Nursing, Bachelor of Science (BSN)

Albany State University offers a high-quality Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that’s both affordable and convenient. Throughout the program’s 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 culminates with the student earning their BSN, which makes the graduate academically eligible to write the state licensing examination (the NCLEX-RN) to practice as a registered nurse.

Undergraduate nursing education—whether at the associate or baccalaureate level—prepares the nurse to function as a generalist utilizing the triad of evidenced based practice, teaching, and practice in providing nursing care in traditional and nontraditional settings. The professional nurse is broadly prepared to assume responsibilities as a leader, client advocate, change agent, health care provider, health educator, and consumer of research. Additionally, our BSN graduates are prepared to enter graduate nursing programs in order to advance their careers, several of which are offered at this institution!

Albany State University proudly offers the following program tracks to allow our students to complete this degree quickly and conveniently, regardless of their experience within the collegiate setting:

Generic (2+2) BSN Program Overview

The Generic BSN Program is structured as a “2+2 program,” in which the student spends their first 2 years at the University completing the Core curriculum and their second 2 years completing the nursing curriculum. Currently, students are admitted into this program for the Fall semester annually. 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; however, this is not guaranteed. Clinical experiences are held in our clinical skills and simulations labs, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and other facilities in the surrounding area as needed.

Freshmen will enter ASU as a Health and Human Performance major with a pre-nursing attribute, which MUST be specified upon application to the University. During their first 2 academic years (that is, their freshman and sophomore years), students intending to apply to this program will complete the entirety of the Core curriculum, which includes nine (9) courses utilized in the determination of their Nursing GPA (and, consequently, program eligibility). After being accepted into this nursing program, the student’s major will be changed to Nursing, and this track comprises five (5) additional consecutive semesters, including one (1) required Summer semester.

Accelerated (2nd Degree) BSN Program Overview

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 BSN with consideration of their past educational experience. Currently, students are only admitted into this program during the Fall semester. Currently, students are admitted into this program for the Fall semester annually. 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; however, this is not guaranteed. Clinical experiences are held in our clinical skills and simulations labs, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and other facilities in the surrounding area as needed.

Applicants will enter ASU as a Health and Human Performance major with a pre-nursing attribute, which MUST be specified upon application to the University. After being accepted into this nursing program, the student’s major will be changed to Nursing, and this track comprises five (5) additional consecutive semesters, including one (1) required Summer semester.

Admission Criteria: Baccalaureate Nursing Programs

Generic (2+2) BSN 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 application, a $20.00 application fee money order, and a printed copy of their TEAS exam scores by the application deadline.
  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.
  4. Successfully complete and exit all learning support courses.
  5. Complete the entirety of the baccalaureate Core curriculum (including the “Above the Core” requirements) prior to Fall admission with a minimum letter grade of “C” in all coursework.
  6. Have a minimum cumulative Nursing Grade Point Average (NGPA) of 2.8 in the following nine (9) Core courses: 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.
  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:

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.

Accelerated (2nd Degree) BSN 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 application, unofficial transcripts from all institutions previously attended, a $20.00 application fee money order, and a printed copy of their TEAS exam scores by the application deadline.
    1. 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.”
    1. Currently, the entrance exam is the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), and the minimum qualifying score is 70.0%.