enter ASU as a Health Science major with a secondary major/degree indicator of "AS in Nursing," which MUST be specified upon application to the University. During the student's first two semesters, he/she will complete eight of the nine nursing Core classes necessary to become eligible to apply for the nursing program beginning the following semester. After being accepted into the nursing program, this track comprises four (4) additional consecutive semesters with the remaining Core curriculum course(s) incorporated into the curriculum pattern.

Throughout the nursing curriculum, students are exposed to the various fields and specializations within the nursing profession, including Women's Health, Pediatrics, Adult Medical-Surgical, and many others. This program culminates with the student earning an Associate of Science in Nursing, which, following successful completion of the state licensing exam for Registered Nurses (the NCLEX-RN), prepares students with the knowledge and clinical skills to function as a beginning nurse. Additionally, our ASN graduates are prepared to enter baccalaureate- and (in the case of RN-to-MSN programs) graduate-level nursing programs to order to advance their careers!

Admission Criteria

Admission to the nursing program is competitive, and the number of students is limited by the number of faculty and clinical facilities available. Meeting minimal requirements does NOT guarantee acceptance. When faculty-to-student ratio limits the acceptance of all qualified students, students will be granted admission according to their qualifications and the completeness of their application packet.

HCP-to-RN Program ADMISSION CRITERIA

Due to competitiveness, preference will be given to students with the highest NGPA, the highest entrance exam scores, and those who have completed all Core coursework.

Applicants must:

  1. Hold a valid paramedic certification or LPN license with a minimum of 1 year of experience.
  2. 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.
    • Currently, the entrance exam is the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), and the minimum qualifying score is 65.0.
  3. PRIOR TO PROGRAM APPLICATION, apply to Albany State University and be admitted in good standing.
    • Applicants who submit their nursing program application prior to official receipt of University acceptance are automatically denied without further consideration.
  4. AFTER OFFICIAL RECEIPT OF UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE, submit the completed program application, LPN/paramedic license, application fee, and TEAS results by the application deadline.
    • Applicants who take the TEAS exam at a testing site other than ASU’s West Campus Testing Center must use/purchase the “TEAS transcript” and indicate that they wish to have their scores transferred to Albany State University.
  5. Successfully complete and exit all learning support courses.
  6. Complete seven (7) of the eight (8) Core Curriculum courses associated with completion of this degree with a minimum grade of "C" in each.
    • The following three (3) courses are mandatory for program application: Anatomy and Physiology I, English Composition I, and an approved math course (Quantitative Reasoning, College Algebra, or higher-level math course).
    • The remaining four (4) courses may be selected from the following list: Anatomy and Physiology II, Microbiology, General Psychology, American Government, and an elective in Humanities/Fine Arts (either a Literature, Foreign Language, or Fine Arts Appreciation course).
  7. Have a minimum cumulative Nursing Grade Point Average (NGPA) of 2.8.
    • ALL grades received in the courses listed above (including any failures and repeats) within the past 10 years are factored into this calculation.
    • Be aware that earning the minimum grade of "C" in each course is NOT sufficient to attain an NGPA of 2.8, as a "C" is weighted as a "2.0" on the grade scale.
  8. Successfully complete Anatomy and Physiology courses with grades of "C" or higher that are no older than 8 years at the time of potential program admission. Please note the following:
    • Circumstance Result
      ONLY A&P1 completed but expired A&P1 must be repeated prior to admission
      BOTH A&P1 and A&P2 completed but ONLY A&P1 expired No repeats required
      BOTH A&P1 and A&P2 completed but ONLY A&P2 expired A&P2 must be repeated (may be done in-program if all other courses are complete)
      BOTH A&P1 and A&P2 completed and BOTH expired A&P2 must be repeated (may be done in-program if all other courses are complete)
       

Applicant Notes

  • Applicants who have failed (D, F, WF, or U) one or more nursing courses, whether at a 2- or 4-year institution (including ASU) are ineligible to apply for the HCP-to-RN Bridge Program at Albany State University.
  • If accepted into ASU's nursing program, no transfer credit will be given for prior nursing courses (e.g., Fundamentals, Pharmacology, etc.), even if successfully completed.
  • Previously-enrolled HCP-to-RN students wishing to repeat NURS 1301 (Fundamentals of Nursing) must submit a new application for admission to the program. Readmission will be on a space-available basis and adhere to admission requirements.
  • 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 substance as a provided 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 be required to withdraw from the program as they will be unable to complete the program at ASU. Therefore, it is important to conduct personal record checks prior to admission to the nursing program.

Curriculum Pattern

Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3
BIOL 2411K Anatomy & Physiology I (4)
ENGL 1101 Engl. Comp. I (3)
MATH 1001/1111 (or higher-level MATH) (3)
POLS 1101 American Government (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 13		 Area C Elective (Lit./Foreign Lang./Appreciation) (3)
BIOL 2412K Anatomy & Physiology II (4)
PSYC 1101 General Psychology (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 10		 BIOL 2211K Intro to Microbiology (4)
NURS 1301 Fundamentals of Nursing (Bridge) (4)
NURS 2313 Psychiatric Nursing (Bridge) (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 11
Semester 4 Semester 5 Semester 6
NURS 1105 Pharmacology for Nurses (2)
NURS 1311 Adult Health II (Bridge) (7)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 9		 NURS 2311 Nurs. Care of Women/Child. (Bridge) (6)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 6		 A-Term: NURS 2115 Adult Health III (8)
B-Term: NURS 2116 Capstone Review (3)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS 11