Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
Cal State LA’s ABSN begins in June and combines 15 months of continuous study with specialty practicums and a final preceptor-guided clinical capstone.
The Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing is for non-RNs who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. The full-time Los Angeles program includes 57 nursing credits across summer, fall, winter, spring and a final summer.
Students earn a BSN and become eligible to pursue the NCLEX-RN and other California licensure requirements. The program requires in-person laboratory and clinical participation; it is not an online route that can be completed remotely.
Admissions and Prerequisites
GPA, Degree and Entrance Exam
- Bachelor’s degree: A non-nursing bachelor’s degree completed by the end of the fall term preceding entry. For the June 2027 cohort, that means fall 2026.
- Required GPA: At least 3.0 in the most recent 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits.
- Preferred degree GPA: A bachelor’s-degree GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; this is distinct from the required last-60-credit GPA.
- Science grades: B or higher in each of the four science prerequisites with labs.
- ATI TEAS: A national percentile rank of at least 70 in each of the four categories. This is a percentile-rank requirement, not a raw score of 70%.
The current FAQ allows one TEAS attempt during an application cycle and requires a test taken less than one year before entry. Applicants should verify the accepted testing dates for their cycle before scheduling the exam and submit the Individual Performance Profile with their NursingCAS materials.
Prerequisite Coursework
The following courses are separate from the 57-credit nursing curriculum:
- Human Anatomy with lab: 4 semester credits, B or higher.
- Human Physiology with lab: 4 semester credits, B or higher.
- Microbiology with lab: 4 semester credits, B or higher.
- Chemistry with lab: 4 semester credits, B or higher.
- Inferential Statistics: 3 semester credits, C or higher.
- Critical Thinking: 3 semester credits, C or higher.
All four science prerequisites must be finished by the preceding fall term. Remaining nonscience prerequisites may be completed during winter intersession after consultation with the program coordinator; official evidence of completion must arrive before May. There is no prerequisite recency limit, and approved online courses and labs are accepted.
The FAQ limits each prerequisite to two attempts and averages both grades when a course is repeated. Its repeat-policy rule requires an averaged grade of B or higher. Use the program’s equivalency guidance or ASSIST to check transfer courses; courses from Sophia and StraighterLine are not accepted.
Application Dates and Materials
For the June 2027 cohort, the published nursing application window is November 1, 2026–January 6, 2027. Apply first through NursingCAS. PaGE staff then instruct applicants when and how to submit the separate Cal State Apply university application; admission is required from both the nursing program and the university.
- Official transcripts from every college attended.
- Two recommendations written within the preceding year, submitted by the recommenders.
- An essay of no more than two double-spaced pages describing professional goals, motivation and qualifications.
- A résumé and relevant experience information; healthcare work or volunteering is strongly encouraged, rather than a universal employment prerequisite.
- ATI TEAS results and any other cycle-specific materials listed in NursingCAS.
Selected applicants are invited to a Zoom interview. The main program page lists June 1, 2027 as the final transcript deadline; prerequisite and application-document deadlines occur earlier. Consult the official ABSN application page for the current documents and submission instructions.
Curriculum
The program begins with nursing fundamentals, pathophysiology and assessment, then moves into adult medical-surgical and mental-health care. Leadership follows in winter, with pediatrics, obstetrics and advanced adult care in spring; the final summer combines community health with transition-to-practice capstone courses.
The August 2026 ABSN roadmap lists 57 nursing credits, distributed 11, 18, 2, 16 and 10 across the five terms. These are the same 57 credits used in the program tuition calculation; prerequisites and the additional graduation courses below are outside that total.
Required Courses and Credits
Summer I — 11 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 3200 — Fundamentals of Nursing | 3 | Professional nursing, therapeutic communication and basic physical and psychological care needs. |
NURS 3205 — Fundamentals of Nursing Practicum | 2 | Foundational clinical care of adults and older adults, applying communication and nursing-process skills. |
NURS 3280 — Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice | 3 | Disease processes across the lifespan and the physiological reasons for nursing interventions. |
NURS 3620 — Health Assessment and Health Promotion Across the Life Span | 2 | Physical assessment, diagnostic testing, health promotion and patient education. |
NURS 3625 — Health Assessment and Health Promotion Practicum | 1 | Practicing vital signs, history taking, physical examination and patient education. |
Fall — 18 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 3220 — Medical Surgical Nursing | 4 | Assessment and management of adult and older-adult conditions across major body systems, including perioperative care. |
NURS 3230 — Medical Surgical Nursing Practicum | 4 | Simulation and clinical care for adults with medical-surgical conditions, including medication and intravenous therapies. |
NURS 4405 — Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing | 3 | Nursing assessment and care for patients experiencing psychological and social difficulties. |
NURS 4410 — Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing Practicum | 2 | Applying the nursing process in supervised psychiatric and mental-health settings. |
NURS 4240 — Introduction to Nursing Research | 2 | Reading, critiquing and using research to inform clinical practice. |
NURS 3610 — Pharmacology | 3 | Major drug classes, mechanisms of action and nursing responsibilities throughout the lifespan. |
Winter — 2 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4615 — Nursing Leadership | 2 | Healthcare organizations, policy and delivery systems; leading teams and coordinating patient care. |
Spring — 16 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 3265 — Pediatric Nursing | 3 | Health promotion and nursing care for common childhood health problems. |
NURS 3270 — Pediatric Nursing Practicum | 2 | Clinical care of children and their families in varied settings. |
NURS 3245 — Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing | 3 | Reproductive health and care before, during and after childbirth, including newborn care. |
NURS 3250 — Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing Practicum | 2 | The clinical practicum paired with women’s health, obstetric and neonatal nursing theory. |
NURS 4440 — Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing | 3 | High-acuity adult care, complex acute and chronic illness, critical-care foundations and end-of-life care. |
NURS 4450 — Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing Practicum | 3 | Applying advanced nursing skills with patients who have complex medical-surgical conditions. |
Summer II — 10 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4420 — Community & Public Health Nursing | 3 | Population health, prevention, equity, epidemiology, community needs and emergency preparedness. |
NURS 4430 — Community & Public Health Nursing Practicum | 3 | Applying nursing and public-health approaches with communities and populations. |
NURS 4960 — Transition to Nursing Professional Practice | 1 | A capstone integrating clinical judgment, reflection and preparation for the professional nursing role. |
NURS 4970 — Transition to Nursing Professional Practice Practicum | 3 | A preceptor-guided clinical capstone integrating advanced nursing skills and decision-making. |
Additional Graduation Courses
Three additional subject requirements sit outside the ABSN nursing sequence. Students should have prior coursework evaluated and complete any outstanding requirement before the program when possible:
- Psychology of the Developing Person, or an approved lifespan growth-and-development equivalent: 3 credits. Introductory psychology alone does not satisfy this requirement.
- Introduction to Sociology or Cultural Anthropology: 3 credits.
- An approved nutrition course: 3 credits.
These are 9 credits of additional requirements, not an instruction for every admitted student to repeat courses already accepted in transfer.
Clinical Experience and Progression
Practicums accompany fundamentals, assessment, adult care, mental health, pediatrics, reproductive health and community health. Advanced medical-surgical practice adds complex care, while the final NURS 4970 practicum integrates skills and clinical decisions with a preceptor. Its companion NURS 4960 capstone focuses on reflection, synthesis and transition into the professional role.
Students must remain enrolled full time and maintain an overall program GPA of at least 3.0. Employment must fit around required classes and clinical assignments, rather than determining the nursing schedule.
Facilities
The Nursing Simulation Center includes high-fidelity adult, birthing, infant and child simulators, with recording and two debriefing rooms. A physical-assessment lab has seven examination rooms, and the skills lab provides seven realistic patient-care spaces and task trainers.
A 32-station computer laboratory supports informatics instruction and adaptive testing. These resources give students opportunities to practice assessments, procedures and clinical judgment alongside supervised patient-care experiences.
Tuition and Costs
Program tuition is $39,615: 57 credits × $695 per credit. This self-support program is offered through the College of Professional and Global Education (PaGE), and the published rate is the same for in-state and out-of-state U.S. residents.
The university’s linked budget uses 2026–27 expenses. Applying its rate to the verified curriculum gives the following tuition breakdown; future rates may change.
| Term | Credits | Tuition at $695 per credit |
|---|---|---|
Summer I | 11 | $7,645 |
Fall | 18 | $12,510 |
Winter | 2 | $1,390 |
Spring | 16 | $11,120 |
Summer II | 10 | $6,950 |
Total | 57 | $39,615 |
The published budget estimates another $6,900 in non-tuition costs, for approximately $46,515 combined. That allowance includes university fees, books, compliance expenses and licensure-related costs; it is not a single mandatory university fee and does not cover living expenses.
Examples from the cost sheet include:
- University Student Union: $137.25 per semester; ASI fee: $26.88 per semester.
- Exxat background/health-clearance documentation and screening package: $315 once.
- Skills lab fee: $200; estimated Elsevier learning and proctored-exam materials: approximately $2,000.
- Textbooks: approximately $1,200; uniforms/lab coat/nursing ID: approximately $150.
- Student liability insurance: $20 per year; site-specific onboarding charges: $50–$100.
- Additional health-center, parking, immunization, CPR, graduation and licensing expenses.
The official estimated cost sheet provides the individual items. Outstanding prerequisite and graduation courses, housing, food and travel require additional budgeting.
Students can submit the FAFSA and explore eligible loans and scholarships with financial aid staff. The Cal-Vet Fee Waiver does not apply to this self-support program.
Graduate Study Options
ABSN students may apply for Cal State LA’s MSN during the nursing program, subject to a separate application, interview and admission decision. Enrollment in the ABSN does not guarantee a graduate-program place.
The program FAQ identifies adult-gerontology acute care, adult-gerontology primary care, family and psychiatric/mental-health nurse practitioner options. Applicants considering graduate study should review the current graduate and certificate programs for available tracks and requirements.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing’s baccalaureate program is CCNE-accredited and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
The BRN reports a 96.12% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate among 103 Cal State LA testers for July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025. This is a school-level prelicensure result, not an ABSN-only pass rate. See the BRN’s published results for the reporting definitions.