Prospective nurses and people already with a qualification and working as nurses can choose from a range of educational qualifications. The associate degree is a basis for passing the licensing exam. A bachelor's degree gives a nurse the title BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). A master's degree is useful for specialization in a particular field of nursing, and a prospective postgraduate student can also undertake a Ph.D. online to specialize in research.
For entry into a bachelor's degree in nursing, a student will have to have a high school diploma or an associate degree in nursing. Generally, online institutions do not offer an associate degree in nursing but rather bachelor's degrees onward. However, you may be able to find an associate degree in your area from a college that combines both classroom learning and online learning.
A student can earn a bachelor's degree as an initial qualification or as a licensed Registered Nurse (RN). An RN can also take a direct route to a master's degree through an RN to a Master of Science in nursing (MS). Alternatively, a nurse with a bachelor's degree can apply to pursue a master's degree. A nurse who already has a bachelor's or master's degree can opt for a Ph.D. Each college has its own admission requirements and a minimum grade-point average requirement for potential students.
Correspondence learning may not just concentrate on academic subjects delivered through the Internet. The college may require a student to perform practical assignments or clinical projects in her workplace or community as part of the program. The student may also be part of a classroom group, where she can interact with other students and a lecturer online. The programs may also offer forums, e-mail chat and a central website where she can find assignments and tests and interact with her allocated lecturer.
Online courses generally charge by credit hour. The cost per credit hour ranges from about $300 to $500, as of March 2011. Prospective students may be able to transfer previous college credits toward a particular degree, and therefore reduce the cost of tuition.
A student will have to pay extra costs for online learning. These include the costs of the books, which could be about $150 per course. Other fees which may be applicable include registration fees, graduation fees, transcript fees, course extension fees, new student fees, test fees and a resource fee to cover resources the institution provides to students.
A student can also avail of financial aid and in some cases, a low-interest loan. Some online colleges offer out-of-state applicants the same tuition rate as in-state applicants.