Program Overview
A faith-integrated, mission-minded path into nursing — Liberty weaves a Christian worldview through the curriculum and offers clinical mission trips and distant clinical site options, all within a deliberately small, selective cohort of just 15 students for personalized attention.
Liberty University offers a residential Accelerated Pre-Licensure BSN for students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree. The fast track can finish in about two years, with the nursing sequence running about 19 months once admitted, beginning in the summer. As a Christian university, Liberty integrates a faith-based perspective throughout its nursing education, and the School of Nursing distinguishes itself with clinical mission trips, distant clinical site options, an SSH-accredited simulation center, and a structured clinical experience model.
The accelerated cohort is small and selective — the program selects just 15 students — and includes more than 550 clinical hours of hands-on training delivered through in-person, on-campus core nursing courses.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate nursing program at Liberty University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the accelerated pre-licensure BSN is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. Liberty University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The School of Nursing Simulation Center holds Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) teaching and education accreditation (December 31, 2023 through December 31, 2028). Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
ABSN Admission Summary
Liberty’s ABSN uses a two-step process: first university admission, then the BSN program application. The program targets second-degree students and requires strong academics with specific prerequisites completed before the nursing sequence begins.
- Second-degree requirement: must be seeking a second bachelor’s degree and hold a 4-year U.S. bachelor’s degree
- Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA for all college work (including dual enrollment)
- If transferring credits from outside Liberty, the Liberty cumulative GPA must also be at least 3.25
- 55 transferable credits applied to the Nursing Degree Completion Plan (up to 75% of the degree total may transfer)
- Prerequisites completed by the end of the semester before the program starts
- A C or higher in each prerequisite course
- Highly selective: 15 students are selected for the accelerated program
- Applications open December 1 and close February 15 for the summer start
Prerequisite Courses
Complete the required prerequisites with a C or better before the nursing sequence starts:
- BIOL 213/214 and BIOL 215/216: Anatomy & Physiology I and II (with labs)
- CHEM 107: General/Organic Chemistry
- NURS 115: Pre-Licensure Pathophysiology
- BIOL 203: Microbiology
- NURS 104: Introduction to Nursing/Medical Terminology
Curriculum
The accelerated plan includes general education requirements, foundational science courses, and a block of core nursing courses with clinical components.
NURS 104 – Introduction to Nursing and Medical Terminology
Introduces nursing education, the nursing process, and the role of nurses in healthcare. Covers historical, ethical, legal, and social aspects of nursing. Includes medical terminology, word structure, and proper usage. Emphasizes the nursing process with a focus on assessment.
NURS 115 – Pre-Licensure Pathophysiology
Examines physiological changes due to environmental imbalances across the lifespan. Focuses on adaptation, homeostasis, and their relationship to nursing practice. Provides foundational knowledge for advanced clinical application.
NURS 200 – Nursing Process Application
Prepares students for nursing education by developing skills in clinical decision-making, research analysis, and nursing care planning. Emphasizes critical thinking in patient care.
NURS 202 – Clinical Application of Nutritional Principles for Nurses
Explores nutrition principles for patient care, including digestion, absorption, and metabolism. Focuses on meeting the nutritional needs of diverse populations with acute and chronic conditions.
NURS 210 – Pre-Licensure Health Assessment
Teaches a systematic approach to health assessment across the lifespan. Emphasizes physical examination techniques, health history documentation, and communication in clinical settings.
NURS 221 – Fundamentals in Nursing
Introduces basic nursing skills, patient safety, time management, communication, and age-specific care considerations. Includes hands-on practice in lab and clinical settings.
NURS 225 – Pre-Licensure Research in Nursing
Covers research methods, study design, and critical analysis of nursing research. Emphasizes evidence-based practice and includes a research poster presentation.
NURS 301 – Strategies for Adult Health Care I
Focuses on adult health conditions, including pre/post-operative care, infection control, and major organ system dysfunctions. Integrates patient teaching and discharge planning in clinical practice.
NURS 302 – Strategies for Adult Health Care II
Expands on adult health care, covering musculoskeletal, neurological, and reproductive disorders. Includes cancer treatment, gerontology, and end-of-life care.
NURS 305 – Pharmacology
Introduces clinical drug therapy, emphasizing pharmacological principles, therapeutic effects, and adverse reactions. Covers major drug classifications and nursing interventions.
NURS 306 – Pharmacology II
Continues the study of drug therapy with a focus on disease management, safe medication administration, and legal considerations in nursing practice.
NURS 354 – Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family Lecture
Covers maternal health, fetal development, and newborn adaptation. Examines social, political, and cultural influences on pregnancy and family health.
NURS 355 – Nursing Care of Children Lecture
Explores pediatric health issues from infancy to adolescence. Focuses on family dynamics, hospitalization effects, and specialized care for ill children.
NURS 356 – Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family Clinical
Provides hands-on experience in maternity care, focusing on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care. Emphasizes health promotion and family-centered care.
NURS 357 – Nursing Care of Children Clinical
Applies pediatric nursing concepts in clinical settings. Focuses on assessment, intervention, and family support for hospitalized children.
NURS 441 – Pre-Licensure Strategies for Community Health Nursing Lecture
Prepares students for community and public health nursing roles. Covers health promotion, policy development, and social determinants of health.
NURS 442 – Pre-Licensure Strategies for Community Health Nursing Clinical
Applies community health nursing principles in clinical settings. Focuses on preventive care, health disparities, and public health interventions.
NURS 445 – Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Healthcare
Explores genetics, geriatrics, end-of-life care, and cultural sensitivity. Emphasizes evidence-based practice from a Christian perspective.
NURS 451 – Strategies for Mental Health Care
Covers mental health nursing concepts, including stress, adaptation, and communication. Examines behavioral theories and psychiatric care in clinical settings.
NURS 460 – Advanced Strategies for Adult Health Care
Focuses on critical care nursing for complex health conditions. Covers multi-system dysfunction, crisis management, and advanced patient care planning.
NURS 490 – Transition to Practice
Prepares students for professional nursing practice. Emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and ethical decision-making. Includes NCLEX-RN preparation and clinical preceptorship.
More detail is available in the Liberty accelerated pre-licensure BSN catalog.
Clinicals
The program includes more than 550 clinical hours, with dedicated clinical courses in maternal-child, pediatrics, and community health, plus a transition-to-practice experience. Liberty’s School of Nursing also offers distinctive options including distant clinical sites and clinical mission trips, broadening where and how students gain hands-on experience.
Tuition
Estimated total tuition is about $52,290-$61,770, based on Liberty’s published rates and the program’s transfer-credit structure (tuition only; totals vary by transfer credits, summer credit load, and enrollment pattern). Liberty lists $870 per credit hour for part-time undergraduate tuition and $475 per credit hour for summer tuition. With the stated 55 transfer credits, students complete about 71 credits at Liberty:
- Higher estimate (no summer discount): 71 × $870 = $61,770
- Lower estimate (with summer credits): (24 × $475) + (47 × $870) = $52,290
Mandatory fees and other costs are additional. Confirm current figures via the official tuition page.