Program Overview
Two tracks — a full-time daytime cohort and a flexible hybrid option with asynchronous lectures — let students choose between an immersive schedule or one that allows working full-time while earning the degree.
Capital University’s Accelerated BSN is built around flexibility: students choose between a traditional daytime cohort and a hybrid track designed so they can keep working full-time. Both run five semesters (about 20 months), begin each fall, and embed clinical experience from the first term.
The hybrid track delivers lectures asynchronously online, with on-campus labs and check-ins one evening a week (typically Wednesdays, 4-9 p.m.) plus one clinical day on Thursday or Saturday.
Clinicals for both tracks run across Capital’s network of 80-plus Central Ohio health partners — including Magnet hospitals such as OhioHealth, OSU Wexner Medical Center and The James, Nationwide Children’s, and Mount Carmel.
The program reported a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2024, offers 1:1 faculty advising start to finish, and embeds three master’s-level courses that jump-start a future MSN. Its holistic philosophy also prepares graduates to sit for holistic nurse certification.
Admission Requirements
Applicants need a completed bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution, with a cumulative 3.0 GPA and at least a 2.75 average across the four required sciences. Applicants who don’t meet these thresholds may be reviewed case by case.
Required application materials:
- Online accelerated BSN application
- A 1-2 page essay covering motivation for a second degree in nursing, future goals, and why Capital
- Three professional recommendation forms with reference letters
- Current resume
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
Admission is rolling, with a December 1 priority deadline and a May 1 final deadline for the fall start. Cohorts run 25-50 students (daytime) and up to 32 (hybrid). After acceptance, students complete a Hepatitis B series, BCI/FBI background checks, and a drug screen before clinicals.
Prerequisite Courses
The four science prerequisites must be completed within the last five years (a waiver may be requested by applicants currently working in a health/science field); Lifespan Development has no time limit. Sciences should include labs.
- Microbiology
- Human Anatomy (or A&P I)
- Human Physiology (or A&P II)
- Chemistry: one semester of biological/biochemistry or two semesters of general chemistry
- Lifespan Development / Human Growth and Development (conception through death)
Curriculum
The program consists of 14 undergraduate nursing courses covering essential nursing concepts, clinical skills, and specialized practice areas, with clinical experience beginning in the first term.
Semester I
130 Ways of Knowing
Introduces the nursing profession, covering its history, scope of practice, and role in healthcare teams. Emphasizes holistic care, legal and ethical responsibilities, cultural diversity, and social determinants of health. Develops self-awareness, critical thinking, and communication skills.
110 Health, Culture, & Diversity
Explores cultural diversity, holistic care, and magico-religious health traditions. Examines the impact of culture on health and illness. Emphasizes self-awareness, sensitivity, and inclusivity in nursing practice.
232 Nsg Fundamentals
Covers foundational nursing therapeutics and holistic care for clients experiencing developmental transitions. Focuses on the nursing process, critical thinking, interprofessional communication, and therapeutic relationships.
233 Nsg Funds Practicum
Provides hands-on experience in applying holistic nursing therapeutics in various healthcare settings. Develops critical thinking, communication, and patient-centered care skills.
226 Nsg Communications & Assessment
Introduces holistic health assessment, critical thinking, and evidence-based nursing therapeutics. Covers physical, psychological, and spiritual development across the lifespan with an emphasis on adults.
227 Nsg Communication & Assessment Practicum
Applies health assessment techniques in clinical and lab settings. Focuses on infection control, communication, and patient safety. Develops assessment and documentation skills.
Semester II
364 Pathophysiology
Examines physiological changes related to disease processes. Covers organ system dysfunction and its impact on health-illness transitions.
266 Pharmacology
Introduces pharmacologic principles, drug classifications, and the nurse’s role in safe medication administration. Covers pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic effects, and patient education across the lifespan.
470 Community/Public Health Nursing
Explores community and population health nursing, emphasizing prevention and health promotion. Covers ethical, cultural, and environmental factors affecting public health.
471 C/PH Practicum
Applies public health nursing concepts in community-based settings. Focuses on community assessment, resource access, and policy evaluation.
362 Adults in Transitions 1
Examines holistic nursing care for adults experiencing acute and chronic health-illness transitions. Covers assessment, patient-centered care, therapeutic communication, and disease prevention, with attention to cultural diversity.
363 Adults in Trans 1 Practicum
Develops clinical skills in managing chronic conditions in adult clients. Focuses on patient-centered care, therapeutic communication, and disease prevention.
Semester III
366 Adults in Transitions 2
Focuses on acute health-illness transitions in adults. Covers assessment, risk factors, pharmacology, and prevention strategies. Emphasizes the nurse’s role in health counseling and patient education.
367 Adults in Trans 2 Practicum
Provides clinical experience in acute care settings. Develops skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing interventions for adults with medical-surgical conditions.
384 Childbearing Health in Transitions
Explores holistic nursing care for families during reproductive transitions. Covers family health-illness transitions and cultural influences on maternal care.
383 Childbearing Practicum
Applies nursing care principles for childbearing families. Develops skills in assessment, planning, and implementing quality maternal health care.
382 Health Trans in Children & Fam
Examines pediatric health transitions within the family unit. Covers developmental, situational, and cultural aspects of pediatric nursing care.
381 Children Practicum
Provides clinical experience in pediatric nursing. Develops skills in assessment, planning, and implementing holistic care for children and families.
370 Nsg Research
Introduces nursing research principles and evidence-based practice. Covers the role of research in improving patient outcomes.
Semester IV
472 Care of the Complex Client
Integrates nursing knowledge from previous courses to manage complex health conditions. Covers healthcare systems, resource management, and quality improvement.
473 Care of the Complex Client Practicum
Provides clinical experience in managing complex clients. Focuses on holistic assessment, intervention, and coordination of care.
452 Mental Health Nursing
Explores psychiatric nursing care, including therapeutic interventions, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments, and mental health settings.
451 MH Practicum
Applies psychiatric nursing skills in clinical settings. Focuses on planning, implementing, and evaluating holistic mental health interventions.
498 Senior Seminar
Prepares students for the transition to professional nursing. Covers leadership, management, delegation, and professional responsibilities.
Capital’s ABSN also includes three master’s-level courses — healthcare statistics, research and evidence-based practice, and healthcare informatics — that earn graduate credit toward an MSN. More curriculum detail is available in the Capital University course bulletin.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experiences are embedded from the first term and run across Capital’s network of more than 80 Central Ohio health systems, including several Magnet hospitals — OhioHealth (Riverside, Grant, Dublin), OSU Wexner Medical Center and The James, Nationwide Children’s, and Mount Carmel St. Ann’s, among others. Because the program isn’t tied to a single hospital, students rotate through varied facilities, which helps them target a career path before graduation. Clinical days are typically Thursdays or Saturdays.
Tuition
Tuition is about $620 per credit hour, for an estimated total of $53,341 including fees, books, and miscellaneous expenses. As a private-university accelerated BSN, it sits in the mid-range. Confirm the current rate directly, as published figures change. See the official tuition and fees page for details.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs at Capital University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and recognized by the Ohio State Board of Nursing. Graduates posted a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2024 and, through the program’s holistic focus, complete the content needed to sit for holistic nurse certification (AHNCC) alongside their RN credential. Career paths span hospitals, outpatient and surgical centers, occupational and home health, community/public health, and hospice.
Other Programs
Beyond the ABSN, Capital offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with concentrations in administration, education, and legal studies. Because the ABSN embeds three graduate-level courses, students can begin their MSN while completing the bachelor’s degree.