Last Updated: October 7, 2026
Program Overview
Bradley’s 15-month ABSN starts each May and pairs a 59-credit cohort curriculum with nursing practica across Peoria hospital and community settings.
Bradley University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a full-time second-degree program for students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. It begins in May and finishes in August of the following year, with a published 59-credit nursing sequence.
Students study nursing theory alongside repeated supervised practica, beginning with foundations and adult care and progressing to specialty, complex-care and leadership experiences. The program prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN and the remaining steps required for RN licensure.
Program Format and Attendance
Cohort schedule: Bradley’s current catalog organizes the sequence across an initial summer, fall, spring and final summer. May Interim and two summer sessions divide the summer coursework; this is an intensive full-time route rather than a part-time completion program.
In-person practice: The curriculum includes campus learning and supervised practica in healthcare settings. The program highlights full-time nursing faculty and access to both hospital and community clinical experiences around Peoria.
Accreditation
Bradley’s accelerated BSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), as stated in the university’s current accelerated nursing catalog. Accreditation supports the program’s nursing education standards; licensure also requires examination and board approval.
Admissions Requirements
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing.
- Earn at least a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of college coursework. This is not described as a cumulative-all-coursework minimum.
- Complete all required prerequisites before the May start.
- Provide academic records needed for degree verification, transfer evaluation and the nursing application process.
Prior-degree credit: Bradley grants second-baccalaureate students credit for all Bradley Core Curriculum requirements after verifying that the first bachelor’s degree came from a regionally accredited institution. The nursing prerequisites and 59-credit ABSN sequence still apply.
Application Dates
May entry: Bradley’s domestic transfer admissions page includes applicants seeking a second bachelor’s degree and lists April 1 as the summer-entry application deadline, with classes beginning in May. Confirm the ABSN nursing application steps and any earlier cohort requirements with nursing admissions before relying on that university deadline.
Use the transfer and second-degree admissions instructions along with the accelerated program’s requirements. Prerequisites must be finished before program entry even if an application is submitted earlier.
Prerequisites
- Anatomy and Physiology with lab
- Fundamentals of Chemistry with lab
- Organic Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Pathophysiology
- Developmental Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Nutrition
- Statistics
Have nursing admissions evaluate prior coursework for these requirements before choosing additional classes. Bradley’s ABSN catalog lists the required subjects; an individual transfer evaluation determines which previously completed courses satisfy them.
Curriculum
The current accelerated plan lists 59 nursing credits: 13 in the first summer, 15 in fall, 14 in spring and 17 in the final summer. Assessment and fundamentals establish the first clinical base, followed by adult, maternal-newborn, pediatric, mental-health and community nursing and a final concentration on complex care and leadership.
The following sequence follows Bradley’s current ABSN plan. Course descriptions distinguish theory from practicum; the May and summer-session assignments are included where the program plan identifies them.
Required Courses and Credits
First Summer – 13 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 204 – Introduction to Health Assessment | 2.0 | Students learn to complete a full health history and physical exam using clear communication and core assessment techniques. The course emphasizes how to recognize normal versus abnormal findings. |
NUR 200 – Fundamentals of Nursing: Theory | 4.0 | Introduces foundational nursing concepts, including health, society, and the nursing process. Students focus on promoting wellness within the healthcare system. |
NUR 203 – Fundamentals of Nursing: Practicum | 2.0 | Provides supervised practice that matches NUR 200 content. Students apply basic nursing skills and the nursing process in real or simulated care settings. |
NUR 206 – Adult Health I: Intro to Medical-Surgical Nursing | 3.0 | Introduces adult med-surg nursing with emphasis on health promotion and recovery. Students apply nursing concepts to common adult health needs. |
NUR 207 – Adult Health I: Practicum | 2.0 | Clinical practice linked to NUR 206. Students use the nursing process to support adult patients in care settings. |
Fall – 15 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 303 – Research in Nursing | 3.0 | Teaches students to evaluate nursing research and use evidence in practice. Students critique studies and write a structured literature review. |
NUR 306 – Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Theory | 3.0 | Covers nursing care for the birthing person, newborn, and family across the childbearing cycle. Students apply the nursing process to normal and complicated scenarios. |
NUR 307 – Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Practicum | 2.0 | Clinical experiences tied to NUR 306. Students provide maternal-newborn care under supervision. |
NUR 308 – Nursing of Children: Theory | 3.0 | Focuses on pediatric nursing from infancy through adolescence. Content includes growth and development, prevention, and care for acute and chronic illness. |
NUR 309 – Nursing of Children: Practicum | 2.0 | Clinical practice aligned with NUR 308. Students apply pediatric nursing concepts in supervised settings. |
NUR 318 – Pharmacology and Nursing Implications | 2.0 | Introduces drug therapy and nursing responsibilities across the lifespan. Topics include safety, ethics, culture, and patient education. |
Spring – 14 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 314 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing: Theory | 2.0 | Introduces mental health nursing concepts and therapeutic approaches. Students apply the nursing process to individuals, families, and communities. |
NUR 315 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing: Practicum | 2.0 | Supervised clinical experiences in mental health settings. Students practice therapeutic communication and evidence-based interventions. |
NUR 316 – Adult Health II: Medical-Surgical Nursing: Theory | 4.0 | Builds med-surg knowledge with focus on selected body systems. Students plan nursing care for complex adult health problems. |
NUR 317 – Adult Health II: Practicum | 2.0 | Clinical practice connected to NUR 316. Students apply med-surg concepts and strengthen clinical judgment. |
NUR 404 – Community Health Nursing: Theory | 2.0 | Introduces population-focused nursing in community settings. Students use epidemiology, prevention, and health promotion to guide care planning. |
NUR 418 – Contemporary Nursing Leadership | 2.0 | Covers leadership and management basics for nursing practice. Students examine informatics and policy actions that support practice change. |
Final Summer – 17 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 403 – Community Health Nursing: Practicum | 2.5 | Community-based clinical experiences linked to NUR 404. Students apply population health strategies in real settings. |
NUR 408 – Adult Health III: Medical-Surgical Nursing: Theory | 3.0 | Advances med-surg concepts across selected body systems. Students integrate care for individuals, families, and communities. |
NUR 409 – Senior Practicum I | 2.5 | Clinical practice tied to NUR 408. Students strengthen priority setting and care management in supervised placements. |
NUR 414 – Senior Seminar: Preparation for Professional Nursing | 1.0 | Prepares students for NCLEX-RN and entry to practice. Focus includes test plans, test-taking skills, and critical thinking. |
NUR 410 – Adult Health IV: Multi-System Challenges: Theory | 3.0 | Focuses on nursing care for patients with complex, multi-system conditions. Students apply advanced med-surg reasoning and care coordination. |
NUR 413 – Leadership Practicum | 2.5 | Clinical leadership experiences connected to NUR 418. Students practice delegation, communication, and management skills in complex settings. |
NUR 417 – Senior Practicum II | 2.5 | Clinical practice linked to NUR 410. Students manage complex patient care and refine clinical decision-making. |
Summer sessions: The first May Interim contains NUR 204; Summer Session 1 contains NUR 200 and 203, and Session 2 contains NUR 206 and 207. In the final summer, NUR 403 is in May Interim; NUR 408, 409 and 414 are in Session 1; and NUR 410, 413 and 417 are in Session 2.
The nursing course catalog provides descriptions and grading details. Several practica are graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory; theory and practicum requirements must both be completed under the nursing program’s progression rules.
Clinical Experience
Theory and practice: Supervised practica accompany foundations, adult health, maternal-newborn, pediatric, psychiatric and community nursing. The final summer includes senior and leadership practica, while NUR 414 supports NCLEX-RN preparation and entry to professional practice.
Peoria clinical network: Bradley describes two major hospitals, a Level 1 trauma center and a children’s hospital affiliated with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital among its clinical resources. It also identifies nursing homes, social-service agencies, county health organizations and rural health clinics, providing urban and rural settings.
Actual clinical assignments and schedules depend on the nursing program and partner sites. Plan for required attendance and transportation; the profile does not promise a particular facility or a fixed commute for every rotation.
Program Completion and Licensure
The published cohort timeline ends with the BSN awarded in August. Graduates then follow the examination application and licensing process for the state where they plan to practice; completing the degree alone does not make a graduate a licensed nurse.
Tuition and Costs
Published 2026–27 ABSN tuition: $45,000. Bradley identifies this as tuition for the 15-month accelerated program. It is separate from the standard annual undergraduate tuition figure and from required fees and living expenses.
Nursing surcharge: The university fee schedule assesses $50 per credit for undergraduate Department of Nursing courses except NUR 300 and NUR 407. Neither exception appears in the 59-credit ABSN plan; applying the published surcharge to the sequence gives approximately $2,950 in nursing course charges, subject to the cohort’s actual bill.
University fees: The schedule lists an activity fee of $95 per semester for undergraduates taking at least nine hours, a health-center fee of $160 for students taking at least seven hours, and a technology fee of $250 for undergraduates taking at least six hours. These sum to $505 for a semester meeting all three thresholds; confirm how May Interim and summer sessions are billed for the ABSN cohort.
- Budget separately for books, supplies, uniforms, equipment, screening, immunizations, insurance and any required clinical-compliance expenses.
- Housing, meals, clinical transportation and personal expenses are not included in the $45,000 tuition figure.
- Prerequisites taken before entry or additional coursework can add charges.
- Review second-degree financial-aid eligibility and applicable scholarships with Bradley; general undergraduate award statistics do not establish an individual ABSN aid package.
The official tuition and fee page publishes the ABSN-specific price and surcharge schedule. Tuition is subject to change, so students entering a later academic year should confirm their cohort’s charges.
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