Last Updated: September 30, 2026
Program Overview
Creighton’s campus-based, 12-month ABSN offers January and August starts in Phoenix and Omaha, with a curriculum organized around care management and clinical practice.
Creighton University offers a full-time accelerated BSN for students with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline. The 58-credit nursing sequence builds on prior college study and leads to eligibility to pursue RN licensure.
Students attend either the Phoenix health sciences campus or Omaha campus. The university has offered accelerated nursing education since 1975; the current program combines five eight-week terms with three-week and two-week intensives.
Admissions Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree or higher in another discipline from an accredited institution.
- A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and completed prerequisite courses with grades of C or higher.
- Official transcripts from every college attended.
- A personal statement addressing the program’s specified prompts.
- Contact information for three academic or professional references; letters are not initially required but may be requested.
- An application through NursingCAS; a résumé is optional.
Creighton does not require TEAS or HESI. The personal statement covers motivation, alignment with Creighton’s mission, an ethical or difficult experience, plans for managing the accelerated workload, and any relevant transcript discrepancies. Follow the current prompt instructions and word guidance in the admissions section.
Applicants may apply with the degree or prerequisites in progress, but completion is required 45 days before the program starts. After acceptance, students complete the required health attestation, immunizations, background check, drug screening and American Heart Association BLS certification.
International academic records
Applicants with international records or visa needs should obtain an individual eligibility review before applying. Creighton specifies course-by-course credential evaluation for international transcripts and publishes English-proficiency standards, including TOEFL 100, IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120 where required. Scores generally must be within two years; the college determines applicable exemptions and documentation.
Prerequisites — 33–34 Semester Credits
| Area | Required coursework | Credits |
|---|---|---|
Laboratory sciences | General chemistry; anatomy or A&P I; physiology or A&P II; microbiology | 4 each |
Nutrition | Human nutrition | 2–3 |
Behavioral and social sciences | General psychology; sociology or cultural anthropology; lifespan developmental psychology | 3 each |
Additional preparation | Ethics and statistics | 3 each |
At least two of general chemistry, anatomy/A&P I and physiology/A&P II must be complete by the application deadline. Applicants with more prerequisites finished can present a more complete academic record for review.
The four laboratory sciences normally must be within 10 years; older coursework may be individually evaluated. Introductory chemistry, survey chemistry and combined general/organic/biochemistry courses do not satisfy the general chemistry requirement. Creighton can review proposed prerequisite equivalents before enrollment.
Starts and Application Deadlines
Both campuses offer the same two start terms:
| Start | Priority scholarship deadline | Final application deadline |
|---|---|---|
August | April 1 | May 1 |
January | September 1 | October 1 |
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis within each admission cycle. Allow time for NursingCAS processing as well as transcript and reference completion. A waitlist may be created for a particular cohort when qualified applications exceed available places.
Curriculum
The BSN degree requires 128 credits, comprising the 58-credit accelerated nursing curriculum and a 70-credit transfer block representing prior prerequisites, liberal arts and other applicable coursework. The published sequence progresses from foundational assessment to increasingly complex care and a final practicum.
Term 1 — 9 credits, eight weeks
- NUR 235 — Foundations and Health Assessment Concepts: 2 credits.
- NUR 236 — Assessment practicum: 1 credit.
- NUR 250 — Human Pathophysiology Concepts: 3 credits.
- NUR 341 — Foundations of Pharmacology for Nursing: 3 credits.
Term 2 — 11 credits, eight weeks
- NUR 243 — Care Management Concepts I: 5 credits.
- NUR 244 — Corresponding practicum: 5 credits.
- NUR 258 — Population-Based Health I: 1 credit.
Intensives — 7 credits
- NUR 312 — Evidence-Based Practice I: 3 credits, during the three-week intensive.
- NUR 323 — Professional Concepts I: Leadership: 2 credits, during the three-week intensive.
- NUR 421 — Professional Concepts II: Policy and Advocacy: 2 credits, during the two-week intensive.
Terms 3 and 4 — 11 credits each, eight weeks each
- Term 3: NUR 343 — Care Management Concepts II: 5 credits.
- Term 3: NUR 344 — Practicum: 5 credits.
- Term 3: NUR 338 — Population-Based Health II: 1 credit.
- Term 4: NUR 443 — Care Management Concepts III: 5 credits.
- Term 4: NUR 444 — Practicum: 5 credits.
- Term 4: NUR 480 — Population-Based Health III: 1 credit.
Term 5 — 9 credits, eight weeks
- NUR 436 — Professional Concepts III: Transition to a Values-Based Profession: 2 credits.
- NUR 450 — Evidence-Based Practice II: 1 credit.
- NUR 489 — Capstone Practicum: 6 credits; integrates care management, clinical decisions and transition to professional practice.
See the Creighton ABSN catalog for course descriptions and progression requirements. The catalog also describes separate 3+1 partner pathways for eligible students completing coordinated degrees.
Clinical Experience and Locations
Creighton advertises more than 900 clinical hours across critical care, community/population health, obstetrics, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics and mental health. This university description should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every hour is direct bedside care; practicum courses also use simulation.
Rotations begin after the first eight weeks. Typical shifts last eight to twelve hours, primarily during the day, with some early-evening or Saturday assignments. Students need transportation and scheduling flexibility for their assigned clinical sites.
- Phoenix: Dignity Health, Valleywise Health, Aurora Behavioral Health, Southwest Human Development and community partners.
- Omaha: CHI Health, Methodist Health System, Children’s Nebraska, Ambassador Health Omaha, Omaha VA and community partners.
Phoenix students study in the interprofessional health sciences campus in the Phoenix Medical Quarter. Omaha students use the CL and Rachel Werner Center for Health Sciences Education. Listed partners illustrate clinical opportunities; admission does not guarantee a particular placement.
Tuition and Fees
Creighton’s 2026–27 published full-program tuition is $55,425. It is billed across three semesters spanning two financial-aid years; this tuition figure excludes required fees and living expenses.
At the published 2026–27 fee rates, the three-semester sequence produces this separate estimate:
| Required fee | Billing basis | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|
Accelerated Nursing Academic Program Fee | $1,500 × 3 semesters | $4,500 |
University Fee | $838 × fall and spring | $1,676 |
Technology Fee | $323 × fall and spring | $646 |
Required fees | Combined | $6,822 |
Tuition plus these fees is approximately $62,247 at current rates. Summer does not carry the listed university and technology fees. Actual charges can change as the sequence crosses academic years; this calculation uses current rates without predicting future increases.
The ABSN cost page also budgets housing, food, books, travel, personal expenses and insurance separately. These cost-of-attendance allowances are not additional tuition.
Scholarships and aid
- Conway Nursing Scholarship: $25,000 for selected Omaha or Phoenix students, with stated priorities for 3+1 participants and service to shortage or underserved areas.
- Phoenix ABSN awards: limited donor-funded scholarships with automatic consideration of admitted students; no separate application is required.
- Children’s Nebraska Scholarship: an Omaha full-tuition award tied to a two-year employment commitment and award conditions.
- Don C. Scott Family Foundation Scholarship: support for selected Omaha students interested in mental healthcare.
Scholarship eligibility and availability vary. Creighton also participates in Yellow Ribbon benefits for eligible veterans; awards and benefits should not be deducted from the published tuition until confirmed for the individual student.
Accreditation and Outcomes
Creighton’s baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by CCNE. Its Phoenix nursing program is approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, while the Omaha program operates under Nebraska nursing-board approval. Licensure decisions remain with the applicable board.
The Arizona Board of Nursing reports 95 of 108 first-time candidates passing the NCLEX-RN in calendar year 2025 for Creighton Phoenix: 87.96%. This is the Phoenix reporting unit’s result, not an Omaha result or a prediction for a future student. See the 2025 RN-NCLEX report.
The BSN also supports later graduate study in advanced nursing practice, education and leadership. Admission to a graduate pathway and any credit recognition depend on that program’s current requirements.