A BSN degree comes from four-year colleges and universities. To receive a BSN degree, students will have to fulfill the liberal arts requirements of their particular college or university. Typical liberal arts requirements include math, foreign language, English and sociology. Nursing students might want to incorporate coursework in communication or business to enhance their education.
Students working toward an ADN usually attend a community or junior college, where the program might take two to three years to complete. Nursing students seeking an ADN also will most likely have to incorporate liberal arts courses into their education.
BSN, ADN and nursing diploma programs (typically offered by hospitals) require science courses. Candidates will study human anatomy, biology, chemistry and physiology. It is vital for nurses to understand the human body, its composition, and the way it works. Nurses also must understand prescription drugs and their interactions.
Aside from science courses, nurses in any program also will study nutrition, phlebotomy, psychology and other behavioral sciences, and nursing itself. They might take courses to learn about how to care for the elderly, people with disabilities, children or other specific nursing fields.
Students who want to have a nursing specialization, such as surgical nursing, emergency nursing or work as a nurse anesthetist, will need to take additional courses specific to their field.