Online Nursing Programs

The length of time it takes to earn one of our online nursing degrees will depend on your previous education and individual schedule.^{(See disclaimer 1)} RN to BSN candidates who want to earn an MSN can accelerate their nursing education by choosing the BSN to MSN fast track option. There are specific requirements you must meet to be eligible for the fast-track program. To learn more, fill out the form on this page to speak with a university counselor. 

An online nursing school follows a hybrid approach designed to offer greater convenience and flexibility to nursing students, as well as to enable them to complete coursework irrespective of geographical location. In an online program, you’ll complete nursing classes via an e-learning platform that allows access to coursework and also provides for remote academic discussions with peers. Online nursing education typically requires in-person experiential hours. You’ll complete clinical, practicum and immersion hours onsite locally. 

Virtual nursing education classwork is completed online, but with clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed in person locally. Clinicals are an essential part of most nursing programs, as they are intended to allow you to apply what you’ve been taught and provide opportunities to gain hands-on skills. Many of GCU's online programs contain clinical and practicum hours, and an evidence-based capstone course, all of 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.
 

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. 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 “bridge” courses designed to help you meet the prerequisite requirements needed to enroll in an MSN program. Each bridge can be taken online. Contact an enrollment representative for more information on our nursing bridge pathways.
 

All online nursing degree programs require some form of direct clinical experience, practicum or immersion experience that allows you to demonstrate achievement of clinical competency at the baccalaureate or graduate levels. Therefore, both traditional and online programs at GCU require clinical, practicum or immersion experiences. For many online programs, you complete your clinical requirements in your local community. Contact the Office of Field Experience to learn more about the specialized support offered to GCU students completing their nursing clinical experiences.
 

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 as few as 14 months. Students who transfer in the maximum of 90 credits, including six upper division, may be able to complete the core courses in as few as 12 months.^{(See disclaimer 3)} The accelerated BSN programs can be completed in as few as 16 months.^{(See disclaimer 4)} 
 

Online and on-campus nursing programs both deliver the same caliber of education.^{(See disclaimer 1)} The main differences between the two lie in their flexibility, time of completion and location of clinical sites. 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 self-discipline, as that is a more critical factor when completing online programs than on-campus programs.