Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
Transform your career with the Ohio State Accelerated BSN program. Designed for non-nursing degree holders, this intensive five semester pathway delivers immersive clinical training and prep for NCLEX success at a top-ranked nursing school.
ABSN program at Ohio State
Ohio State’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed for students ready to transition into nursing through a rigorous, full-time educational experience. This program combines academic excellence, immersive clinical learning and support from a nationally recognized nursing faculty.
From your first semester, you will learn in collaborative healthcare environments that prepare you for modern nursing practice. Through simulation, coursework and clinical experiences, students build the knowledge, confidence and clinical judgment needed to succeed as registered nurses.
As an accelerated BSN student at Ohio State, you will:
- Complete your degree in five consecutive semesters
- Learn in nationally recognized nursing and simulation environments
- Gain hands-on clinical experience across diverse healthcare settings
- Study with expert faculty at a top-ranked nursing college
- Prepare to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam
- Join a large alumni and healthcare network
Students also benefit from learning experiences connected to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and other leading healthcare partners, providing exposure to interdisciplinary care, advanced technologies and complex patient populations.
U.S. News & World Report ranks Ohio State’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program No. 1 among public institutions and No. 4 overall.
A nursing program designed for career changers
Ohio State’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed for students looking to transition into healthcare after earning a bachelor’s degree in another field. Whether your background is in psychology, business, biology, public health or another discipline, the accelerated BSN pathway allows you to build on your previous education while focusing on nursing coursework, clinical experiences and hands-on learning.
Graduates are prepared to pursue nursing careers in hospitals, outpatient clinics, community health settings, specialty care and beyond.
Application deadline
Summer 2027
Open: Oct. 1, 2026
Deadline: Jan. 10, 2027
Summer 2026 application is closed
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On campus
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59 credit hours
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5 semesters
Accelerated BSN admission requirements
- A non-nursing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- If in process of completing your bachelor’s degree, it must be conferred by the first month of beginning the program.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all college-level work
- GPAs are reviewed by Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions Office.
Eligibility restrictions
The program does not admit students who have earned a diploma, an Associate Degree in Nursing or a bachelor’s degrees earned outside of the United States.
All prerequisite courses must be completed before the application deadline. Courses in progress at the deadline will not be considered.
Requirements:
- Earn a B- or higher in all prerequisite courses
- If your institution does not use plus/minus grading, a B or higher is required
- AP scores of 3 or higher may be accepted for chemistry and psychology prerequisites
Prerequisites completed at Ohio State
You may complete prerequisite coursework at Ohio State. If you enroll in undergraduate courses outside of a degree program, apply as an extended education student. Contact extendeded@osu.edu for enrollment information.
The following Ohio State courses meet prerequisite requirements:
- Human Anatomy (lab required; all body systems; 3 credit hours)
ANATOMY 2300, ANATOMY 3300, EEOB 2510 or EEOB 2511 - Human Physiology (all body systems; 3 credit hours)
EEOB 2520, PHR 3100, PHYSIO 3101, PHYSIO 3102 or PHYSIO 3200 - Human Nutrition (lifespan focus; 2–3 credit hours)
HUMNUT 2210, HUMNNTR 2310 or HUMNNTR 2410 - Microbiology (lab required; 3 credit hours)
MICRBIO 4000.01 or MICRBIO 4000.02 - Psychology (3 credit hours)
PSYCH 1100 - Chemistry (lab required; 4 credit hours)
CHEM 1110, 1210, 1220, 1610, 1620, 1910H, 1920H, 2510, 2520, 2610, 2620, 2910H or BIOCHEM 2210
Prerequisites completed at another institution
Use Transferology and Ohio State equivalency tools to determine if your coursework meets requirements.
If you cannot find an equivalent course, you may request a course evaluation through Graduate and Professional Admissions. You may submit up to three courses to ESUE-gpevaluation@osu.edu. For more than three courses, submit the evaluation request form.
Be prepared to provide:
- Course number and title
- Institution
- Term completed
- Credit hours
- Course description
Course evaluations may take several weeks and may require additional documentation. Learn more about resolving transfer credit.
Program length
- Five consecutive semesters of full-time study, including summers
Credit hours
- 59
Delivery format
- Online and in-person
- Clinical and lab experiences will be in-person.
- You will receive credit for general education courses so the schedule will consist primarily of nursing courses.
Schedule is tentative and the sequence of coursework may change. The sample schedule does not provide a list of prerequisite courses required for admission into the program. Required prerequisite coursework can be found on the prerequisite section.
First semester – Summer
- N2105 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice (2 credit hours)
- N2451 Nursing Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I (3 credit hours)
- N3275 Adult Nursing I (7 credit hours)**
- N5115 Mindstrong (1 credit hour)
Second semester – Autumn
- N2782 Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (2 credit hours)
- N2452 Nursing Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II (3 credit hours)
- N3276 Adult Nursing II (6 credit hours)**
- N2420 A Nursing Perspective: Life Span Development Within a Family Context (3 credit hours)
Third semester – Spring
- N4341 Nursing Clinical Judgment in Psychiatric and Mental Health Care (4 credit hours)**
- N4240S Concepts in Community Health Nursing (4 credit hours)**
- N3430 Cultural Competence in Health Care: U.S. and Global Contexts (3 credit hours)
Fourth semester – Summer
- N3260 Nursing Care of Children and Their Families (4 credit hours)**
- N3280 Nursing Care of Women and Families During Reproductive Transitions (4 credit hours)**
- N4401 Innovative Strategies in Leadership and Systems-Based Practice (2 credit hours)
Fifth Semester – Autumn
- N4590 Practicum for the Utilization of Nursing Clinical Judgment (6 credit hours)**
- N4402 Synthesis of Nursing Practice and Patient Care in Complex Health Care Systems (2 credit hours)
- N4525 Quality, Safety and Informatics (3 credit hours)
** Courses include theory, clinical, and laboratory components. Clinical and laboratory requirements range from one to two days per week, depending on course hours reported to the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Allow up to five business days for the status of materials to be updated on your application status. You can track the status of your application through your applicant center. Direct questions about application materials to gpadmissions@osu.edu.
- Deadline
- Submit your application and all required materials by the posted deadline.
- Official transcripts for coursework, test scores or AP exams completed outside Ohio State must be submitted to Graduate and Professional Admissions. Transcripts must include final grades for all completed courses, including prerequisites.
- Decision
- Late March
- Your application status will show "pending" until a decision is posted.
- You will be notified through your Applicant Center and by email from Graduate and Professional Admissions.
- Accept offer
- Within two weeks of notification
- You will receive a virtual admissions packet with next steps.
- Newly admitted students are required to pay a $100 acceptance fee. This fee is waived for current Ohio State students.
How to apply to the ABSN program
Apply online through the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. Pay the $60 application fee at the time of submission.
Complete the required essay question included in the application before submitting. You are encouraged to work on the essay in a separate word processing program and then copy and paste your response into the application.
Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended or currently attend, including institutions where you earned dual credit or College Credit Plus coursework, even if the credit appears on your high school transcript.
Do not submit transcripts for coursework completed at Ohio State.
Submit transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. If your application to-do list requires a transcript for an institution you did not attend, contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions and the College of Nursing at nursing@osu.edu.
Applicants must submit all application materials by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline to be considered for admission.
Contact
Students are admitted once per year for summer semester.