LPN to BSN Bridge Track
The LPN to BSN Bridge track is designed for individuals who are License Practical Nurses (LPNs). Our program is designed with a clear pathway to complete a BSN through academic training, clinical practice and direct support and mentorship from world-renowned experts.
Upon graduating, you will be eligible to take the State Board, National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN). Please consider joining us and taking part in one of the top ranked BSN programs in the nation! Apply today and expand your career path while answering your calling to care.
Admission Requirements | Prerequisites | Curriculum
How to Apply | Admission Timeline | Frequently Asked Questions
Application Deadlines
- Summer 2025
Opens: October 15, 2024
Deadline: January 10, 2025
Transcript deadline: January 10, 2025
Admission decisions are made after the application deadline, and applicants are notified through the Applicant Center and via email (sent by the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions).
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admissions, applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements by the posted deadline.
- Graduate from an approved LPN program with a GPA of 2.5 or recent college work with a 2.75 or greater (good standing with Ohio State)
- Complete prerequisites
- Completed LPN program (transcripts)
- Ohio unencumbered LPN license
- 18 years old by first clinical course
- Official transcripts provided
Prerequisites
Applicants must complete six (6) prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher. Courses completed at other institutions will be considered for equivalency to one of the Ohio State courses listed below.
These courses must be completed and official transcripts reflecting a final grade for these courses received by the posted deadline.
- Human Anatomy
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Must include a laboratory component, all body systems
- ANATOMY 2300
- ANATOMY 3300
- EEOB 2510
- Human Physiology
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Must include all body systems.
- EEOB 2520
- PHR 3100
- PHYSIO 3101
- PHYSIO 3102
- PHYSIO 3200
- Chemistry
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Must include a laboratory component.
- CHEM 1110 1110, 1210, 1220, 1610, 1620, 1910H, 1920H, 2510, 2520, 2610, 2620, 2910H, BIO CHEM 2210
- English
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- ENGLISH 1110
- Psychology
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- PSYCH 1100
- Sociology
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- RURLSOC 1500
- SOCIOL 1101
- Prerequisites taken at another institution
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To determine if a course completed at another institution will transfer as an equivalent, you can refer to Transferology, a web resource containing transfer information for courses offered at colleges or universities. You can also review the transfer credit charts created by the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. If you are unable to locate your courses through these two resources, please email the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions at gpadmissions@osu.edu to request assistance with evaluating your courses. All prerequisite courses completed at other institutions are reviewed by the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. If a course is not a direct equivalent, a further review will be needed.
You are responsible for verifying that all the prerequisite courses taken (or planned) satisfy prerequisite requirements.
The following are other important aspects of completing prerequisite courses outside of Ohio State:
- Students taking prerequisite courses at institutions that do not award grades on a +/- scale must earn a grade of B or higher in each of the prerequisite courses to be eligible for admission.
- General (GEN), special (SPL), or technical (TECH) credit may potentially satisfy prerequisite requirements. Further review will be needed if this occurs.
- The "To-Do List" in the Applicant Center will alert you if you have deficiencies related to your prerequisites. The College of Nursing will not inform you of any unfulfilled prerequisite courses or incomplete requirements.
- It is important to include all current and planned transfer coursework in the prerequisite summary on the BSN application.
- If you are required to have any of your prerequisite courses reevaluated, you will need to contact the corresponding Transfer Credit Coordinator. It is critical that you communicate the results of the reevaluation to the College of Nursing prior to the May admission requirements deadline. Results of the reevaluation should be emailed to nursing@osu.edu.
Questions or concerns regarding your transfer prerequisite coursework should be directed to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions at 614-292-9444 or gpadmissions@osu.edu.
Curriculum
Students will receive credit for their LPN education once they complete the summer LPN bridge courses. The following requirements must be met to progress to the BSN traditional curriculum in autumn semester.
- Successful completion (C+ or higher) of Nursing 2000 LPN to BSN Bridge Course (6 credit hours) and Nursing 2450 Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice (3 credit hours).
- Industry Transfer Assurance Guide (ITAG) credit will be awarded at the end of summer semester (20 credit hours) for the BSN traditional courses once completed. This includes Nursing 2000 LPN to BSN Bridge Course (6 credit hours) and Nursing 2450 (3 credit hours).
- Nursing 2450 Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice (3 credit hours) must be completed to get credit for N2451 Nursing Pathophysiology & Pharmacology I (3 credit hours) and N2452 Nursing Pathophysiology & Pharmacology II (3 credit hours).
- Nursing 2000 LPN to BSN Bridge Course (6 credit hours) must be completed to get credit for the following courses listed.
- Nursing 2271 Foundational Knowledge for Nursing Practice I (4 credit hours)
- Nursing 2200 Art of Professional Nursing I (2 credit hours)
- Nursing 2272 Foundational Knowledge for Nursing Practice II (4 credit hours)
- Nursing 2201 Art of Professional Nursing II (2 credit hours)
- Nursing 2782 Foundational Principles of EBP and Nursing Science (2 credit hours)
To see the full list of courses that are part of the curriculum, please visit this page. Note that students admitted to the LPN to BSN Bridge track will have completed seven of these courses by the completion of summer bridge semester as noted above.
View a sample schedule here. Note that this schedule is a sample and therefore is tentative and the sequence of coursework may change based on a number of different factors. The sample schedule does not provide an exhaustive list of prerequisite courses required for admission into the LPN to BSN program. Required prerequisite coursework can be found above in the admission requirements section.
How to Apply
To apply for the LPN to BSN Bridge track, you must complete the following steps:
- Submit the online application.
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You can complete and submit the online LPN to BSN application through the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. A $60 fee is required at the time of submission of the application.
Complete two essays that are embedded in the online application. Employees of the College of Nursing cannot review or edit your essay responses.
- Submit official transcripts, completed certificates and test scores for all college coursework.
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All transcripts and test scores (including those demonstrating completion of prerequisite courses) must be received by the posted deadline.
You must submit official transcripts from all colleges, career technical schools and universities that you have previously attended or currently attend. This includes transcripts for any college credit earned through dual credit (i.e. college credit plus) education programs, regardless of whether the credit appears on your high school transcript. If your LPN training is only listed on your high school transcripts, please submit your high school transcripts.
Applicants do not need to submit transcripts for coursework completed at Ohio State.
Official transcripts are submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. Please refer to their website for instructions on how to submit your transcripts. If a transcript for a college or university is listed as required on your application To-Do List but you never attended that institution, please contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. You should also contact the College of Nursing at nursing@osu.edu to notify us of the requirement.
If the application for admission is not completed by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on January 10, 2025 you will not be considered for admission.
Admission Timeline
You can review the admission timeline here. This admissions timeline covers what you can expect throughout the application process, including an anticipated timeline for when admissions decisions will be released and next steps if you are offered admission. You are not able to defer admittance. If you are unable to begin your studies in the term to which you applied, you will be required to reapply in the future.
All required application materials must be submitted by their published deadlines in order for your application to be considered. Please check your Application Status page to review your status and ensure all required materials are submitted by the deadline. If you have questions about your application checklist, please contact the Office of Graduation & Professional Admissions at gpadmissions@osu.edu.
Once released, all admission decisions for the LPN to BSN Bridge track are final.
Individualized feedback on your admissions decision or materials cannot be provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What credits will transfer from my previous institution to fulfill General Education Requirements?
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Upon successful completion of the Nursing Bridge Course, a maximum of 30 nursing credit hours will be applied from your LPN program towards the nursing curriculum. In addition, some general education credits may transfer and be applicable to the general education requirements at Ohio State. Once you accept the offer of admission, you can find out more information about transfer credit on the University’s Registrar’s website.
- Do you accept courses from my previous or current program?
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We accept college-level courses from institutions recognized/accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. How credit transfers into Ohio State may vary based on the type of accreditation the institution holds.
- What credits will transfer from my previous institution and fulfill the admission standards?
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The courses submitted may apply towards prerequisites, but the transfer credit from the university on your degree audit is another type of approval. Approval by the university is not required for admission or graduation as long as general education credit is met.
- Do I have to take prerequisite courses?
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Yes, prerequisite coursework is required for admission into the LPN to BSN program. Prerequisites required are Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, English, Psychology and Sociology. Please visit our admissions information up above for an overview of the admissions requirements and process.
- My perquisites are older than 5 years, will I need to retake them?
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No, we have not placed a time limit on prerequisites.
- I do not live in Ohio, will I be considered for admission?
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Yes. All admitted students will need a valid and unencumbered LPN license in Ohio before starting the program. The program will also require you to be on-campus and complete clinicals around the Columbus area. You may charged out-of-state for tuition.
- What is the cost of the program?
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You will pay tuition and fees each semester you are enrolled in the program, based on the number of credit hours you are completing. Please visit the BSN Tuition and Fees webpage for more information about the cost of attendance.
- How long does this program take to complete?
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This program is designed to be completed in 2 full calendar years (May-May).
- Do I need to take an entrance exam?
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No.
- Are clinicals necessary (LPN)?
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LPN to BSN students are required to take several clinical courses in order to progress in their program they include: Adults and Older Adults (2 semesters), Children and their Families, Women and Infants during Reproductive Transitions, Community Health, and Psychiatric and Mental Health. Students are placed in a clinical group of typically eight students at an assigned site. A College of Nursing clinical instructor will also be on the site to supervise and instruct students.
- Do I have to find my own clinical placements?
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The Clinical Placement Office will arrange your clinical experiences. For more information about the placement process click here.
- Is this program available in the online format?
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The LPN to BSN courses are offered on-campus only.
- How many days a week will I be in class/clinical?
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This will vary throughout the program, but at least two days a week can be expected.
- Can I take courses in the program before I am officially admitted?
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Student cannot enroll in nursing classes unless they have applied and been admitted into the LPN to BSN program.
- Do I have to pass the NCLEX-PN before enrolling?
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Yes, an Ohio unencumbered LPN license is required for admission into the program. Applicants are required to submit a copy of the LPN license when completing the LPN to BSN application.
- Can I still work as an LPN while in the program?
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Yes.
- I have a bachelor’s in another field, will you take this into consideration?
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We invite you to consider our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing option.
Apply now
Contact Us
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (NEPQR-PRNP) Grant UD749618 entitled the LIVEWELL LPN to BSN Bridge Program as part of an award totaling $3,999,074. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.