Fully Online Coursework, Hands-On Where It Counts
Assumption’s Post-Bachelor’s Accelerated Nursing Track is built for adult learners who need flexibility without sacrificing clinical rigor. Every academic course is delivered asynchronously online, while clinical learning happens face-to-face — in the Froelich School of Nursing’s high-fidelity simulation labs and through agency-based placements across Central Massachusetts. Students attend campus just one to two days a week for skills lab, simulation, and proctored exams.
The 16-month program, part of the Froelich School of Nursing (FSoN), packs 56 nursing credits into four terms and emphasizes clinical judgment, communication, and ethical decision-making.
The payoff showed in the program’s first results: all of Assumption’s 2025 pre-licensure nursing graduates — including the inaugural accelerated cohort — passed the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt.
Accreditation and Program Quality
The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and holds Full Approval from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The Froelich School of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the National League for Nursing (NLN), and the Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing (MACN). Graduates qualify to apply for licensure in Massachusetts; the school has not yet determined whether the curriculum meets licensure requirements in other states, so applicants seeking licensure elsewhere should verify their state’s rules.
Admissions and Prerequisites
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA in that first degree (prerequisite courses taken afterward factor into the overall GPA), plus a personal statement describing their academic journey and readiness for an accelerated program. Cohorts are capped at 30 students, and the program is currently limited to U.S. citizens due to licensure requirements.
Prerequisites must be completed with a C+ or higher within the last ten years (Ethics is excluded from the ten-year limit), and applicants may have no more than two in progress at the time of applying:
- Anatomy & Physiology I and II with lab (or a semester each of Anatomy and Physiology)
- Microbiology with lab
- Nutrition or General Chemistry with lab
- Growth and Development Across the Lifespan (or two courses spanning conception to death)
- Statistics
- Ethics
Prerequisites may be taken at any accredited institution, including community colleges and online; the school does not accept courses from Sophia Learning or StraighterLine.
Curriculum
Assumption’s 56-credit curriculum covers pathopharmacological processes, family and global health, mental health, and clinical judgment. Even-numbered courses are didactic and delivered asynchronously online; odd-numbered courses are clinical, meeting on campus and at agency sites. A minimum 2.7 (B-) GPA across the NUR coursework is required to graduate.
Term 1 (Summer I)
NUR 114 Basics of Professional Nursing
Introduces foundational skills in medication math and communication, essential for nursing practice. Basic physical health assessment skills are also covered.
NUR 200 Fundamentals of Professional Nursing
Covers core nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for safe, patient-centered care, emphasizing health assessment and evidence-based interventions. Prerequisite: NUR 114.
NUR 201 Fundamentals of Professional Nursing Clinical
Applies nursing theory to practice, focusing on patient assessment and essential interventions to develop safe, patient-centered care skills. Prerequisite: NUR 114.
NUR 204 Pathopharmacological Processes
Explores disease pathology, pharmacology basics, and how body systems respond to treatment, building a foundation for patient assessment and health promotion. Prerequisite: NUR 114.
NUR 210 Professional Nursing Concepts
Examines role development and critical thinking skills in nursing, using concepts and theories to frame clinical decision-making. Prerequisite: NUR 114.
Term 2 (Fall)
NUR 300 Professional Nursing
Presents frameworks for assessing health and providing compassionate care for acute and chronic conditions across the lifespan. Prerequisites: NUR 200, NUR 201, NUR 204, NUR 210.
NUR 301 Professional Nursing Clinical
Applies nursing process to care for patients with acute and chronic conditions, emphasizing patient-centered care and therapeutic communication. Prerequisites: NUR 200, NUR 201, NUR 204.
NUR 304 Pathopharmacological Therapeutics
Expands on disease processes, exploring polypharmacy and multi-system symptom management. Prerequisite: NUR 204.
NUR 310 Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Teaches students to analyze and apply research for evidence-based nursing interventions, with a focus on professional writing.
NUR 312 Professional Nursing: Promoting Mental Health
Focuses on frameworks for nursing care in mental health, including communication strategies and legal and ethical considerations.
NUR 313 Professional Nursing: Promoting Mental Health Clinical
Applies mental health nursing frameworks in clinical settings, emphasizing therapeutic relationships and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Term 3 (Spring)
NUR 214 Developing Clinical Judgment I
Introduces critical thinking through Caputi’s “Thinking like a Nurse” framework, encouraging clinical reasoning and decision-making in nursing.
NUR 400 Complexities of Professional Nursing
Covers nursing interventions for complex health conditions, focusing on evidence-based practices in a multifaceted healthcare environment.
NUR 401 Complexities of Professional Nursing Clinical
Applies nursing process to patients with complex conditions, enhancing clinical judgment and collaborative skills.
NUR 420 Professional Nursing: Promoting Family Health
Assesses family health and provides evidence-based care for family units across the developmental continuum.
NUR 421 Professional Nursing: Promoting Family Health Clinical
Focuses on family-centered care, adapting the nursing process to varied developmental stages in clinical settings.
Term 4 (Summer II)
NUR 412 Professional Nursing: Promoting Global Health
Explores nursing care in a global context, focusing on population health, social justice, and safe, ethical care.
NUR 413 Professional Nursing: Promoting Global Health Clinical
Develops skills in community health by planning and implementing health promotion projects under professional supervision.
NUR 414 Developing Clinical Judgment II
Advances clinical reasoning through complex scenarios, emphasizing evidence-based interventions and interdisciplinary communication.
NUR 490 Transition to Professional Nursing Practice
Prepares students for professional nursing roles, covering leadership, conflict management, and patient-centered care.
NUR 491 Transition to Professional Nursing Practice Clinical
Provides hands-on experience in leadership roles, reinforcing safe, compassionate care in varied healthcare settings.
More curriculum detail is available on the Assumption ABSN program page.
Clinical Training
Clinical learning takes place across hospitals, long-term care and community settings, and K-12 schools throughout Central Massachusetts. Affiliation agreements include UMass Memorial Health, Saint Vincent’s Hospital, Milford Hospital, Jewish Healthcare Center, and others. Students typically spend one to two days a week on campus for simulation and exams and about two days a week at clinical sites, with schedules varying by term and sometimes including evenings or weekends. Training begins early — students can enter clinicals within the first few weeks of the program — and uses ATI resources for ongoing learning and exam preparation.
Tuition
Tuition is a flat-rate bundled $61,500 for the Summer 2026 cohort, covering all courses across the 16-month track plus an iPad (issued in the first summer term), CastleBranch clinical credentialing, ATI student-success resources and assessments, exam-security software, laboratory supplies, and clinical-agency fees. Students separately purchase a uniform, a Littmann stethoscope, a manual blood pressure cuff, penlights, bandage scissors, and a watch with a sweep hand, and should budget for parking, transportation, and meals at clinical.
Assumption does not offer institutional scholarships or grants for ABSN students; financing options are federal Direct loans, private loans, outside scholarships, and payment plans. See the official cost of attendance page for details.
Additional Program Options
The Froelich School of Nursing offers other nursing pathways for further advancement. The ABSN itself is delivered in the hybrid format described above, with asynchronous online coursework paired with required on-campus labs and clinical placements.