Accelerated BSN (ABSN) Program
journey today.
Prepare yourself for the nursing profession and contribute to the greater good through servant leadership with the 16-month ABSN nursing program at Grand Canyon University.1 This accelerated BSN program for non-nurses can not only supply healthcare employers with a steady stream of prepared nursing graduates, but also give qualified individuals increased access to a quality nursing education for a faster transition into the nursing profession.
GCU is ranked the #1 nursing college in Arizona for 20252
GCU’s accelerated BSN program is designed for individuals who have a non-nursing college education and are interested in pursuing a career in nursing. No matter your previous field of undergraduate study, our fast-paced ABSN program builds upon your education by following a logical, effective sequence of coursework, labs and clinical rotations over a 16-month time span.1 While the ABSN curriculum is rigorous and requires dedication and commitment, it also offers a hybrid learning model to provide a well-rounded educational experience.
Location Options for ABSN Students
As an ABSN degree student, you will complete much of the 16-month nursing program curriculum online.1 You will also attend hands-on nursing skills labs and immersive simulation experiences locally at our learning sites and complete supervised clinical rotations in local healthcare facilities.
As a candidate, you do not need prior healthcare experience to apply to our accelerated BSN program; however, you do need a non-nursing college education to begin the admission process. Our accelerated BSN program for non-nurses builds on your non-nursing college education by giving you credit for what you’ve already accomplished as an undergraduate, enabling you to jump right into professional nursing study on the first day of class.
Admission requirements may vary by state, so it’s important to talk to one of our qualified university counselors to ensure you fulfill all requirements.
Individuals who meet our academic requirements are eligible for our ABSN program. Before you can apply to and/or start in our ABSN program, you must have a:
To be eligible for the ABSN program, you need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 in prerequisite courses. If you have already completed some of these courses, you must have done so within the last seven years for your credits to be eligible for transfer. Any prerequisites you have not previously completed can be taken online through GCU.
General Education Courses
In your previous college experience, you’ve probably completed most, if not all, of these general education courses. But if you haven’t, don’t worry. You can complete any of these courses online through GCU.
Please note: Depending on the state where the student has enrolled, they may require a different or additional general education course. See University Policy Handbook.
To see a complete list of required general education courses, view the course list at the bottom of this page.
ABSN Admission Process
Our specialized university counselors help make the admission process as seamless as possible. Working exclusively with ABSN students, these counselors know the ins and outs of the program and are here to provide personalized support.
Complete the online form on this page and someone from our admission team will contact you directly. During this initial conversation, the admission counselor will go over some basic information and schedule your pre-admission interview.
Register for and complete the ABSN prerequisite courses within the specified requirements. For added convenience, you can complete these courses online through Grand Canyon University.
The pre-admission interview is an informal phone conversation that allows your admission counselor to get to know you and what you’re looking for in a nursing education. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the program. This is an important step in the admission process because we want to make sure our ABSN program is a good fit for you and vice versa.
Once you’ve satisfied all the admission requirements, you can start putting together your online application and targeting a program start date. As part of the application process, you’ll also need to submit the following:
Your university counselor will review your unofficial college transcripts and help you come up with a pre-enrollment plan that targets your preferred start date in the program.
The Lopes Center for Nursing Simulation provides opportunities to develop competent, compassionate, ethical professionals and innovative thinkers using evidence-based practice to connect theory to the real world. The immersive simulation experience enables students to develop and apply critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in a safe, consistent learning environment. Students can become effective communicators and transformative, servant leaders who utilize holistic Christian values to help promote human flourishing.
Once you earn your accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass the NCLEX, you are ready to get your license and practice as a registered nurse (RN). RNs can pursue employment in any number of healthcare settings, including hospitals, emergency rooms, physicians’ offices, schools, birthing centers and public health clinics.3 You can also work with patients across the healthcare continuum or pursue certification to specialize in a specific area of practice, from pediatrics to gerontology.
Alternative Work Environments for ABSN Program Graduates
While hospitals remain the largest employers of nurses, there are plenty of other healthcare facilities in need of qualified nurses.
Here are a few alternative work settings for nurses to consider after graduating from our ABSN program:4
Outpatient care centers and clinics
Patient homes
Rehabilitation clinics
Cruise ships
Military bases
Laboratories
Hospice care centers
Nursing homes
Healthcare consulting firms
Jails, juvenile detention centers or prisons
Accelerated BSN (ABSN) Program FAQs
If you’re still questioning whether or not an ABSN program is the best fit for you, read through some frequently asked questions to learn more about completing an accelerated program and earning your BSN.
Before you can be admitted into the ABSN program, you must complete nine ABSN prerequisites with a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.25 or higher. Please refer to the table above for a full list of the required prerequisite courses and expiration information.
Students who graduate from an ABSN program earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing — the same degree granted by a traditional BSN program. Essentially, an ABSN program is an accelerated education path for students who have completed undergraduate study in a field other than nursing.
Online accelerated nursing courses are rigorous and require self-discipline in the online learning environment. Instructor deadlines still apply, and you’ll want to make sure you account for the fast-paced nature of the program. In-person nursing skills labs at local facilities provide a contextual environment for you to learn and practice the safe, effective application of core clinical skills.
Every nursing school graduate needs to pass the NCLEX before they can be licensed to practice as a registered nurse. Consistently high first-time NCLEX pass rates for a school usually means it provides a quality education that reinforces the type of nursing content presented throughout the exam.
The first step is to speak with an admissions counselor to make sure the ABSN program is the right education path for you. If the program is a good fit and you decide to apply, this counselor will provide you with a high level of personalized support throughout the enrollment process.
With a BSN, you can practice in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings as well as pursue certification in any number of specialty areas. Salary is another reason to consider earning your BSN degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses have a median annual wage of $86,070 as of May 2023.5
A BSN can also give you the foundation to pursue a more advanced degree in the future, which can open the door to careers, such as nurse anesthetist, family nurse practitioner, acute care nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist.
Our estimated 16-month ABSN program tuition can be found on our tuition page and is subject to change without notice. Financial aid is available to help lower your tuition costs and make funding your nursing education more affordable.
While you can complete the ABSN coursework online, you will need to be within driving distance of our ABSN site. You will regularly come to local facilities to complete your nursing labs and simulations, and proctored exams with faculty. You will also complete your supervised clinicals at designated healthcare facilities near our site.
If you are a returning applicant, please contact your admissions advisor to confirm or determine your eligibility for the ABSN program. If eligible, your advisor will help you move forward with the next steps to take in the admission process.
To determine how many of your courses can transfer over to fulfill any prerequisite courses, the first step is to speak with a university counselor. Your counselor will review your transcripts, provide an evaluation for you and help you come up with a plan on how you can complete any remaining prerequisites.
If you meet above requirements and have a passion for nursing, the ABSN program is worth considering. In this program, you can earn your BSN degree in 16 months.1 The ABSN program also takes on a hybrid format, which may be more suitable for some students, while the traditional BSN program is an on-campus program.
Earn your BSN degree at a location nearest you. Enroll today.
- 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. For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page.
- Niche.com. (2024). Grand Canyon University Rankings. Retrieved Dec. 4, 2024.
- NurseJournal. (2023, Oct. 12). The 10 Best Places to Work as a Registered Nurse, Retrieved December 2024.
- NurseJournal. (2023, March 24). Where Do Nurses Work? A Breakdown of the Various Job Settings for Nurses. Retrieved December 2024.
- The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Registered Nurses, as of May 2023, retrieved May 9, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as registered nurses, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.