Program Overview
A small-cohort, values-based path into nursing — Eastern Mennonite grounds its accelerated BSN in a Christian “sacred covenant” framework (justice, advocacy, grace, and love) with spiritual and holistic care woven through the curriculum, close faculty mentoring, and a first-time NCLEX pass rate above 95%.
Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) offers an Accelerated Second Degree BSN that runs in 15 months, starting in mid-May and concluding the following August. Built for students who already hold (or will soon complete) a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, the program uses small summer classes and close faculty mentoring to support fast, well-supported progress.
As a Christian university in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, EMU frames its nursing education around a “sacred covenant” of justice, advocacy, grace, and love, integrating spiritual and psychosocial care alongside clinical skill.
Students complete clinical rotations across a variety of nursing settings (some rotations include 12-hour and weekend shifts), and EMU reports an ABSN NCLEX pass rate above 95%.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing at Eastern Mennonite University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the pre-licensure program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. EMU is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
ABSN Admission Summary
EMU targets students who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or who will finish that degree before the program starts. You complete most prerequisites before you apply, and finish all prerequisites before beginning clinical nursing courses.
Admission requirements
- Degree: a bachelor’s degree (may be in progress at application time)
- References: if your first bachelor’s degree is not finished at application time, submit two academic reference letters (advisor + professor)
- GPA: 3.0 prerequisite GPA or higher
- Prerequisite timing: 6 of 8 prerequisites complete at application time, and all 8 complete before the clinical program starts
- Course age rule: prerequisites older than 10 years do not count
- Minimum grades: a C or higher in all prerequisite courses
- Technology: a newer laptop with Mac, Windows, or iPad OS is required (Chromebook, Android, and Linux are not supported for testing)
- Deadline: all materials due January 15
Prerequisite Courses
Complete 8 prerequisite courses with a C or higher, maintaining a 3.0 prerequisite GPA:
- Anatomy and Physiology I
- Anatomy and Physiology II (both at the same school)
- One Chemistry course (general, inorganic, organic, or biochemistry)
- Microbiology with lab (online labs accepted)
- Nutrition (minimum 2 credits)
- Psychology (lifespan development preferred)
- Sociology (SOC prefix or approved equivalent, minimum 3 credits)
- Statistics
Curriculum
The ABSN uses two accelerated summer terms and two standard semesters: the first and final terms run as condensed summer sessions, and the middle terms follow fall and spring schedules. The program totals 57 semester hours of required nursing courses.
NURS 301 Holistic Health Inquiry (3 SH)
Develops skills in interviewing, documentation, and physical assessment, including normal and geriatric findings. Emphasizes psychosocial and spiritual evaluation, along with foundational communication and conflict management techniques in professional and therapeutic settings. Practice occurs in lab and community environments.
NURS 302 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nursing (4 SH)
Covers core principles of pathophysiology and pharmacologic interventions for common adult health conditions. Organized by body systems and disease groups, topics include electrolyte balance, neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, respiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and oncologic disorders.
NURS 303 Foundations of Professional Nursing (4 SH)
Introduces essential nursing concepts and basic care skills while promoting healthy physical and psychosocial function. Topics include the nursing process, decision making, teaching and learning strategies, and professional issues such as ethics, documentation, teamwork, and safety.
NURS 304 Fundamentals Practicum I (3 SH)
Applies foundational skills through simulation and supervised clinical experiences in settings such as long-term care, acute care, and schools. Techniques practiced include aseptic procedures, vital signs, glucometer use, and catheterization. Corequisites: NURS 301 and NURS 303. (Clinical hours: 93)
NURS 310 Conceptual Framework of Nursing (2 SH)
Explores core concepts of nursing—person, health, environment, and nursing—and highlights the integration of spirituality into practice. Designed for sophomore or Level 1 students.
NURS 320 Adult Health Practicum I (3 SH)
Provides hands-on experience in medical-surgical settings where students apply the nursing process in caring for one to two patients. (Clinical hours: 76.5)
NURS 322 Nursing Care of the Adult I (3 SH)
Focuses on adult clients experiencing endocrine, gastrointestinal, renal, immune, and cellular disorders. Builds on Level 1 knowledge.
NURS 323 Psychosocial Nursing (3 SH)
Explores the principles of psychosocial nursing and care of clients with mental and emotional health challenges. Includes clinical experiences across diverse behavioral health settings. (Clinical hours: 51)
NURS 325 Nursing Care of Children (3 SH)
Examines nursing care for children across acute, rehabilitation, and developmental settings, emphasizing family-centered care and the impact of illness-related transitions. (Clinical hours: 40)
NURS 326 Nursing and the Beginning Family (3 SH)
Covers maternal-newborn and family nursing during the childbearing period. Clinical practice takes place in maternity units, prenatal programs, and childbirth classes. (Clinical hours: 48)
NURS 420 Adult Health Practicum II (3 SH)
Advances medical-surgical nursing through management of comprehensive care for two to three clients. (Clinical hours: 76.5) Prerequisite: NURS 320.
NURS 422 Nursing Care of the Adult II (3 SH)
Addresses complex health needs of adults with cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, musculoskeletal, neurological, or sensory disorders. Prerequisite: Level 1 completion.
NURS 426 Nursing and the Family in the Community (3 SH)
Examines nursing care of families within the community context, applying family and community health concepts to support health across settings. Serves as a foundation for community health coursework.
NURS 427 Professional Issues in Nursing (1 SH)
Seminar examining ethical, legal, policy, and research trends in nursing. Students analyze a contemporary health topic and deliver an evidence-based presentation.
NURS 429 Leadership Practicum (3 SH)
Engages students in leadership-focused clinical experiences in acute and medical-surgical settings. Emphasizes delegation, time management, and clinical prioritization. Prerequisites: NURS 322 and NURS 422. (Clinical hours: 97)
NURS 432 Community Health (3 SH)
Applies community health principles to individual, family, and population care. Topics include epidemiology, prevention, communicable disease, and healthcare systems. Clinical focus centers on health promotion and disease prevention in community settings. Prerequisite: NURS 426. (Clinical hours: 56)
NURS 433 Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing (2 SH)
Introduces the research process and application of evidence-based findings in nursing practice. Students apply research outcomes to a population health presentation project.
NURS 436 Population Health Colloquium (2 SH)
Integrates leadership and community health concepts through a semester project targeting population health needs, culminating in a professional, evidence-based presentation. (Clinical hours: 45)
NURS 438 Critical Care Nursing (3 SH)
Applies crisis theory to the care of clients and families facing acute health emergencies and disasters. Clinical learning occurs in emergency and critical care units. Prerequisites: NURS 322 and NURS 422.
NURS 440 Transition to Practice (3 SH)
Prepares students for the transition to professional nursing with focus on role identity, ethics, and personal philosophy development. Includes reflection and writing components. Meets CORE 402 (Writing Intensive) requirement.
More detail is available in the EMU accelerated second-degree nursing catalog.
Clinicals
EMU places students in clinical rotations across multiple nursing settings — long-term care, acute care, medical-surgical, behavioral health, pediatrics, maternity, critical care, and community health. Based on site needs and course plans, students may complete 12-hour shifts and weekend clinical rotations.
Tuition
The estimated total tuition cost is about $93,340 for the full 15-month program, based on EMU’s published full-time undergraduate tuition (12-18 credits) and required campus fees (housing not included):
- Summer 2026 term: $22,400 tuition + $90 student fee + $335 general services fee = $22,825
- Fall 2026 + Spring 2027 + Summer 2027: 3 × ($23,075 tuition + $90 student fee + $340 general services fee) = 3 × $23,505 = $70,515
- Estimated total (4 terms): $22,825 + $70,515 = $93,340
Housing and meals can raise the billed total for students who live on campus, though many ABSN students do not use on-campus housing. EMU notes that 99% of its undergraduates receive financial aid.
Confirm current figures via the official tuition page.