Program Overview
Western New York’s Original BSN Program — 80+ Years of Clinical Partnerships
D’Youville established the first baccalaureate nursing degree in Western New York in 1942. That history translates directly into clinical access: affiliation agreements with a majority of the region’s hospitals and healthcare organizations give ABSN students a placement network built over eight decades.
Students also have access to D’Youville’s Health Professions Hub — an on-campus community health center that provides direct patient care experience alongside other health professions students, reflecting the program’s deliberate interprofessional learning model.
The ABSN carries strict academic standards — no course repeats permitted and readmission after dismissal is not allowed — making program completion a meaningful credential signal to employers.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is selective with free applications and no TEAS exam required. Students dismissed from any other nursing program (including D’Youville’s own traditional BSN) are categorically ineligible. Traditional BSN students at D’Youville are also ineligible to withdraw and apply to the ABSN.
Academic requirements:
- Completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- Minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- All seven prerequisite courses completed with C or better within the last 5 years of application — online lab courses are not accepted
Seven required prerequisite courses (C or better; within 5 years; in-person lab required):
- Human Anatomy with Lab (all body systems)
- Human Physiology with Lab (all body systems)
- Microbiology with Lab
- Chemistry with Lab
- General Psychology or General Sociology
- Statistics
- Developmental Psychology (birth to death)
Application process:
- Submit application (free of charge) through D’Youville’s apply webpage
- Submit official transcripts from the bachelor’s degree-granting institution and all other colleges/universities attended
- Supplemental documents are optional but can strengthen the application:
- Two letters of recommendation addressing character and ability to complete the 15-month program
- Written summary of community, volunteer, and health-related experiences demonstrating diverse backgrounds and populations served
Borderline applicants: Students not meeting all minimum admission standards may be reviewed by the Undergraduate School of Nursing Admission, Progression, and Retention Committee — all committee decisions are final.
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Health, CPR, and malpractice insurance requirements per the School of Nursing Handbook
- Registration with Complio for document repository management
- Background check acknowledgment per the Criminal History and Background Check policy
- NCLEX preparation testing fees charged each semester (includes ATI testing, remediation, and self-study requirements embedded in each nursing course)
Progression and academic standards:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 required to remain in good standing
- Minimum C required in every course required for the degree — including lab and clinical components
- Minimum 73% average on course examinations before any other graded components are factored into the final grade; if cumulative exam average falls below 73%, the final grade is based on exam scores only
- No course repeats permitted in the Accelerated BSN program — failure results in removal from the program
- Students who need a leave of absence are removed from the ABSN and must apply to the traditional BSN on return
- Readmission to the ABSN after dismissal is not permitted under any circumstances
- Failure of any required course, lab, or clinical component results in removal from the program regardless of overall GPA
- Clinical dismissal for unsafe patient care or unprofessional conduct may occur at any time
Curriculum
Fifty-three nursing credit hours are distributed across four consecutive semesters. Laboratory and clinical components are paired with every major nursing course (marked with an L designation in the catalog) — every theory course has a corresponding clinical or lab companion running simultaneously.
A two-part blended Pathophysiology and Pharmacology sequence spans the first three semesters, providing progressive pharmacological and pathological foundations alongside each clinical specialty.
Prerequisite Overview
Seven prerequisite courses — all with in-person labs, all within 5 years, all with C or better. Online lab courses are explicitly not accepted. See the admission summary above for the full list.
Four-semester nursing sequence (53 credit hours):
Semester 1 — Summer 1 (entry):
NUR-101 Introduction to Science of Caring
Introduces students to the foundational roles of the professional nurse, emphasizing holistic care, patient advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Covers key nursing concepts, including nurseology, professional values, and clinical judgment.
NUR-201 Clinical Judgment for Nursing Practice
Focuses on developing clinical judgment using the NCBSN Clinical Judgment Model. Emphasizes its application in nursing care planning and critical thinking throughout the curriculum.
NUR-275 Nursing Health Assessment
Teaches comprehensive health assessments across the lifespan with a focus on communication skills. Prepares students to gather and interpret patient data in diverse populations.
NUR-275L Nursing Health Assessment Clinical Practice Class
Provides hands-on experience conducting health assessments across the lifespan. Reinforces communication and data collection techniques in clinical settings.
NUR-315 Professional Nursing
Introduces students to professional nursing roles and values. Students apply the NCBSN Clinical Judgment Model to deliver safe, evidence-based, holistic care.
NUR-315L Professional Nursing 1
Clinical application of concepts from NUR-315, with a focus on developing judgment skills and delivering patient-centered care.
NUR-320 Blended Nursing Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nursing Practice I
Covers foundational pathophysiology and pharmacology for each body system. Emphasizes nursing responsibilities, medication administration, and patient education.
NUR-325 Blended Nursing Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nursing Practice II
Continues content from NUR-320, focusing on disease processes, drug therapy, and nursing care across additional body systems.
Semester 2 — Fall:
NUR-340 Caring for the Community
Explores population-based nursing, health promotion, and disease prevention. Students assess community health needs and apply public health principles.
NUR-340L Caring for the Community
Applies classroom learning in real-world community health settings. Emphasizes population-based care and prevention strategies.
NUR-350 Professional Nursing 2
Develops intermediate skills for providing evidence-based care in adult health settings. Focuses on maintaining health and patient comfort.
NUR-350L Professional Nursing 2
Applies concepts from NUR-350 in clinical settings. Reinforces clinical decision-making and patient care techniques.
NUR-395 Maternal Newborn Nursing Care
Covers nursing care for women and newborns. Emphasizes advocacy, evidence-based interventions, and women’s health.
NUR-395L Maternal Newborn Nursing Care
Provides clinical experience in caring for maternal and newborn patients. Reinforces theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios.
NUR-405 Essentials of Nursing Research
Introduces research methods and promotes critical appraisal of studies. Prepares students to apply research in clinical practice.
Semester 3 — Spring:
NUR-410 Professional Nursing 3
Prepares students to manage care for adults with acute health issues. Emphasizes quality improvement and advanced nursing skills.
NUR-410L Professional Nursing 3
Clinical application of acute care concepts from NUR-410. Focuses on managing complex health problems in various settings.
NUR-415 Nursing Care of Children
Teaches pediatric care from infancy through adolescence. Covers developmentally appropriate, evidence-based nursing interventions.
NUR-415L Nursing Care of Children
Clinical practice caring for pediatric patients. Reinforces pediatric nursing concepts and family-centered care.
NUR-425 Caring for Mental Health
Focuses on holistic mental health nursing. Covers trauma-informed care, communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
NUR-425L Caring for Mental Health
Clinical application of mental health concepts. Students engage in therapeutic communication and mental health assessments.
Semester 4 — Summer 2 (final):
NUR-455 Professional Nursing 4
Addresses care for adults with complex illnesses. Emphasizes safety, quality, and leadership in high-acuity settings.
NUR-455L Professional Nursing 4
Clinical experience managing patients with complex health needs. Reinforces leadership and evidence-based practice.
NUR-475 Nursing Leadership from Bedside and Beyond
Explores leadership, systems management, and ethical decision-making. Prepares students to lead within diverse healthcare systems.
NUR-490 Transition into Practice
Prepares students for the professional nursing role. Focuses on career readiness, NCLEX preparation, and integrating prior learning.
NUR-490L Transition into Practice – Clinical Experience
Capstone clinical rotation emphasizing readiness for practice. Students synthesize skills for professional transition and licensure success.
More information about the curriculum here: https://catalog.dyouville.edu/degree-programs/nursing/nursing-acc-bsn/#requirementstext
The Professional Nursing sequence (NUR-315, 350, 410, 455) runs through all four semesters and carries the heaviest clinical credit weight of any content thread — collectively representing the program’s primary clinical training arc from foundational skills to advanced acute care. NUR-455 (6 credits) in the final summer is the single largest course in the curriculum, functioning as the capstone clinical immersion before graduation.
More curriculum details available in the academic catalog: D’Youville ABSN Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical training begins in the first summer semester and runs through all four terms — every Professional Nursing course carries a paired clinical lab component (L designation), and community, maternal, pediatric, and mental health courses each include supervised clinical experiences.
D’Youville has maintained clinical affiliation agreements with the majority of healthcare institutions in Western New York since 1942.
- Clinical start: Summer 1 — NUR-275L (Health Assessment) and NUR-315L (Professional Nursing 1) both include clinical hours from the opening weeks of the program
- Clinical pairing structure: Every major specialty course carries a corresponding clinical lab companion; theory and patient care advance simultaneously across all four semesters
- Western New York clinical network: Affiliation agreements with the majority of hospitals and healthcare organizations in the Buffalo-Niagara region — one of the broadest regional clinical networks in this review; specific named partners not listed in available materials; contact admissions at admissions@dyu.edu or 716-829-7600 for current affiliate information
- Health Professions Hub: D’Youville’s on-campus community health center connects nursing students to underserved populations alongside students from medicine, pharmacy, and other health professions — an interprofessional clinical environment built into the program infrastructure
- Interprofessional emphasis: D’Youville explicitly designs student learning experiences to connect nursing with other healthcare fields — students learn in the same environment where multiple health professions are trained and practiced
- Specialties covered: Foundations, professional nursing I–IV (adult health escalating in complexity), community health, maternal-newborn, pediatrics, mental health, nursing leadership, and transition to practice capstone
- Clinical performance standard: A student who does not satisfactorily complete the clinical component of any nursing course receives a course grade of F — clinical and theory are graded as integrated, not separately; unsafe patient care at any time results in course failure and program dismissal
- Student transportation: Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical sites
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$70,000–$74,000 (4 semesters at flat rate)
D’Youville charges a flat-rate tuition for 12–18 credits per semester. The ABSN’s 53 credits distributed across 4 semesters average approximately 13 credits per term — all within the flat-rate range.
| Semester | Rate (2025–26 / 2026–27) | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
Summer 1 | $17,300 / $18,000 | $17,300–$18,000 |
Fall | $17,300 / $18,000 | $17,300–$18,000 |
Spring | $17,300 / $18,000 | $17,300–$18,000 |
Summer 2 | $17,300 / $18,000 | $17,300–$18,000 |
Tuition subtotal | ~$69,200–$72,000 |
Fees per semester (2026–27 on-campus rates):
| Fee | Per Semester |
|---|---|
General Fee | $250 |
Student Government Association Fee | $185 |
Technology Fee | $200 |
Wellness Fee | $75 |
Fee subtotal | $710 |
Fees × 4 semesters: ~$2,840
Estimated total with fees: ~$72,040–$74,840
At approximately $72,000–$75,000, D’Youville is priced in the mid-range for private university ABSN programs in the Northeast — comparable to Dominican ABSN (~$57,000) and below most nationally recognized private programs. Financial aid is available via FAFSA; contact Student Financial Services for scholarship and aid information specific to the ABSN.
See the official tuition page for more details: D’Youville University Tuition & Fees
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at D’Youville University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). All nursing programs are registered by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination upon program completion.