Last Updated: October 3, 2026
Program Overview
Rasmussen’s second-degree accelerated BSN combines online and campus coursework with local laboratories and clinical training, with Florida campus options and eight start dates annually.
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN is designed for applicants with a completed bachelor’s degree and can be finished in as few as 18 months. The current plan applies a 74-quarter-credit prior-degree block transfer toward a 180-quarter-credit BSN, leaving 106 quarter credits.
The 2026–27 catalog lists Florida delivery at Central Pasco, Fort Myers, North Orlando, Ocala, Orlando and Tampa/Brandon. North Orlando and Orlando are satellites of the Ocala program; confirm the campus and assigned attendance locations before enrolling.
Accreditation
Rasmussen’s baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Rasmussen is part of American Public University System, which holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
Admissions Requirements
A bachelor’s degree from an appropriately accredited institution is required for this second-degree entrance option. A 2.25 degree GPA qualifies for an entrance-examination exemption; it is one admission route rather than a universal minimum that excludes every lower-GPA applicant.
The catalog identifies these alternative qualifying credentials or examinations:
- A conferred bachelor’s or higher degree with at least a 2.25 GPA.
- HESI Admission Assessment cumulative score of at least 75%, including reading comprehension, vocabulary/general knowledge, mathematics and anatomy/physiology.
- TEAS total score of at least 72%.
- ACT score of at least 20, earned within five years.
- SAT score of at least 1100, earned within five years.
- A current, unencumbered practical or vocational nursing license; this does not replace the prior bachelor’s requirement for the second-degree option.
Submit the bachelor’s transcript for evaluation during admission. Official degree transcripts must reach the university by the sixth business day of the first enrollment quarter to avoid withdrawal.
- Complete the application, enrollment requirements and School of Nursing orientation.
- Provide the required physical and immunization documentation.
- Maintain qualifying BLS/CPR certification with defibrillator training.
- For Florida, pass both the university vendor’s background check and a Florida Level 2 check.
- Meet additional campus, clinical-agency and program requirements disclosed at enrollment.
Prior Coursework and Prerequisites
The prior-degree block transfer accounts for 74 quarter credits of preparation. Nursing registration generally requires completion of the block-transfer general education requirements through approved transfer or Rasmussen coursework.
The catalog allows students in their final general education quarter to begin the approved first nursing courses if Anatomy and Physiology I and II are complete. Have transcripts evaluated for science and other preparation requirements; advertised entry without prerequisites does not mean every prior degree satisfies every nursing-course prerequisite.
Start Dates and Final Application Timing
The Orlando program page advertises eight starts per year. Admission is rolling, with availability tied to the selected campus and cohort; obtain its final completed-file cutoff before planning a start.
Curriculum
After the 74-credit transfer block, the plan includes 53 lower-division core credits, 45 upper-division core credits and eight elective credits. These are quarter credits, which should not be compared directly with semester-credit totals.
The curriculum develops assessment and foundational care before increasingly complex adult and specialty nursing. Upper-division study adds research, informatics, leadership and population health, ending with transition to practice and a separate scholarly capstone.
Required Courses and Credits
Lower-Division Nursing Core — 53 Quarter Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR1055 — Introduction to Nursing | 4 | Professional roles, nursing theory, evidence-based care and communication. |
NUR2063 — Essentials of Pathophysiology | 3 | Disease causes, symptoms and mechanisms that maintain or disrupt body-system balance. |
NUR2180 — Physical Assessment | 3 | Holistic health histories, physical examination and accurate documentation. |
NUR2214 — Nursing Care of the Older Adult | 3 | Older-adult safety, autonomy, ethical advocacy and supervised gerontological practice. |
NUR2243 — Professional Nursing Skills I | 3 | Basic comfort and care skills, dose calculations and safe medication administration. |
NUR2356 — Multidimensional Care I | 5 | Foundational care for musculoskeletal, skin, sensory, immune and infectious conditions, with clinical application. |
NUR2392 — Multidimensional Care II | 6 | Care for cancer, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, with clinical application. |
NUR2459 — Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing | 4 | Stress, coping and mental health disorders, with supervised behavioral-health care. |
NUR2474 — Pharmacology for Professional Nursing | 4 | Medication classes, safe administration and effects on special populations. |
NUR2502 — Multidimensional Care III | 6 | Care for reproductive, respiratory, cardiovascular, blood and urinary disorders, with clinical application. |
NUR2513 — Maternal-Child Nursing | 4 | Safe nursing care for mothers, newborns and children, with clinical application. |
NUR2648 — Professional Nursing Skills II | 2 | Advanced laboratory skills for respiratory, gastrointestinal, blood and fluid-balance care, including pediatric medication administration. |
NUR2755 — Multidimensional Care IV | 6 | Prioritize care for neurological illness, trauma, critical illness and emergencies, with clinical application. |
Upper-Division Nursing Core — 45 Quarter Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR3306 — Integration of Genetics and Genomics into Ethical Nursing Practice | 4 | Genetic and genomic assessment, evidence-based care planning and ethical advocacy. |
NUR3472 — Emerging Healthcare Technologies and Innovation | 4 | Nursing informatics, innovative technology and data-driven decisions supporting quality and safety. |
NUR3643 — Research and Theory | 5 | Nursing theory, research evaluation and evidence-based solutions for practice. |
NUR4153 — Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Judgment | 5 | Convert assessment cues and learned knowledge into reliable clinical reasoning and judgment. |
NUR4244 — Public Health Nursing | 5 | Population health, determinants of health and community collaboration, with clinical application. |
NUR4327 — Influence of Policy, Finance, and Law on Healthcare | 4 | Health policy, economics, regulation and legal risk in nursing practice. |
NUR4590 — Professional Identity of the Nurse Leader | 5 | Leadership, management, quality improvement and professional identity, with clinical application. |
NUR4681 — Global Health | 4 | Epidemiology, disease surveillance, health access and protection of vulnerable populations. |
NUR4756 — Transition to Practice | 5 | Interprofessional care, complex medical-surgical cases and preparation for practice and NCLEX, with clinical application. |
NUR4922 — Bachelor of Science in Nursing Capstone | 4 | Synthesize research, ethics, leadership, technology and population health in a final scholarly capstone. |
Required Electives — Choose Two
Students select two four-credit courses from this pool, for eight quarter credits. These are choices within a required elective category, rather than three courses everyone must take.
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR3738 — Integrative Nursing | 4 | Evaluate holistic, complementary and integrative approaches for safe patient-centered care. |
NUR3894 — Contemporary Issues in Nursing | 4 | Examine changing practice issues such as staffing, disease, ethics, technology and policy. |
NUR3907 — Scholarly Communication in Nursing | 4 | Develop written, visual and verbal communication for sharing nursing scholarship. |
Eligible students may elect approved graduate-course substitutions under the catalog policy; they are optional. The official nursing course descriptions distinguish theory, clinical and laboratory components.
Clinical Experience and Progression
Online coursework does not remove local attendance requirements. Laboratories and clinical components support adult, older-adult, behavioral, maternal-child, public health, leadership and transition-to-practice learning.
Students must earn at least C in required nursing courses, demonstrate skills competencies and complete clinical experiences satisfactorily. A failed or withdrawn core nursing course must be repeated when next offered, and prerequisite failures can interrupt progression and extend completion time.
Tuition and Required Fees
The 2026–27 tuition schedule lists $392 per quarter credit for the second-degree accelerated BSN. Across 106 remaining quarter credits, estimated tuition is $41,552 before fees, materials and individual additional coursework.
- A one-time program administrative fee of $495 applies.
- The technology and resource fee is $200 per faculty-led course, with additional $200 charges for designated nursing lab and clinical components.
- The book/materials policy charges $25 plus tax per required course material purchased through Rasmussen; two items cost $50 plus tax. Opt-out rules differ for integrated digital materials.
- Budget separately for clinical clearance, immunizations, BLS, transportation, uniforms, supplies and living expenses.
The tuition calculation assumes the published 74-credit block transfer and successful completion of the remaining plan at current rates. A campus estimate can include required fees and materials; compare its line items with tuition alone, and obtain a personalized enrollment estimate.