Program Overview
Seattle-Area Career Changers Don’t Need a Bachelor’s Degree to Apply
Most ABSN programs draw a hard line: no bachelor’s degree, no application. PLU draws it differently — 60 non-nursing college credits is enough to start the process. That distinction opens the door for career changers who built their first path through a two-year or partial college background, and it’s one of the few programs in Washington state structured this way.
Three annual start dates in February, June, and September eliminate the one-chance-per-year pressure that defines most cohort programs, and rolling admissions means a strong application gets a decision in weeks.
The 16-month hybrid program operates from a dedicated satellite facility in Lynnwood — 16 miles north of Seattle — purpose-built for accelerated nursing students with state-of-the-art simulation labs on site.
ABSN Admission Summary
Rolling review means earlier applications get earlier decisions — there’s no advantage to waiting until a deadline closes. Each applicant is assigned a dedicated admissions representative before and throughout the process, which is a structural differentiator from programs that route everyone through a generic portal.
Eligibility baseline:
- Minimum 60 non-nursing college credits OR a completed non-nursing bachelor’s degree
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale (transfer students: cumulative transfer GPA as calculated by PLU’s Registrar)
- Minimum grade of B- in every prerequisite course — no exceptions
Seven prerequisite courses (all must be completed before enrollment):
- Intro to Microbiology with lab (BIOL 201, 4 cr.) — must be within 6 years of start date
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (BIOL 205, 4 cr.) — must be within 6 years
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (BIOL 206, 4 cr.) — must be within 6 years
- Chemistry of Life with lab (CHEM 105, 4 cr.) — must be within 6 years
- Development Across the Lifespan (PSYC 320, 4 cr.)
- Introductory Statistics (STAT 231, 4 cr.)
- Nutrition in Healthcare (NUR 120, 1 cr.)
All prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited institution. Prior college background frequently satisfies some of these — the admissions representative conducts a transfer credit evaluation early in the process to determine what’s outstanding.
Application process:
- Contact an admissions representative — eligibility verification happens here, not at the application stage
- Work with your representative to build a prerequisite completion plan aligned to your preferred start date
- Submit the full application once all requirements are satisfied — representative reviews before submission
Applicants may only maintain one active application across PLU’s nursing programs (Traditional BSN, ABSN, or ELMSN) simultaneously. Geographic requirement: students must live within driving distance of Lynnwood, Washington for labs, and must be able to commute to Seattle-area clinical sites.
Post-acceptance requirements:
- CB Bridges background check and drug screen (included in program fees)
- Immunizations and health requirements (student responsibility)
- Individual liability insurance beginning 2026 (~$50/year through NSO or ProLiability; select “student nurse” option)
- Transportation to clinical sites — the Lynnwood Light Rail station is under one mile from the program facility
Curriculum
Sixty-eight nursing credit hours are distributed evenly across four 16-credit semesters. The model is hybrid throughout: theory delivered asynchronously online, psychomotor skills built in on-site labs, and real-world clinical judgment developed through rotations at Seattle-area healthcare facilities. No semester is exclusively didactic — clinical practice begins in Semester 1.
Prerequisite Overview
All seven prerequisites must be completed with a B- or higher before the program starts. The four science courses (Microbiology, A&P I and II, Chemistry) carry a 6-year recency requirement. See the admission summary above for the full list.
Required coursework includes the following:
NURS 305: Patho/Pharm I
Introduces the body’s pathological responses and corresponding pharmacological treatments. Covers drug classifications, therapeutic approaches, and non-drug interventions. Emphasizes integration of disease mechanisms and medication use.
NURS 306: Foundations of Care Delivery & Health Promotion
Covers essential knowledge for promoting health and delivering nursing care across the lifespan. Focuses on prevention, health education, and wellness strategies. Develops skills to support individuals and communities.
NURS 307: Health & Physical Assessment
Teaches core assessment skills needed for evaluating patients of all ages. Combines theoretical instruction with hands-on lab practice. Students learn to collect, interpret, and document health data.
NURS 308: Clinical Practicum I
Applies nursing theory through clinical experiences, lab work, and simulations. Emphasizes safe patient care and skill development. Builds foundational clinical judgment in diverse settings.
NURS 309: Professional Foundations & Principles of Leadership
Explores principles of professional nursing practice and leadership. Prepares students for ethical decision-making and team collaboration. Emphasizes accountability, advocacy, and communication.
NURS 310: Scholarly Writing Concepts
Introduces students to scholarly writing in APA format. Focuses on skills for writing academic papers, research reports, and journal articles. Supports professional communication standards in nursing.
NURS 311: Patho/Pharm II
Continues the study of disease processes and medication management. Examines treatment strategies for more complex conditions. Expands understanding of pharmacologic and alternative therapies.
NURS 314: Care of Chronic Conditions
Focuses on applying the nursing process to manage long-term health conditions. Addresses patient-centered care across the lifespan. Supports chronic illness self-management strategies.
NURS 315: Psych/Mental Health
Covers nursing care for individuals with mental health needs. Teaches assessment and interventions for psychological conditions. Emphasizes therapeutic communication and safe practice.
NURS 316: Clinical Practicum II
Provides advanced clinical experience through labs, simulations, and patient care. Reinforces nursing competencies in real-world settings. Prepares students for higher-level clinical responsibilities.
NURS 317: Theory & Evidence
Explores foundational nursing theories and their development. Examines the philosophical and historical context of the profession. Encourages theory-guided practice.
NURS 318: Research Methods
Teaches how to evaluate nursing research and apply evidence to practice. Covers methodology, analysis, and research ethics. Prepares students for evidence-based care.
NURS 319: Healthcare Technology
Introduces technologies used in clinical and administrative healthcare. Covers electronic records, decision-support tools, and data systems. Emphasizes safe and efficient tech integration.
NURS 401: Care of Complex Conditions
Focuses on acute and complex health issues across the lifespan. Teaches advanced clinical reasoning and care planning. Prepares students to manage unstable conditions.
NURS 402: Patho/Pharm III
Final course in the series on pathology and pharmacology. Covers advanced drug therapy and complex disease interactions. Supports integration of prior learning into comprehensive care.
NURS 403: Clinical Practicum III
Advances clinical decision-making through hands-on care and simulation. Reinforces skills in complex care settings. Focuses on managing diverse patient populations.
NURS 404: Healthcare Diversity – GE
Teaches culturally responsive care practices. Prepares students to address health disparities and serve diverse populations. Open to non-nursing students with permission.
NURS 405: Informed Practice
Builds on research knowledge to enhance clinical decision-making. Teaches how to interpret and apply research findings. Strengthens skills for evidence-based practice.
NURS 406: Continuity of Care
Focuses on maintaining care quality across different healthcare settings. Teaches transitions of care and discharge planning. Prepares students for population-based care coordination.
NURS 407: Clinical Practicum IV
Offers final clinical practice experience, emphasizing leadership and complex care. Integrates all prior coursework and skills. Prepares students for independent nursing practice.
NURS 408: Organizational & Economic Context of Care
Examines healthcare systems, resource management, and leadership. Prepares students to participate in planning and quality improvement. Covers organizational behavior and healthcare economics.
NURS 409: Health Policy
Analyzes how laws, ethics, and policies affect healthcare delivery. Teaches students to engage in policy discussions and advocacy. Open to non-nursing students with instructor approval.
NURS 483: Transition to Practice
Prepares students for entry into the RN workforce. Focuses on licensure, certification, and professional roles. Supports transition from student to nurse.
NURS 498: Capstone Seminar – SR
Integrates learning through a scholarly project and seminar. Emphasizes leadership, critical thinking, and application of nursing knowledge. Marks the final step before graduation.
More information about the curriculum on the course catalog page.
One additional requirement: a 4-credit Religion/Diversity course must be completed during the January term as a co-requisite for graduation. This is a PLU university requirement and sits outside the 68 nursing credit hours.
The Pathophysiology/Pharmacology sequence runs across all three of the first three semesters — a deliberate scaffolding approach that builds pharmacological reasoning progressively rather than front-loading it.
Clinicals
Clinical rotations begin in Semester 1 and run through all four semesters, totaling 600 hours of real-world patient care experience across Seattle-area healthcare facilities. PLU arranges all clinical placements — students are not responsible for sourcing their own sites.
- Total clinical hours: 600
- Placement coordination: Fully managed by PLU — no self-sourcing required
- Clinical start: Semester 1 (NURS 308 — Clinical Practicum I, 3 cr.)
- Clinical progression: 3 cr. (Semester 1) → 5 cr. (Semester 2) → 5 cr. (Semester 3) → 6 cr. (Semester 4) — intensity increases each term
- Final semester preceptorship: One-on-one with a practicing nurse in a specific specialty area; students work the same shifts as their preceptor and take an active or primary patient care role
- Student-to-instructor ratio: 8:1 for all clinical rotations
- Specialties covered: Adult health, women and children, mental health, critical care, and community health
- Simulation labs: Dedicated facility in Lynnwood features clinical task trainers and high-fidelity full-body manikins; faculty observe from an adjacent control room during simulation scenarios and conduct structured debriefings afterward
- Skills labs: Cover catheterization, intramuscular injections, nasogastric tube insertion, wound care, and other foundational procedures — all practiced before entering live clinical environments
- Networking: Students rotate consistently with the same clinical staff, building professional relationships that may support post-graduation employment
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$75,450
PLU charges $1,025 per nursing credit hour across 68 credits, plus a flat program fee package.
| Component | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Nursing tuition | 68 cr. × $1,025 | $69,700 |
Program fees (approx.) | Matriculation, tech, Kaplan, CB Bridges, CPNW, wellness | ~$5,750 |
Total | ~$75,450 | |
Prerequisite tuition (if needed) | $475/cr. × outstanding credits | Variable |
Liability insurance (new 2026) | ~$50/year | ~$100 over 16 months |
Students who still need to complete prerequisites will pay $475 per credit hour for those courses — separate from and in addition to the program tuition. The $205 tuition deposit is applied toward first-semester charges.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Pacific Lutheran University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing. PLU holds institutional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).