Last Updated: October 6, 2026
Program Overview
Mercer’s Atlanta ABSN combines online nursing theory with in-person testing, labs and Metro Atlanta clinical rotations across three consecutive semesters.
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN serves students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Its 56-credit nursing curriculum can be completed in as few as 12 months, with January, May and August start options.
Foundations and assessment lead into adult, mental health, pediatric, maternity and population care. Evidence-informed practice and a final role practicum prepare students for entry-level nursing practice and the steps toward RN licensure.
Program Format and Attendance
Online theory: Nursing coursework uses an asynchronous online format. Students manage regular learning activities and deadlines while attending the program’s scheduled hands-on experiences.
In-person requirements: All testing, laboratory, simulation and clinical learning takes place face to face. The ABSN learning site is at 3350 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30339; clinical rotations occur at Metro Atlanta healthcare facilities.
Orientation and workload: Orientation is mandatory and is scheduled about two weeks before classes. Students unable to complete it must defer entry to the next semester; Mercer advises against working during this intensive program.
Admissions Requirements
- Hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a separate 3.0 science GPA.
- Complete all 30 prerequisite credits before enrollment with at least a 3.0 prerequisite GPA; transferred required courses must meet the C-or-better requirement.
- Meet the college’s essential requirements for completing baccalaureate nursing education.
- Submit an admissions essay, résumé and official college transcripts, with the prerequisite completion documentation.
Prior healthcare experience is not required. TOEFL results are required when applicable under the college’s admissions policy.
TEAS
The minimum TEAS composite is 76%. The current track admissions instructions call for at least 30 days between attempts; the catalog permits no more than three attempts in the 12 months before the entering semester’s application deadline.
Complete testing before the deadline and send official scores directly from ATI. Admission remains competitive; minimum eligibility does not guarantee acceptance.
Start Terms and Final Deadlines
- January entry: November 1
- May entry: March 15
- August entry: July 15
The next listed final deadline is November 1, 2026 for January 2027 entry. Mercer reviews applications year-round, but the application and required academic credentials must be received by the final deadline.
The catalog lists a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Use the ABSN application instructions and an enrollment counselor to organize transcripts, the essay, résumé, testing and outstanding prerequisite coursework.
Prerequisites
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab — four credits
- Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab — four credits
- Microbiology for Allied Health with lab — four credits
- Pathophysiology — three credits
- Statistics — three credits
- Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology — three credits
- Lifespan Development — three credits
- Nutrition — three credits
- Religion or an approved general education elective — three credits
Science recency: Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology and Pathophysiology must be no more than seven years old when the ABSN begins. Have the college evaluate transfer equivalencies before registering for additional courses.
Religion substitution: Students approved for the religion exemption must substitute a three-credit general education elective. The exemption does not reduce the 30-credit prerequisite total.
The BSN requires 120 total credits: 64 general education/nursing-core credits and 56 nursing-major credits. Applicable prior-degree credit satisfies the remaining general education requirements after transcript evaluation; students do not automatically retake all 64 credits.
Curriculum
The 56-credit nursing major includes 16 courses over three semesters, each divided into two sessions. The current catalog confirms the semester sequence below; within Semester I, NURA 301/303/304 precede 302/305/306.
Required Courses and Credits
Semester I — 17 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 301 — Professional Role Formation I | 0.5 | Nursing identity, core values, approaches to learning and nursing theories that support person-centered care. |
NURA 303 — Fundamentals of Nursing Care | 5 | Foundational nursing concepts, processes and skills; health promotion, advocacy, quality and safety in simulated and actual care. |
NURA 304 — Health Assessment | 2 | Holistic assessment techniques, documentation, risk recognition and clinical judgment for planning person-centered care. |
NURA 302 — Professional Role Formation II | 0.5 | Social determinants of health, policy, ethical and legal responsibilities, advocacy and population-based healthcare issues. |
NURA 305 — Mental Health Nursing | 5 | Psychopathology, psychopharmacology and ethical, culturally responsive mental health care through classroom and clinical learning. |
NURA 306 — Population Health Nursing | 4 | Population health from individual to global settings, including equity, policy, regulatory influences and community care. |
Semester II — 19.5 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 307 — Pharmacology I | 1 | Medication actions, movement through the body and safe management of therapies associated with Adult Nursing Science I. |
NURA 308 — Adult Nursing Science I | 8 | Coordinating care for adults with complex needs; clinical judgment, disparities, quality and safety across healthcare systems. |
NURA 401 — Professional Role Formation III | 0.5 | Quality and safety within a just culture, communication, technology and evidence-informed professional practice. |
NURA 403 — Nursing Care of Infants-Children | 5 | Developmental and family-centered care of well and ill infants and children, with attention to culture and social determinants. |
NURA 404 — Nursing Care for the Childbearing Family | 5 | Collaborative family care during low- and high-risk pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum recovery, including newborn care. |
Semester III — 19.5 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 407 — Pharmacology II | 1 | Medication principles and safe therapeutic management associated with Adult Nursing Science II. |
NURA 408 — Adult Nursing Science II | 9 | Advanced care for adults with complex health needs, integrating person-centered decisions, care coordination, equity, quality and safety. |
NURA 402 — Professional Role Formation IV | 3.5 | Leadership, organizational structures, healthcare systems, career planning and transition into the professional nursing role. |
NURA 405 — Evidence-Informed Practice in Nursing | 2 | Appraising research, developing and sharing evidence, ethical inquiry and using technology and collaboration to improve care. |
NURA 409 — Role Practicum | 4 | Applying leadership and management while providing and coordinating nursing care with teams, informatics, quality and safety principles. |
Semester II starts with Pharmacology I and Adult Nursing Science I before the role, pediatric and maternity courses. Semester III starts with Pharmacology II and Adult Nursing Science II before Professional Role Formation IV, Evidence-Informed Practice and the Role Practicum.
The 2026–27 university catalog establishes the accelerated requirements and corresponding NURA course descriptions. The table reports degree credits; laboratory and clinical activity accompanies applicable courses and is not a separately added credit total.
Clinical Experience
Mercer lists seven clinical areas: acute care, adult health, intensive care, maternity, mental health, pediatrics and long-term care. Students rotate through Metro Atlanta facilities alongside nursing coursework; assigned sites and schedules determine attendance and travel.
Skills practice: On-site labs cover catheter and IV insertion, injections, vital signs, physical assessment and wound care. Clinical task trainers, medical equipment and realistic manikins support practice, with open lab hours available for additional learning.
Simulation and reflection: Students respond to changing patient scenarios and collaborate with classmates in a hospital-like setting. Debriefing after simulation helps students examine decisions and improve future care.
Tuition and Costs
Published program tuition: $63,935.76 for the 56-credit ABSN curriculum, as listed on Mercer’s track tuition page. This comparable tuition amount excludes fees and other expenses.
2026–27 billing basis: The university bursar lists ABSN tuition at $1,103.09 per credit. Applying that rate to 56 credits gives $61,773.04 before fees; confirm the tuition basis that applies to the entering cohort when reviewing the offer and invoice.
- Nursing fee: $950 per semester, or $2,850 across three semesters.
- Facility and technology fee: $250 per semester at 12 or more credits, or $750 across the verified three-semester sequence. Together, these published academic fees total $3,600.
- Books and materials: The bursar lists the Bear Book Bundle at $26 per credit, equivalent to $1,456 for 56 credits if participating. Mercer provides an opt-out process; students who opt out still need to purchase required materials.
- Budget separately for the application fee, health insurance, uniforms, supplies, clinical transportation and living expenses.
Program prices and annual per-credit rates can use different billing bases. Additional prerequisite credits, extra terms and future rate changes can raise the final cost; the tuition figure is not an all-in educational budget.
Mercer lists federal financial aid, HRSA nursing loans, Georgia aid for eligible residents, private loans and payment plans. Eligibility and available funding depend on the student’s circumstances.
Accreditation
Mercer’s baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and has approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing. Mercer University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
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