Program Overview
One of the most accessible entries into nursing in Virginia — Averett states it’s the only ABSN in the state that admits students with 60 non-nursing college credits instead of requiring a completed bachelor’s degree — paired with a reachable 2.8 GPA, three start dates a year, and clinical rotations that begin in the first semester.
Averett University offers a 16-month Accelerated BSN built for career changers who want to leverage prior college education into a nursing degree. The program is delivered at Averett’s ABSN Learning Center in Norfolk, Virginia (the university itself is based in Danville), and blends online nursing theory with in-person labs, simulation, and clinical rotations.
A distinctive feature is its accessibility: Averett states it is the only ABSN program in Virginia that offers an alternative to a completed bachelor’s degree for eligibility, admitting students who hold either a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits.
With three start dates a year — January, April or May, and August — students can begin sooner, and clinical rotations start in the first semester. Graduates qualify to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
Accreditation
Averett University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and holds approval from the Virginia Board of Nursing. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
ABSN Admission Summary
Averett’s ABSN allows entry with either a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits — the alternative pathway the school cites as unique among Virginia ABSN programs.
Key admission requirements
- Education: non-nursing bachelor’s degree OR a minimum of 60 non-nursing credits
- GPA: minimum 2.8 cumulative across prior institutions
- TEAS exam: minimum 65% score, taken within one year of application
- Grades: all math and science courses completed with a C or better
- Certified criminal background check
- 12-panel drug screen
- No prior nursing dismissals (grades below C in nursing courses)
- Health requirements: CPR, immunizations, physical exam, and health insurance before the program starts
Admissions follows a four-step process: speak with an advisor, create an academic plan, complete prerequisites, and submit the final application.
Prerequisites
Bachelor’s-degree applicants (18 credits): complete five science and math prerequisites with a C or higher:
- Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
- Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab
- Microbiology with Lab
- Introduction to Statistics
- Developmental Psychology
Advanced-standing applicants (43 credits total): includes Biology, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Microbiology, English Composition, Literature, Humanities/Fine Arts, Math, Statistics, Psychology, and approved social sciences. Prerequisite tuition, if needed, is $480 per credit hour.
Curriculum
The ABSN curriculum includes 66 nursing credit hours completed over four full-time semesters. Nursing theory courses are delivered online, while labs, simulations, exams, and clinical rotations occur in person.
NUR 210 – Client Centered Care: Introduction (5 cr.)
Introduces basic nursing interventions for clients with common health needs while beginning professional role socialization. Includes 45 clinical hours and 45 skills lab hours.
NUR 211 – Health Assessment (2 cr.)
Prepares students to collect systematic health data, interpret findings, and communicate effectively during comprehensive client assessments. Includes 45 hours of lab practice.
NUR 213 – Clinical Management of Disease I (3 cr.)
Covers pathophysiologic changes and related pharmacology for common disorders of the respiratory, cardiac, immune, and neurologic systems, plus oncologic conditions, using the nursing process framework.
NUR 214 – Contemporary Issues in Nursing (3 cr.)
Examines current and emerging issues in healthcare and how nurses respond through advocacy, professionalism, and evolving practice roles.
NUR 215 – Client Centered Care: Adult I (5 cr.)
Emphasizes nursing process, critical thinking, and decision-making in caring for adults with acute and chronic conditions of the respiratory, cardiac, immune, and neurologic systems and cancer. Includes 90 clinical hours.
NUR 216 – Improving Patient Outcomes (3 cr.)
Introduces core concepts, tools, and methods for delivering safe, high-quality care and enhancing patient outcomes and practice environments.
NUR 325 – Client Centered Care: Adult II (5 cr.)
Builds on Adult I to manage complex acute and chronic conditions involving the GI, endocrine, renal, musculoskeletal, and reproductive systems. Includes 90 clinical hours.
NUR 326 – Clinical Management of Disease II (3 cr.)
Continues study of pathophysiology and pharmacology, focusing on GI, endocrine, renal, musculoskeletal, and reproductive disorders across the lifespan within the nursing process.
NUR 327 – Client Centered Care: Mental Health (4 cr.)
Applies the nursing process to compassionate care of individuals and families living with acute and chronic psychiatric or mental health conditions. Includes 45 clinical hours.
NUR 328 – Client Centered Care: Maternal & Child (5 cr.)
Uses the nursing process to assess and manage health needs of childbearing and childrearing families, with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. Includes 45 clinical hours.
NUR 329 – Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
Develops skills to locate, appraise, and apply research evidence to nursing practice and client care, highlighting the role of technology and informatics in driving change.
NUR 330 – Global Health Perspectives (3 cr.)
Prepares students to deliver culturally sensitive physical and spiritual care to diverse populations in global and local contexts.
NUR 438 – Ethics for the Health Sciences I (3 cr.)
Provides ethical and legal frameworks to address common dilemmas faced by health professionals as citizens, clinicians, and managers of care.
NUR 439 – Client Centered Care: Public Health (5 cr.)
Explores public health nursing roles in assessing, planning, and managing care for communities using Healthy People 2020 as a guiding framework. Includes 90 clinical hours.
NUR 440 – Healthcare Economics (2 cr.)
Introduces healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory systems, highlighting trends from local to national levels that shape care delivery.
NUR 441 – Client Centered Care: Complex Health Problems (5 cr.)
Integrates prior coursework to manage care for critically ill patients and families, emphasizing complex decision-making in varied clinical environments. Includes 90 clinical hours.
NUR 442 – Transition to Practice I (5 cr.)
Focuses on developing entry-level leadership and management skills, exploring change theories and internal healthcare system forces as students begin transitioning into professional practice. Includes 90 clinical hours.
NUR 443 – Transition to Practice II (2 cr.)
Synthesizes learning from all nursing courses to prepare students for the NCLEX-RN and the responsibilities of the generalist nurse role.
More detail is available in the Averett academic catalog.
Clinicals
Students complete 585 total clinical hours, including 488 direct-care hours at healthcare facilities and 97 simulation hours at the learning center. Clinical rotations begin in the first semester, and students gain experience in adult care, maternal-child, mental health, public health, and complex care settings.
Supervised simulation labs use high-fidelity manikins to strengthen clinical judgment before real-world placements.
Tuition
Program tuition is 66 credits × $950 per credit = $62,700, plus approximately $3,775 in program fees, for roughly $66,475 in tuition and fees (a $500 deposit applies toward tuition). Books (approximately $1,900) and any additional prerequisite courses ($480 per credit) are not included.
Confirm current figures via the official tuition page.