Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
CSUN combines a 15-month, on-campus cohort format with no TEAS entrance exam and clinical training across greater Los Angeles.
California State University, Northridge’s Accelerated BSN serves students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. The program includes 58 nursing units across four consecutive semesters, with classroom learning and clinical laboratories taken together.
The self-support program is offered through The Tseng College. Graduates prepare for the NCLEX-RN and may apply for California Public Health Nurse certification.
Accreditation
CSUN’s BSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Admissions Requirements
Admission is competitive, and an interview may be requested. The Spring 2027 application is closed; CSUN listed July 28, 2026 as the final deadline, subject to earlier closure for application volume. Check the current admissions page for the next application window.
Academic requirements
- An accredited bachelor’s degree with a 3.21 GPA or higher, or a master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Grades of C or better in all prerequisites.
- All prerequisites and the qualifying degree completed, with final transcripts available, by the application deadline; in-progress prerequisites are not accepted.
- Science prerequisites completed within seven years of the deadline. Statistics may fall outside this period.
- Science lectures and laboratories completed concurrently. The admissions page limits its online-lab exception to courses taken during 2020–2023.
- No TEAS entrance exam is required.
Application materials
- Online application, statement of purpose and résumé.
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended and the science prerequisite information requested in the application.
- Acknowledgment of the Scheduling Availability Agreement.
- Optional documentation of unpaid patient-care volunteer experience from the preceding 24 months; training hours for CNA or EMT certification do not count as volunteer hours.
- Optional clinical licenses or certificates.
Prerequisites
The catalog identifies 28 prerequisite units, separate from the 58-unit nursing curriculum. Courses already completed in the first degree do not need to be repeated if they meet equivalency and recency requirements.
Science and statistics account for 19 units:
- BIOL 211 / 212 — Human Anatomy and Lab: 3 units, split 2 lecture / 1 lab.
- BIOL 215/L — Introductory Microbiology and Lab: 4 units, split 2 / 2.
- BIOL 281 / 282 — Human Physiology and Lab: 4 units, split 3 / 1.
- CHEM 103 / 103L — Introductory Chemistry I and Lab: 4 units, split 3 / 1.
- MATH 140 — Introductory Statistics: 4 units.
The remaining nine units cover written communication, critical thinking and oral communication, three units each. Combined-content or upper-division prerequisite equivalents receive individual review.
Curriculum
Students progress from assessment, pharmacology and foundational care to adult medical-surgical nursing, specialty practice, leadership and a final clinical intensive. The on-campus program requires 58 nursing units; the subject groups below organize the required courses by subject rather than by semester.
Lecture and lab credits are combined in each paired-course row. The accelerated-option catalog distinguishes this nursing curriculum from the 28 prerequisite units.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations and adult nursing
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 302 — Pathophysiology | 3 | Disease processes across the lifespan and their implications for safe, evidence-based nursing care. |
NURS 307/L — Health Assessment and Lab | 3 | Comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessment, with supervised practice across developmental stages; 2 lecture units and 1 lab unit. |
NURS 310 — Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice | 3 | Research ethics and methods; finding, evaluating and applying evidence to patient care. |
NURS 315 — Pharmacology | 3 | Major drug classes, therapeutic and toxic effects, and assessment for safe medication use. |
NURS 318/L — Introduction to Professional Nursing and Lab | 7 | Nursing roles, communication, the nursing process and foundational clinical skills; 3 theory units and 4 lab units. |
NURS 320/L — Intermediate Medical Surgical Nursing and Clinical Lab | 7 | Care of adults and older adults with altered health, including patient education and interdisciplinary care; 4 theory units and 3 clinical units. |
NURS 422/L — Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing and Clinical Laboratory | 8 | Complex multisystem conditions, clinical judgment, prioritization and management of patients with multiple needs; 4 theory units and 4 clinical units. |
Specialties, leadership and clinical integration
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 426 — Nursing Systems Issues and Ethics | 3 | Healthcare systems, professional issues and ethical decisions affecting nursing care. |
NURS 427/L — Dynamics of Nursing Leadership and Leadership in Nursing Lab | 4 | Leadership, organizational change, conflict and administration applied in clinical settings; 3 theory units and 1 lab unit. |
NURS 428/L — Community and Population Health Nursing and Lab | 5 | Health promotion, disease prevention and collaboration in community and public health settings; 3 theory units and 2 lab units. |
NURS 430/L — Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and Clinical Laboratory | 3 | Mental health assessment, psychiatric treatment and family influences, paired with supervised practice; 2 theory units and 1 clinical unit. |
NURS 443/L — Nursing Care of Children and Clinical Lab | 3.5 | Family-centered care from newborns through adolescence, including developmental and environmental influences; 2 theory units and 1.5 clinical units. |
NURS 444/L — Nursing Care of Childbearing Family and Clinical Lab | 3.5 | Maternal, newborn and family care before, during and after birth; 2 theory units and 1.5 clinical units. |
NURS 498L — Clinical Intensive | 2 | Integration of professional skills while caring for a patient caseload as part of an interprofessional team. |
Clinical integration and progression
NURS 498L gives students responsibility for a patient caseload as part of an interprofessional team, integrating safe care, communication, collaboration and leadership. Required theory and clinical components must be passed concurrently.
A C or better is required in prerequisite and nursing courses. A C− requires repetition; nursing courses may be repeated only once, with a maximum of 15 repeated units and space-dependent readmission to the affected courses. All nursing coursework must be completed within five years of the first nursing course; the program requirements also specify a 3.0 cumulative GPA for graduation, distinct from admission GPA.
Prior nursing coursework generally does not transfer, except NURS 307/L may be considered. An interruption in cohort progression requires reapplication, with return dependent on available space.
Clinical Experience
Clinical education includes adult medical-surgical, pediatric, maternal–newborn, psychiatric and community settings throughout greater Los Angeles. Students need reliable transportation to off-campus sites.
Rotations may occur any day of the week, including evenings, nights and weekends. Assignments can change each term with partner availability, and schedules cannot be adjusted around personal commitments.
Students must complete the preclinical checklist four weeks before the first clinical course. Requirements include health examinations, immunizations and testing, background and drug screening, CPR, liability insurance, fire safety and other agency-required training; inability to obtain clinical clearance can prevent progression.
Tuition and Costs
CSUN publishes $62,988 in tuition for the 58-unit ABSN at $1,086 per unit. The tuition schedule identifies the Fall 2026 cohort, and the posted Spring 2027 cohort schedule also lists $1,086 per unit.
The calculation is 58 × $1,086 = $62,988, excluding prerequisite coursework and additional expenses. Tuition varies by cohort and may change.
Budget separately for:
- $70 application fee.
- $47 graduation fee.
- Books, supplies, transportation and living expenses.
- Required clinical-compliance expenses, including health tests, background and drug screening, CPR, insurance and safety training.
Other Nursing Pathways
CSUN also offers an ADN-to-BSN Community College Collaborative and an RN-to-BSN pathway for students pursuing other routes into bachelor’s-level nursing.
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