Accelerated Nursing Program
Accelerated, Combined BSN and Master’s Degree Program
Are you looking to re-start your career and move into the in-demand field of Nursing?
Or, are you a recent grad who wants to move into this challenging and rewarding profession?
The Accelerated Combined Degree Program consists of a BSN + a Master's degree and is designed for people with non-Nursing degrees to move into a career where they make a difference both in the lives of others and their own.
How you learn
The Combined Degree Program (CDP) is a specially designed, accelerated curriculum for non-nurse college graduates (U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent) who wish to study nursing in a first professional degree program (BSN) combined with the option of an advanced professional degree program (MS or MA). As a student in the baccalaureate portion of the CDP Program, you may progress according to a one-year full-time plan or a two-year plan. All students must complete prerequisites before entering the one-year or two-year program.
Career outcomes
After completing study for the first professional degree, the student receives a BSN and is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Upon completion of the BSN, students who wish to obtain the optional MS portion of the CDP must submit an application to change to this graduate program by March 1. Admission to the graduate program is in the fall semester. If you do choose to go on for the master’s degree, up to six credits will be double counted for both the BSN and the master’s.
Combined BS in Nursing and Master’s in a Nursing Specialty
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite courses may be taken at Pace or transferred; for transfer credit to be granted, a grade of C or better must be earned. Check with the Office of Graduate Admission for details.
General Psychology (Any PSY 100-Level Course)
Statistics
Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab
Microbiology with lab
Chemistry with lab
Note: Computer Science 3 credits (or) evidence of word processing & data entry skills is pre- or co-requisite to graduate nursing courses. It is the student’s responsibility to have all transcripts sent directly to The Graduate Admissions office for all pre-requisite courses completed at other colleges. Students cannot graduate from the CDP without complete documentation showing completion of all pre-requisite courses.
Semester I
Building a Foundation for Nursing Practice
Communication for Professional Nursing
Clinical Management in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
Foundational Study in Pathophysiology
Concepts of Evidence-Based Practice for Practice Improvement
Graduate elective
Semester II
Clinical Management in Adult Medical and Surgical Nursing
Clinical Management in Maternal-Newborn Nursing and Women’s Health
Pharmacology for Professional Nursing
Pathophysiology: Concepts of Multisystem Alteration
Clinical Management in Child Health Nursing
Semester III
Clinical Management of Population Health
Organizational and Systems Leadership in Nursing
Evolution to Professional Nursing
Graduate elective
Ethics and Excellence in Professional Nursing
Important Information About the CDP
• Students who previously failed a nursing course or who were academically dismissed from a nursing program are not eligible for admission to the CDP.
• Admission of students who have attended other nursing programs (without failing a class or being academically dismissed) will be considered on a case by case basis. These students may be required to provide additional application materials e.g., letter(s) of reference from didactic and clinical faculty.
• The CDP is an intensive, rigorous program, so students must plan to consistently study to be successful. The full time program requires students to dedicate as many as 36 hours of weekly class and clinical hours not including study hours. We encourage students to think about personal and professional commitments and the significant amount of time necessary to devote to the program on a daily basis. Students taking 12 or more credits (one and two year programs) should not work.
• CDP students must maintain a minimum of a C+ average (77% and higher) in their undergraduate nursing courses and an overall CQPA of 3.0. For graduate courses, the passing grade is a B.
• Once admitted to Pace, students must attend a mandatory CDP clinical calculation exam session. Students must pass the clinical calculation exam that is given prior to each semester in order to take clinical courses.
• Once admitted to Pace, students must attend a mandatory Orientation session.
• Nursing students are required to undergo background checks and a 10 panel drug screen as part of the clinical clearance process.
• CDP applications are not reviewed until all pre-requisites have been completed. Applications will not be considered for admission until all required documents have been submitted to the Admission Office.
• The preferred application deadline for January entry is September 1; the final deadline for January entry is October 15. The preferred application deadline for September entry is March 1; the final deadline for September entry is April 15.
• Admission to the CDP is competitive, and class size is limited to a maximum of 64 students per class. Applications will be processed on a space available basis until the 64 seats are filled. To guarantee a seat, students must deposit within two weeks of admission. Students who do not deposit within two weeks of admission are NOT guaranteed a seat. Deposits received after all 64 seats are filled will be returned.
Please refer to the Lienhard School of Nursing website under clinical clearance for further updates and any additional requirements.
Recent Graduates Talk About the Program...
