Individuals are generally required to complete certain courses before they can become admitted to an accelerated BSN degree program. Prerequisite course requirements will vary according to the specific college or university. In addition to completing general education credits, applicants usually must complete the courses which are required for entrance into the school's traditional BSN degree program. Applicants are generally required to take courses in science, such as biology, chemistry, microbiology, human anatomy, and human physiology. Students may also be required to take certain mathematics courses, such as college algebra and statistics.
The main benefit of accelerated BSN degrees is that students will be able to complete them in a shorter period of time, as they have usually earned most of the required general-education credits. Completion time will vary according to the specific college's program and how many prerequisite courses the student has taken prior to enrollment. Most accelerated BSN degrees allow students to graduate from the program within one year to eighteen months.
Admissions requirements vary according to the specific college and how competitive the program is. Individuals will be required to fill out an application by a given deadline and may need to submit letters of recommendation. Most colleges require applicants to have at least a 3.0 GPA in both their prerequisite courses and the first bachelor's degree that they earned. Note that meeting admissions requirements will not guarantee acceptance, as there may be a large number of applicants.
Students who are enrolled in accelerated BSN programs are often required to maintain full-time enrollment status. Due to the demanding schedule which is required for students to complete lectures and clinical hours, students are generally recommended to avoid working full-time while they are completing their degrees. It is also important to note that individuals who complete an accelerated BSN degree must pass the National Council Licensure Exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to become licensed to work in the field.