Program Overview
The Only ABSN That Works Around Your Job — Two Tracks, One Hudson Valley Campus
Dominican University New York offers what no other program in this review does: a path to a BSN that doesn’t require quitting your job. The Weekend Accelerated BSN runs exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays across six trimesters — each trimester covering 12 weekends with major holidays off — allowing career changers to keep their income and benefits intact throughout the 24-month program.
For students who can commit full-time, the weekday ABSN delivers the same 61-credit curriculum in 12 months, Monday through Friday, launching graduates into the workforce a year after the May start date.
Both options are taught by the same experienced nursing faculty, use the same prerequisite standards, and prepare graduates to sit for the NCLEX.
The Hudson Valley campus serves the greater New York metropolitan area — one of the nation’s densest healthcare employment markets.
ABSN Admission Summary
Both the ABSN and WABSN use the same application process through the Office of Admissions, with the Nursing Division conducting its own final review. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee a seat — acceptance is based on undergraduate GPA strength and available space.
Eligibility — both tracks:
- Prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
- Minimum 2.7 GPA from the bachelor’s degree specifically — cumulative GPA from all coursework is not used in this calculation
- If bachelor’s GPA is below 2.7 but a master’s degree was earned, the master’s GPA may be considered for non-DUNY applicants
- All prerequisite courses completed before the program starts in May (prerequisites do not need to be complete at the time of application)
TEAS exam:
- ABSN (weekday): TEAS is NOT required
- WABSN (weekend): Minimum 63% on ATI TEAS required; up to five attempts allowed; must be taken within 2 years of the first nursing course start date
Prerequisite coursework — B- or higher in all science courses; all science prerequisites must be within 10 years:
Sciences (B- or higher; within 10 years):
- General Chemistry I
- Biochemistry
- Anatomy & Physiology I
- Anatomy & Physiology II
- Microbiology
- Pathophysiology
Social Sciences (no grade/recency restriction stated):
- Lifespan Developmental Psychology (satisfies both Developmental Psychology I and II)
- General Psychology
Statistics:
- Introduction to Statistics
Prerequisite coursework may be taken at Dominican University or transferred in through the Office of Admissions. At time of application, prerequisites do not need to be complete — but all must be done before May. Each science prerequisite or co-requisite course may be repeated only once; a student must be removed from the nursing sequence before repeating a co-requisite science course.
Application process:
- Submit application to the Office of Admissions with official transcripts from every institution attended — international students must provide a credential evaluation (WES, Globe Language Services, or ECE)
- Office of Admissions conducts a credit evaluation for prerequisite completion
- Applicants with a bachelor’s GPA of 2.7+ receive an acceptance package with a list of any remaining prerequisites
- Application is forwarded to the Nursing Division for final decision
- If a seat is offered, all outstanding prerequisites must be completed before May start
Pre-enrollment requirements (before clinical courses):
- Physical examination including two-step TST or chest X-ray
- Required immunizations (COVID vaccination and boosters required)
- AHA Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers certification — must remain current throughout the program
- Health insurance verification
- Criminal background check and drug testing — completed annually or per divisional request
- Plagiarism Certificate
- All healthcare requirements and immunization tracking completed through Castle Branch
- Driver’s license and car insurance — mandatory; students provide their own transportation to clinical sites
Post-acceptance financial note:
If an employer provides tuition reimbursement, Dominican will defer tuition until the term is completed — a meaningful benefit for WABSN students maintaining full-time employment throughout the program.
Progression standards (both tracks):
- Minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA must be maintained throughout the program
- Minimum grade of B required in all natural science and nursing courses
- Only one nursing course may be repeated (one time only, with Academic Standing Committee permission)
- Students are admitted to one option only — transfers between options require full Nursing Academic Standing Committee review and are not guaranteed
- ATI Comprehensive Assessment and Review Program (CARP) participation is required throughout; a non-refundable fee is charged each trimester
- NCLEX must be taken within three months of completing the mandatory ATI NCLEX Review course
Curriculum
Both the ABSN and WABSN cover the same 61-credit nursing curriculum — the same courses, same content, same faculty, same clinical requirements. The difference is pacing: the ABSN delivers the curriculum across three full-time trimesters while the WABSN spreads the same coursework across six weekend-only trimesters. Courses are identical across both tracks.
Prerequisite Overview
Six science prerequisites (B- or higher, within 10 years), two social sciences, and statistics — all must be complete before May. See the admission summary above for the full list. Sciences may be taken at Dominican or transferred in.
Three-trimester ABSN nursing sequence (61 credit hours):
Trimester 1 (18 cr.)
NR 223: Introduction to Professional Nursing I (5 cr.)
Establishes core nursing philosophy, professional role foundations, and the patient-centered care framework; includes clinical components from the first trimester
NR 224: Introduction to Professional Nursing II (5 cr.)
Advances the professional nursing foundation from NR 223; deepens clinical reasoning and nursing theory application
NR 329: Pharmacologic Agents and Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
Covers drug classifications, mechanisms of action, and safe medication administration across the lifespan
NR 330: Parent-Child Nursing (5 cr.)
Covers maternal-newborn and pediatric nursing across the childbearing and childrearing continuum; family-centered care integrated throughout
Trimester 2 (20 cr.)
NR 235: Principles of Health Assessment (3 cr.)
Develops systematic head-to-toe physical and psychosocial assessment skills; the foundational assessment toolset for all subsequent clinical encounters
NR 231: Professional Practice Concepts (2 cr.)
Covers professional nursing standards, ethics, legal considerations, and the evolving scope of nursing practice
NR 340: Adult Nursing I (5 cr.)
First of two adult health nursing courses; nursing management of adults with common acute and chronic health conditions
NR 345: Family Health Nursing (5 cr.)
Applies family-centered nursing theory to care across the lifespan; population health and community perspectives integrated
NR 320: Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (5 cr.)
Evidence-based bio-psycho-social approach to nursing care for patients with mental health conditions across the age spectrum
Trimester 3 (20 cr.)
NR 353: Nursing Research (3 cr.)
Develops evidence-based practice skills; research literacy, critical appraisal, and application of nursing research to clinical decision-making
NR 450: Adult Nursing II (5 cr.)
Advances adult health nursing into complex, multi-system, and high-acuity patient care; culminating clinical reasoning before the capstone
NR 463: Community Health Nursing (5 cr.)
Population-level nursing practice; social determinants of health, public health frameworks, and community-based clinical experience
NR 465: Nursing Leadership/Management (5 cr.)
Leadership theory, management principles, healthcare systems, quality improvement, and the professional nursing leadership role
NR 467: Nursing Seminar (2 cr.)
Capstone integrative seminar synthesizing program learning in preparation for NCLEX and professional practice entry
The same 61-credit sequence runs across six trimesters for WABSN students — contact Dominican directly for the trimester-by-trimester WABSN course schedule. Clinical components run throughout both tracks.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: Dominican University New York Nursing BSN Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical rotations are embedded throughout all three ABSN trimesters, beginning in Trimester 1 with NR 223 and NR 224’s clinical components. The Hudson Valley campus serves the greater New York metro area — one of the largest and most diverse clinical markets in the country. Students are responsible for their own transportation; a driver’s license and car insurance are required.
- Clinical start: Trimester 1 — NR 223 and NR 224 both carry clinical hours from the first weeks of the program
- Specialties covered: Professional nursing foundations (I and II), parent-child nursing (maternal/newborn and pediatrics), health assessment, adult health I and II, family health, psychiatric and mental health, community health, and nursing leadership
- WABSN clinical scheduling: Weekend clinical rotations are scheduled on Saturdays and/or Sundays to match the weekend-only format — Dominican coordinates clinical placements consistent with each track’s schedule
- New York metro clinical network: Proximity to New York City provides access to major academic medical centers, community hospitals, specialty facilities, and public health agencies across Rockland, Westchester, Bergen, and surrounding counties — specific named clinical partners not published in available materials; contact the Division of Nursing directly for current affiliates
- ATI CARP: All students participate in the ATI Comprehensive Assessment and Review Program throughout the program, including the Comprehensive Predictor exam; mandatory ATI NCLEX Review course required after final trimester
- Transportation requirement: Driver’s license and car insurance mandatory; students responsible for all transportation costs to and from clinical sites
Tuition
Estimated ABSN total tuition: ~$55,000–$57,000 (3 trimesters)
Dominican charges a flat-rate tuition for 12–17 credits per term; credits above 18 are billed at $525/credit each. The ABSN curriculum runs approximately 18–20 credits per trimester based on the published course list.
| Trimester | Credits | Tuition Calculation | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
Trimester 1 | 18 cr. | Flat rate | $17,654 |
Trimester 2 | 20 cr. | $17,654 + (2 cr. × $525) | $18,704 |
Trimester 3 | 20 cr. | $17,654 + (2 cr. × $525) | $18,704 |
ABSN Tuition Total | ~$55,062 |
Additional fees per trimester:
- Nursing Clinical Fee: $250 per trimester × 3 = $750
- Registration (full-time): $495 per trimester × 3 = $1,485
- Estimated total with fees: ~$57,297
WABSN tuition: The weekend program is described as part-time and spans 6 trimesters.
Credit loads per trimester are lower (~10 credits), which may fall under the “less than 12 credits” rate of $1,076/credit. At $1,076 × ~10 credits × 6 trimesters, WABSN tuition could be approximately $64,560 — significantly less than the ABSN on a raw tuition basis, and spread across 24 months.
Confirm exact WABSN billing with Student Financial Services at 845-848-7821 before financial planning.
Employer tuition reimbursement: Dominican defers tuition until term completion for students whose employers provide reimbursement — a specific structural benefit for WABSN students who remain employed during the program.
See the official tuition page for more details: Dominican University New York Cost of Attendance
Accreditation
The baccalaureate nursing program at Dominican University New York is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Dominican University New York holds regional institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Both the ABSN and WABSN graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN; the NCLEX must be taken within three months of completing the mandatory ATI NCLEX Review course.