Online Nursing Programs
Earn a Nursing Degree Online
You can find a rewarding career in the field of nursing by enrolling in one of the accredited online nursing degree programs at Grand Canyon University (GCU). Offered through the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, our nursing online degrees are designed to help you foster best practices and patient care success.
Prepare to serve others as future leaders within the healthcare field by choosing from a variety of undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. By choosing one of our online nursing programs, you can prepare for an exciting healthcare career while enjoying the flexibility online learning offers to fit within any schedule.
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Become a leader in the nursing profession and strengthen your knowledge of patient care. GCU’s accredited undergraduate nursing online degrees help you gain knowledge in community health, healthcare management and professional nursing practice GCU also offers specialized programs to help prepare you for your desired field.
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MSN Fast Track Options Are Available
The MSN Fast Track Option simulates an RN to MSN program in duration. Complete two graduate-level courses from your chosen MSN emphasis as electives toward meeting the BSN requirements.
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The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is designed for practice-focused leaders who are interested in translating current research into innovative solutions that help achieve positive outcomes. The DNP helps you meet your personal and professional goals while preparing for a career as a nurse executive or educator.
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If you have already completed your Master of Science in Nursing but wish to further your education by earning a specialized certificate with one of GCU's online Post-Master of Science in Nursing programs. Our nursing degree online programs focus on applicable skills to help you prepare to work with diverse populations across the lifespan or mentor and teach the next generation of nurses.
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Online Nursing Degrees for Military Servicemembers and Spouses
GCU offers programs in online nursing for military spouses, military members and veterans. Explore our nursing programs for military spouses and servicemembers.
Online Scholarships Military Servicemembers and Spouses
There are various scholarship opportunities available for military servicemembers, veterans and spouses at GCU. Some of these include scholarship support for online active duty servicemembers, veterans, spouses and dependents and can be applicable toward your online nursing degree at GCU. You can find all these scholarships on the Military Scholarships page.
Online Nursing Program FAQs
If you're considering earning your nursing degree online, read through our frequently asked questions to learn more about online nursing programs and discover the best program for you.
The length of time it takes to earn one of our online nursing degrees will depend on your previous education and individual schedule. RN to BSN candidates who want to earn an MSN can accelerate their nursing education by choosing the BSN to MSN fast track option. Fill out the form on this page to speak with an enrollment representative and learn more about your opportunities.
Online nursing programs complete classwork online, with the practicum capstone hours accomplished in your local area. Clinicals are an essential part of most nursing programs, as they allow you to apply your knowledge and gain hands-on skills. Many of GCU's online nursing programs contain a clinical practicum and an evidence-based capstone course, which are designed to help put your knowledge into practice. At GCU, the Office of Field Experience can help you set up your clinical/practicum experience.
Students enrolled in the RN-BSN Program at GCU receive exposure to community and public health content in their Concepts in Community and Public Health course and have an opportunity to apply their learning by way of a community teaching project however, the program does not prepare graduates for specialty certification in community or public health which is regulated by individual state boards of nursing. Students are encouraged to contact their individual boards of nursing to obtain specific information regarding additional content and clinical requirements to obtain community/public health certification in their state.
If you are a registered nurse and hold a bachelor’s degree that is not in nursing, you may be eligible to enroll in one of our bridge to MSN pathways. At GCU, you may enroll in bridge pathways that accelerate the completion of a graduate degree in nursing. Students completing a bridge pathway do not receive a BSN degree upon completion but rather finish their program with an MSN. The nursing bridge pathways include six “bridge” courses designed to help you gain the knowledge needed to successfully complete an MSN program. Each program can be taken online. Contact an enrollment representative for more information on our nursing bridge pathways.
All online nursing degrees require some form of direct clinical experience or practicum that allow you to demonstrate achievement of clinical competency at the baccalaureate or master’s levels. Therefore, both traditional and online nursing programs at GCU require clinical or practicum experience. For many online nursing programs, you complete your clinical requirements in your local community. Many students find that these experiences not only enhance their knowledge of leadership and public health but also lead to meaningful change in their local health organization or community. Contact the Office of Field Experience to learn more about the specialized support offered to GCU students completing their nursing clinical experiences.
There are various nursing degrees offered for those aspiring to become nurses or wishing to advance their nursing career. These include the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Health Informatics and Doctor of Nursing Practice, to name a few. With these various programs comes different program formats, including online nursing programs like the RN to BSN program.
Nursing program length can vary depending on the program format and required number of credits. The RN to BSN core courses can be completed in 14 months. Students that transfer in the maximum of 90 credits, including six upper division, may be able to complete the core courses in as little as 12 months.2 Traditional nursing programs, such as an undergraduate BSN program, typically take four years to complete, while accelerated BSN programs can take only 16 months.3
Online and on-campus nursing programs still deliver the same caliber of education. The main differences between the two lies in their flexibility, time of completion and location of clinical sites. For example, an online nursing program that takes 12 months to complete may require you to secure your own clinical sites, while an on-campus program that takes four years to complete may already have arrangements made for you. The cost of these programs is typically comparable, but there may be slight differences in specific fees or tuition that are important to consider. It’s also important to assess your ability to self-discipline, as that is a more critical factor when completing online programs than on-campus programs.
1 Retrieved from Niche.com, Grand Canyon University Rankings, in September 2022
2 The entire program requires 120 credits.
3 Secondary Applicants must transfer a minimum of 60 of the required 123 credits or have completed a baccalaureate degree which includes nine prerequisite courses/labs and 10 general education courses prior to starting the core nursing courses, which can be completed in as few as 16 months. Direct Entry Applicants that do not transfer 60 credits but meet the minimum requirements can complete these credits through GCU prior to starting the core nursing courses. Depending on the state where student has enrolled or intends to complete the program, student may require additional courses. This may include, but is not limited to, additional general education courses, courses in the major, clinical courses, or a different course sequence. See University Policy Handbook.