Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
A campus-based second-degree BSN completed in four consecutive terms, with at least 750 clinical hours and a transition to fall-start cohorts in 2027.
MSU Denver’s Accelerated Nursing Option (ANO) combines 63 nursing credits, including a five-credit senior clinical experience. Students learn through classroom instruction, simulation, skills practice and supervised experiences across the Denver region.
The university lists Spring 2027 as the final spring-start cohort. Fall 2027 applications open December 1, 2026; subsequent ANO cohorts are scheduled to begin in fall.
Accreditation
MSU’s published outcomes report first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for accelerated cohorts of 100% in 2023, 92% in 2024 and 90% in 2025. Its 2025 accelerated completion rate is 95%, measured within 150% of the program timeline. The department also reports 100% job placement one year after graduation, without specifying a cohort year or an ANO-only population for that employment figure.
The MSU Denver nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Colorado State Board of Nursing. Graduates meet the supervised-practice and educational requirements to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
Admissions
- Eligibility: previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree and completion of all nursing prerequisites (labs required where noted)
- GPA: minimum 2.75 cumulative across the eight nursing prerequisites (competitive averages ~3.5)
- Testing and scoring: Casper is required and costs $70. Admission points come from prerequisite GPA, Casper score and completed MSU Denver credits. Registration instructions arrive after the nursing application; the school permits the assessment after the application deadline when the initial application was timely.
- Other: separate, competitive admission to the nursing program; background check and drug screen (no retests; includes marijuana); immunizations (TDAP, MMR, Hep B, negative TB, Varicella, influenza, COVID)
The nursing application is free. For Fall 2027, the application opens December 1, 2026 and closes February 15, 2027 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. Spring 2027 applications are closed. Students first apply to MSU Denver as Undeclared Pre-Nursing and then submit the separate competitive nursing application. Working full-time is not recommended.
Prerequisite Courses (31-32 credits)
- Anatomy & Physiology I and II (with labs)
- Microbiology for Nursing or General Microbiology (with lab)
- Chemistry with lab (Principles or General)
- Clinical Pathophysiology
- Introduction to Statistics
- Introduction to Nutrition
- Psychology of Human Development
Have all transfer courses, including online laboratory work, evaluated by pre-nursing advising before applying. The eight prerequisites require C or better and a combined minimum GPA of 2.75; admitted averages are usually around 3.5. For repeated prerequisites, MSU averages attempts within the previous nine semesters, including summers, in its nursing application GPA calculation.
Curriculum
The nursing sequence totals 63 credits: 58 required course credits plus the five-credit senior experience. Courses are grouped below by subject; the 2026–27 ANO catalog does not assign this list to individual accelerated terms.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations, assessment and evidence (19 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 3020 — Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice | 6 | Introduces the nursing profession, care environments, and core competencies. Students begin applying the nursing process, clinical reasoning, and therapeutic, multicultural communication in simulation and clinical settings. |
NURA 3160 — Ethics and Professional Nursing Practice | 3 | Covers ethical theories, decision models, and codes of ethics used in nursing. Students analyze real practice dilemmas and connect ethics to patient-centered care, teamwork, and evidence use. |
NURA 3400 — Evidence Based Practice Through Nursing Research | 3 | Explains how to read, appraise, and apply research to improve care. Students complete a database literature search and translate findings into practical, evidence-based actions. |
NURA 3410 — Clinical Pharmacology | 4 | Reviews major drug classes and pharmacologic principles with safe-medication practices. Students practice dosage calculations and apply legal, ethical, and cultural considerations to medication administration. |
NURA 3700 — Nursing Health Assessment | 3 | Builds competency in health histories and head-to-toe physical exams. Students organize findings, practice interviewing, and interpret common assessment data. |
Specialty and community nursing (33 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 3500 — Mental Health Nursing | 5 | Applies core mental health concepts, therapeutic communication, and relapse prevention across the lifespan. Students use the nursing process to deliver safe, person-centered psychiatric care. |
NURA 3810 — Medical Surgical Nursing Care I | 6 | Develops beginning medical-surgical skills for adults with common conditions. Simulation and clinical practice reinforce use of the nursing process and clinical judgment. |
NURA 4000 — Community Health Nursing | 6 | Focuses on health promotion and disease prevention for families, groups, and communities. Students conduct assessments, examine epidemiology, and practice advocacy and teaching in diverse settings. |
NURA 4030 — Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family | 5 | Covers family-centered care from antepartum through newborn periods. Students apply skills in simulation and clinical sites to support safety, education, and healthy outcomes. |
NURA 4110 — Medical Surgical Nursing Care II | 6 | Advances management of patients with intermediate and complex conditions. Students strengthen clinical decision-making through simulation and direct care experiences. |
NURA 4200 — Child and Family Health Nursing | 5 | Provides evidence-based pediatric nursing across settings with prevention, teaching, and developmentally appropriate care. Clinical and simulation activities build skill and confidence. |
Quality, leadership and senior experience (11 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURA 4040 — Quality Care and Patient Safety Using Nursing Informatics | 3 | Introduces informatics, EHR use, and quality metrics to improve care and safety. Students analyze clinical data, compare it with evidence and benchmarks, and address privacy and security standards. |
NURA 4300 — Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing Practice | 3 | Examines leadership, management, policy, and economics in healthcare. Students apply evidence and organizational principles to guide teams and improve outcomes. |
NURA 4850 — Nursing Senior Experience | 5 | Capstone clinical immersion under a preceptor. Students integrate prior learning, demonstrate entry-level competence, and prepare for transition to professional practice. |
The previous bachelor’s degree satisfies general studies requirements. Nursing prerequisites, any remaining degree requirements and the nursing sequence are evaluated separately; the 120-credit BSN total does not mean second-degree students repeat 120 credits.
Clinical Training
Students complete at least 750 clinical hours in hospitals, long-term care, outpatient facilities, schools and community settings. Most placements are in the Denver metro area, but assignments may extend north to Greeley or south to Colorado Springs. Typical shifts run 7 a.m.–7 p.m., with possible nights and weekends; reliable transportation is essential. Skills laboratories and simulation support progressive clinical readiness.
Tuition
Estimated tuition is $29,307.60 for an eligible Colorado resident with COF: 63 nursing credits × ($581.20 nursing tuition less the $116-per-credit stipend). Tuition before COF is $36,615.60. These calculations use the nursing-specific 2026–27 rate, rather than the university’s general undergraduate rate.
Mandatory fees are additional. The nursing program fee is $14.37 per NURA credit, approximately $905.31 for 63 credits. General mandatory fees vary with each term’s enrollment: the current table lists $952.67 at 12 credits, $1,079.57 at 15 credits and $1,206.47 at 18 credits. A one-time $150 matriculation fee also applies.
The Bursar’s current billing tables list student health insurance at $1,185 for fall and $1,659 for spring/summer for students taking at least nine credits; qualifying coverage can support a waiver. Books, clinical compliance, supplies, transportation, prerequisites and living expenses are separate.
The tuition estimate applies current rates across all four nursing terms and assumes COF eligibility and authorization for all 63 credits. Actual charges may rise in later academic years, and students who have exhausted COF should use the before-COF figure.
Related Programs
Beyond the ANO, MSU Denver offers a Traditional Nursing Option (TNO) pre-licensure BSN (four terms, no summer), a High School Direct Admit Program, and an online RN-to-BSN (BRNCO) with a dual-enrollment option for RNs and ADN students.