Program Overview
Earn a BSN in 12 months with no upfront tuition costs — employer-funded pathways like the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program (up to $45,000) and the Baptist Nursing Knowledge Program (exclusive to Bellarmine), plus free summer housing — backed by a 91.4% five-year average first-time NCLEX pass rate.
Bellarmine University’s second-degree Accelerated BSN, offered through the Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Clinical Sciences, runs an intensive 12-month format built on three semesters, each split into two short sessions. Its defining advantage is funding: through partner scholarship-to-work programs — the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program (up to $45,000 in tuition assistance) and the Baptist Nursing Knowledge Program — eligible students can complete the BSN in one year with no upfront tuition costs, and free residential summer housing is available.
Students complete the program on-campus in Louisville with clinical experiences at area sites, training in Bellarmine’s Healthcare Simulation Center (with dedicated spaces for simulated obstetrics, pediatrics, and adult care).
Graduates consistently surpass national, regional, and local benchmarks, averaging a 91.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate over the last five years.
For students who need a less compressed pace, Bellarmine also offers 17-month and 24-month flexible-format options.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-master’s FNP certificate programs at Bellarmine University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the BSN program is approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN, with a 91.4% five-year average first-time pass rate (Kentucky Board of Nursing data).
Funding & No Upfront Tuition
Bellarmine emphasizes scholarship-to-work pathways that can eliminate upfront tuition:
- Norton Healthcare Scholars Program: up to $45,000 in tuition assistance in exchange for a commitment to work at Norton Healthcare facilities in the Louisville region after graduation; complete the ABSN in 12 months with no upfront tuition costs.
- Baptist Nursing Knowledge Program: an initiative exclusive to Bellarmine within the Baptist Healthcare system, supporting professional development and a path to employment.
- Bellarmine Healthcare Partners Scholarship: up to $7,500 toward the final-semester tuition bill for students enrolled in the Norton Scholars or Baptist programs (a signed Norton or Baptist contract is required; recipients are not eligible for the free first-semester housing).
- UofL Health Nursing Scholar Program: up to $24,000 for students who commit to a direct-care RN role at UofL Health after graduation.
- Additional options include the HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship, VA Health Professional Scholarship, ROTC, the Kentucky Board of Nursing Incentive Scholarship Fund, and federal aid via FAFSA (Bellarmine school code 001954).
Admission Requirements
Applications are submitted through NursingCAS (a $60 CAS fee applies; no supplemental application or fee), and verification takes 4-6 weeks, so early submission helps. Applicants may apply while completing prerequisites.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in any discipline from a regionally accredited college or university
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and minimum 3.0 prerequisite GPA (4.0 scale)
- Grade of B− or better in all prerequisite natural science and nutrition courses; C or better in all other prerequisites
- Personal statement describing experiences that led to nursing
- Completion of a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) course (clinical skills begin on day one)
- $100 non-refundable tuition deposit after admission to confirm a seat
Applicants below a 3.0 cumulative GPA may still be reviewed with a 3.0+ prerequisite GPA and grades of B or higher in Anatomy & Physiology I and II and Microbiology. Three or more unsatisfactory grades across A&P I, A&P II, and Microbiology make an applicant ineligible. Before the cohort start, students complete AHA BLS CPR, a background check, immunization documentation, drug testing, and required virtual and in-person orientations. International applicants provide a WES or SpanTran course-by-course evaluation and meet English-proficiency requirements; the ABSN is generally not open to students who require a new F-1 visa (limited exceptions for certain currently active F-1 students).
Prerequisite Courses
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II (6-8 credit hours)
- Microbiology
Because the ABSN format does not allow concurrent outside coursework, students must provide proof that all prerequisite and degree coursework is complete by the dates in their admission notification.
Curriculum
The ABSN plan covers about 58 credits in a structured three-semester sequence (two sessions per semester) that blends class, lab, simulation, and clinical. Course order may shift as clinical resources change, and students receive detailed schedules about two weeks before classes begin.
Semester 1 (May-August or January-May)
Session 1 (11 credits)
NURA 335 – Population Health Nursing I: Health Promotion, Intrinsic Dignity & Inclusivity (4)
Introduces population-focused nursing with an emphasis on health promotion, human dignity, and inclusive, equitable care across diverse communities.
NURA 341 – Professional Nursing I: Introduction to Professional Nursing & EBP (3)
Establishes the professional nursing role and introduces evidence-based practice, ethics, and the foundations of clinical reasoning.
NURA 302 – Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (4)
Develops comprehensive health history and physical assessment skills for clients of all ages, with practice in distinguishing normal from abnormal findings.
Session 2 (10.5 credits)
NURA 303 – Applied Pharmacology (3)
Covers drug classifications, actions, and safe medication administration, applying pharmacology principles to nursing care.
NURA 300 – Foundations of Nursing Concepts (4.5)
Introduces foundational nursing concepts and skills through lab and clinical practice, building safe, patient-centered care competencies.
BIOL 300 – Pathophysiology (3)
Examines structural and functional changes the body undergoes in disease at molecular, cellular, and organ-system levels, tailored for nursing and health science majors.
Semester 2 (August-December or May-August)
Session 3 (11.5 credits)
NURA 331 – Complex Nursing Care of Adults I (4.5)
Applies the nursing process to adults with acute and complex medical-surgical conditions, with clinical practice in acute care settings.
NURA 442 – Professional Nursing II: EBP, Policy, Quality, and Safety (3)
Builds on professional nursing foundations, focusing on evidence-based practice, health policy, quality improvement, and patient safety.
NURA 336 – Population Health Nursing II: Vulnerable and Underserved Populations (4)
Extends population health nursing to vulnerable and underserved groups, emphasizing equity, access, and community-based care.
Session 4 (8.5 credits)
NURA 432 – Complex Nursing Care of Adults II (4.5)
Advances care of adults with complex, multi-system and high-acuity conditions, strengthening clinical judgment and prioritization.
NURA 325 – Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing & Wellness (4)
Covers psychiatric-mental health nursing, therapeutic communication, and care for clients across the spectrum of mental and behavioral health.
Semester 3 (January-May or August-December)
Session 5 (7.5 credits)
NURA 416 – Special Topics (3)
Explores selected contemporary nursing topics that round out clinical and professional preparation.
NURA 425 – Nursing Care of Childbearing/Childrearing Families (4.5)
Focuses on family-centered care across childbearing and childrearing, including maternal, newborn, and pediatric nursing with clinical practice.
Session 6 (9 credits)
NURA 460 – Comprehensive Review (2)
Provides structured NCLEX-RN preparation through review, practice testing, and personalized study planning.
NURA 450 – Nursing Practice Immersion (4)
A culminating precepted clinical immersion that integrates prior learning and eases the transition to professional practice.
NURA 443 – Professional Nursing III: Quality, Management, Leadership (3)
Completes the professional sequence with leadership, management, and quality concepts for entry into practice.
More detail is available in the Bellarmine ABSN catalog and the plan of study.
Clinicals & Skills Labs
Bellarmine combines clinical days, skills labs, and simulation to build bedside readiness before high-stakes patient care; the plan of study lists 630 clinical hours for the ABSN format. Students attend classes two to three days a week and clinicals two to three days a week (Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend rotations offset by a weekday off), rotating through adult health, women’s health, pediatrics, psychiatric-mental health, critical care, and community health.
Clinical experiences take place at Louisville-area sites, including designated partner units where students learn from nurse educators employed by local healthcare partners.
The Healthcare Simulation Center features high-fidelity mannequins, task trainers, and virtual reality systems, with dedicated spaces for obstetrics, pediatrics, and adult care scenarios.
Tuition
Tuition is $905 per credit hour, so 58 credit hours total $52,490 (which includes books), plus about $5,000 in course fees, for an estimated $57,490 in tuition and fees. Rates do not include supplies, uniforms, or travel to clinical sites.
Tuition stays at this rate for the duration of the one-year program. Beyond the employer scholarship-to-work pathways, second-degree students are eligible for federal Direct Loans (up to $25,000 as an independent or $15,000 as a dependent student across the program).
Confirm current figures via the official program page.
Related Programs
Bellarmine also offers a traditional BSN, MSN tracks (Nursing Education, Nursing Administration, Family Nurse Practitioner, AGACNP, PMHNP), and DNP pathways (including Nurse Anesthesia), so ABSN graduates can continue directly into advanced practice.