Last Updated: October 14, 2026
Program Overview
Coppin’s accelerated second-degree BSN uses a seven-session cohort plan spanning fall, spring, summer and the following fall, with community nursing and a final precepted practicum in Baltimore.
Coppin State University offers a 15-month Accelerated Second Degree BSN through its Helene Fuld School of Nursing. The program is designed for people who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and can commit to intensive nursing study.
Coppin is a public Historically Black College and University within the University System of Maryland. Its nursing mission emphasizes healthy communities, student support and relationships with community partners.
The program website’s complete seven-session sample lists 55 nursing credits. Prior-degree and prerequisite transfer review determines the courses needed toward the minimum 120-credit bachelor’s degree.
Accreditation
The BSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing. CCNE’s current directory lists the baccalaureate accreditation term through December 31, 2033.
Coppin State is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Graduates are prepared to apply for the NCLEX-RN and meet the board’s other licensure requirements.
Admissions Requirements
- A prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree and minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- A Coppin State University application and required materials for the College of Health Professions Academic Success Center.
- Official ATI TEAS entrance exam scores, sent to the Academic Success Center.
- A personal nursing philosophy and goals essay, current résumé and three recommendations using the nursing recommendation form.
- Official transcripts from every college attended, submitted to both university admissions and the Academic Success Center.
- An interview and signed acknowledgement form if offered admission.
The university and nursing application steps are separate. The essay should explain the career change, educational and employment background, professional goals and plans for handling academic and personal responsibilities.
Application Deadline and Start Term
The current program page lists March 1 as the final decision deadline and December 1 for early decision. The sample sequence begins in fall; for fall 2027 planning, complete the application by March 1, 2027 and use December 1, 2026 for early consideration under the published annual schedule.
The current prospective-student checklist lists April 1 for TEAS results and the end of Summer Session I for finishing prerequisites. Submit the nursing application and recommendations by March 1; the later checklist dates do not extend that application deadline. The official second-degree admissions checklist identifies which office receives each item.
Prerequisites and Transfer Credit
The program webpage identifies a 17-credit supporting core:
- BIOL 203 — Human Anatomy and Physiology II: 4 credits.
- BIOL 308 — Microbiology: 4 credits.
- HSC 213 — Principles and Practices in Nutrition: 3 credits.
- NURS 319 — Pathophysiology: 3 credits.
- PSYC 335 — Developmental Psychology: 3 credits.
The college’s accelerated program information also identifies A&P I, chemistry, basic statistics, psychology, sociology, writing, mathematics and other general education subjects. The current prospective-student checklist additionally requires pre-nursing students to take NURS 221, Nursing as a Profession, and NURS 319, Pathophysiology, at Coppin. The previous degree does not automatically establish that every nursing prerequisite has been met; use the nursing transfer evaluation and cohort checklist.
The BSN requires at least 120 credits overall. General education and supporting courses are distinct from the new accelerated nursing sequence and are not included in the tuition estimate below if they must be taken separately.
Curriculum
The tables follow the program website’s complete 55-credit, seven-session sample. Foundational assessment and medication study lead into adult, maternity, pediatric, mental-health and community nursing, then leadership and a senior practicum.
NURS 323 spans both early fall sessions in the webpage’s sample and is counted once for six credits. Exact session assignments and any additional catalog-listed coursework depend on the cohort’s approved academic plan.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations, assessment and informatics
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 121 — Introduction to Professional Nursing | 2 | Explores the evolution of nursing and the various roles nurses play in healthcare. Topics include ethical considerations, legal responsibilities, and professional values in nursing practice. |
NURS 217 — Health Assessment | 3 | Provides theory and lab practice for assessing health across diverse populations. Students learn techniques for evaluating physical and psychosocial health throughout the lifespan. |
NURS 310 — Pharmacology | 3 | Analyzes pharmacological treatments related to health maintenance and disease prevention. Focuses on drug classifications and their application in nursing care. |
NURS 210 — Nursing Informatics | 3 | Covers the design and use of health information systems in nursing. Emphasizes nursing informatics skills and addresses challenges of integrating technology in patient care. |
Adult and specialty care
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 323 — Medical-Surgical Nursing: Adult/Older Adult | 6 | Examines nursing care strategies for managing acute and chronic conditions. Provides clinical experience in patient management and health preservation. |
NURS 320 — Maternity and Women’s Health | 5 | Covers women’s health, focusing on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Includes health promotion strategies and cultural considerations in maternal care. |
NURS 321 — Nursing of Children | 5 | Focuses on pediatric nursing care, integrating theory and clinical practice to address the health needs of children and their families. |
NURS 432 — Mental Health Nursing | 4 | Focuses on care strategies for mental health conditions. Emphasizes therapeutic communication, self-awareness, and psychiatric care principles within various clinical environments. |
NURS 430 — Community Nursing | 4 | Explores the role of nurses in community health settings. Students assess community needs, implement health education projects, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams. |
NURS 424 — Advanced Medical/Surgical Nursing | 6 | Covers advanced care for critically ill adults, focusing on nursing interventions and the application of energy conservation principles in patient care. |
Research, leadership and professional transition
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 411 — Contemporary Issues | 2 | Examines current trends and challenges in nursing practice, emphasizing quality care through evidence-based approaches. |
NURS 315 — Research in Nursing | 3 | Introduces methods for designing and analyzing nursing research. Emphasizes applying the research process to enhance evidence-based practice in healthcare. |
NURS 415 — Special Topics in Nursing | 3 | Examines selected contemporary topics in nursing that round out clinical and professional preparation before entry into practice. |
NURS 421 — Leadership in Nursing | 3 | Explores leadership roles and strategies in nursing, focusing on professional responsibility, management, and sociopolitical advocacy in healthcare. |
NURS 480 — Senior Practicum | 3 | Capstone clinical experience designed to transition students from learners to professional nurses. Students work under preceptors to apply nursing theory and critical skills in practice settings. |
The accelerated catalog also lists a three-credit Ethics in Nursing course in its early sequence. Students should confirm whether that additional course is assigned in their individual plan; it is not part of the webpage’s 55-credit sample total.
Clinical Experience
Clinical learning covers adult and older-adult care, maternity, children, mental health and community nursing. The health assessment course includes laboratory practice early in the sequence.
NURS 480 Senior Practicum is the final three-credit precepted clinical course. Its current course description specifies 135 clinical hours and emphasizes safe care, critical thinking and transition into professional nursing.
Clinical learning takes place in person within the cohort’s scheduled nursing courses. Before placement, students complete required health history, immunizations, CPR, background checks and drug screening.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated Maryland-resident tuition: $9,622. This planning estimate uses the complete program webpage sample: three full-time fall/spring semesters and two four-credit summer sessions. It holds published 2026–27 rates constant and excludes prerequisites, fees and personal expenses.
- Fall/spring resident tuition: $3,762 tuition and mandatory fees minus $1,144 itemized mandatory fees = $2,618 tuition per semester.
- Three full-time fall/spring terms: 3 × $2,618 = $7,854.
- Eight summer credits estimated at the current undergraduate part-time resident rate: 8 × $221 = $1,768.
- Resident tuition estimate: $7,854 + $1,768 = $9,622.
- Nonresident tuition estimate: 3 × $6,219 + 8 × $692 = $24,193.
The official tuition schedule states that summer charges are per credit and adjusted by session, rather than using a full-time summer flat rate. The summer estimate applies the current fall/spring part-time rate because a future summer tuition rate is not yet published.
Estimated mandatory fees: $4,414, using three × $1,144 for fall/spring and two summer sessions charged at four × $89 in per-credit fees plus $135 in flat fees each. Estimated tuition plus these fees is $14,036 resident or $28,607 nonresident.
Also budget for the $150 undergraduate enrollment fee, $50 graduation application charge, automatically assessed book charges, nursing or lab fees, equipment and clinical clearance expenses. The published fall/spring health insurance fee is $974 per semester unless waived with approved comparable coverage.
These are current-rate estimates, not university-issued ABSN package prices. Actual course loads, cohort requirements, summer session billing and future rate increases may change charges; living and travel costs are extra.
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