Program Overview
Personal attention and strong outcomes in the Franciscan tradition — Saint Francis University’s 18-month second-degree BSN track keeps clinical groups small (a 1:8 faculty-to-student ratio), reports a 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate for the track, and trains students across five simulation suites where they’re known by name, not just a face in a classroom.
Saint Francis University offers a BSN Second Degree Nursing Track for students who hold a prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree, completed on campus with clinical components in about 18 months across four semesters. A Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition, SFU embeds Franciscan values throughout the coursework to graduate caring, ethical nurses, and emphasizes personal attention — students are known by name.
The program highlights a 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate for second-degree track graduates and supports hands-on training with a small 1:8 faculty-to-student clinical ratio and five simulation suites: a mock emergency room, ICU room, maternity room, exam room, and patient room.
Accreditation & Outcomes
The baccalaureate nursing program at Saint Francis University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and has full approval from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. Saint Francis University is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
The second-degree track reports a 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate for graduates, with department NCLEX-RN rates consistently exceeding national averages. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
ABSN Admission Summary
This second-degree BSN track uses rolling admissions and focuses on prior academic strength in overall coursework and natural sciences, plus readiness for fast-paced clinical training.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major other than nursing
- 3.0 cumulative transfer GPA
- 2.6 cumulative GPA in natural science courses (as defined by the program)
- Nursing courses require a minimum grade of B- for progression
- BIOL 205, BIOL 206, and BIOL 214 must be completed within the last 7 years
- Applicants dismissed from a prior BSN program are not eligible for admission
- A maximum of 68 transfer credits may be applied (including 32 credits of non-nursing prerequisite courses)
Prerequisite Courses
The program lists non-nursing and nursing prerequisite courses that must be completed before entry into the professional nursing phase (beginning with NURS 322). BIOL 111 and CHEM 113 are waived if BIOL 214, BIOL 205, and BIOL 206 have been completed and accepted for transfer.
- BIOL 111 Biology
- CHEM 113 Human Chemistry
- BIOL 214 Microbiology
- BIOL 205 Anatomy & Physiology I
- BIOL 206 Anatomy & Physiology II
- PSYC 101 Psychology
- PSYC 209 Developmental Psychology
- SOC 101 Sociology
- MATH 107 College Algebra (or higher)
- STATS 205 Statistics
Curriculum
The 60-credit nursing curriculum covers key topics such as clinical reasoning, cultural competence, patient care technologies, leadership, and nursing ethics, with a Franciscan, caring-centered approach.
NURS 100 – Introduction to Professional Nursing
Introduces key nursing theories, professional values, and ethical principles. Emphasizes caring in nursing from personal and professional perspectives. Covers the American Nurses Association Standards of Professional Performance and the foundations of nursing practice.
NURS 200 – Nursing Assessment of the Person
Covers health assessment across the lifespan, including physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual aspects. Students learn to identify normal vs. abnormal findings and develop nursing diagnoses. Includes clinical laboratory practice for hands-on assessment skills.
NURS 201 – Health and the Developing Person
Focuses on human development throughout life, integrating biological, psychological, and social changes. Explores health promotion strategies and developmental milestones across different age groups.
NURS 300 – Fundamentals of Human Care Nursing
Introduces core nursing roles, including caregiver, teacher, and advocate. Covers evidence-based interventions, therapeutic communication, and the nursing process. Includes clinical experience in medical-surgical settings and lab simulations.
NURS 301 – Care of Childbearing Families
Examines pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care from a caring and clinical perspective. Covers genetics, nutrition, reproductive health, and perinatal loss. Clinical rotations include maternity units and simulation labs.
NURS 302 – Care of Adults with Acute Alterations in Health
Focuses on nursing care for adults with acute health conditions. Covers medical-surgical care within cultural contexts, emphasizing diagnostic reasoning and clinical application. Includes hospital-based clinical rotations and lab simulations.
NURS 303 – Care of Children
Explores pediatric nursing, including genetics, health promotion, and managing childhood illnesses. Students apply nursing theories in hospital and community settings through lab simulations and clinical practice.
NURS 311 – Human Nutrition
Provides an overview of nutrition in health and disease. Covers dietary needs across the lifespan, the role of nutrition in chronic conditions, and clinical applications, including enteral and parenteral nutrition.
NURS 316 – Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I
Introduces disease processes and pharmacological interventions. Examines the effects of illnesses on the body-mind-spirit connection and explores treatments used in nursing practice.
NURS 401 – Care of Individuals With Life-Threatening Alterations in Health
Covers critical care nursing, including hemodynamic monitoring and EKG interpretation. Students analyze multisystem dysfunctions and apply nursing interventions through case studies and clinical experiences.
NURS 402 – Care of Individuals with Alterations in Psychiatric/Mental Health
Focuses on nursing care for patients with mental health disorders, integrating psychiatric theories and evidence-based practices. Includes simulations, case studies, and clinical rotations in psychiatric care settings.
NURS 403 – Nursing Research
Introduces the research process and evidence-based nursing practice. Students learn to analyze quantitative and qualitative research studies and apply findings to improve patient outcomes.
NURS 404 – Care of Individuals with Chronic Alterations in Health
Explores chronic illness management from a patient-centered perspective. Covers long-term care strategies, rehabilitation, and nursing interventions for patients with ongoing health conditions.
NURS 405 – Care of Human Communities
Focuses on community and public health nursing, including epidemiology, environmental health, and healthcare disparities. Students apply nursing concepts in home and community-based settings.
NURS 410 – Nursing Management/Leadership Theory
Covers leadership and management principles in nursing. Topics include critical thinking, decision-making, operational strategies, and healthcare policy within a caring framework.
NURS 413 – Professional Nursing Leadership/Management Practicum
Prepares students for nursing leadership roles through supervised clinical experiences. Focuses on professionalism, teamwork, and implementing management strategies in patient care.
NURS 416 – Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II
Builds on pathophysiology and pharmacology knowledge, emphasizing disease progression and treatment options. Covers advanced pharmacological interventions and their applications in clinical nursing.
More detail is available in the Saint Francis nursing catalog.
Clinicals and Labs
Clinical education includes hospital-based rotations and structured simulation experiences across five simulation suites, where students work with computer-controlled mannequins that simulate real-life scenarios such as childbirth and seizures. A small 1:8 faculty-to-student clinical ratio supports close, personalized instruction.
Required clinical compliance steps include Pennsylvania clearances, FBI fingerprinting, child abuse history clearance, drug testing, immunizations, and physical examination requirements.
Transportation to clinical sites is a student responsibility, and a driver’s license and car may be needed for some placements.
Tuition
Note: Saint Francis publishes a flat-rate annual undergraduate tuition of about $44,600 per year for full-time study (12-18 credits per semester; credits over 18 are billed at roughly $1,395 each). The exact second-degree nursing tuition depends on how the 60-credit, four-semester program is billed:
- On a per-credit basis, total program tuition is estimated at approximately $48,720
- If billed as four full-time flat-rate semesters (two academic years), total tuition could reach approximately $89,200
Summer or winter enrollment can also change the total, since Saint Francis lists separate per-credit pricing outside the fall/spring flat-rate structure.
Because the figures vary significantly by billing structure, confirm the exact second-degree nursing cost directly with SFU via the official tuition page. These estimates reflect tuition only and exclude housing and most fees.