Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
Samford’s five-semester Second Degree BSN combines Christ-centered nursing education with more than 900 clinical hours and simulation-based learning in Birmingham’s healthcare community.
Samford University’s Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing offers a five-semester Second Degree BSN for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. The current Second Degree BSN follows a traditional fall/spring calendar rather than the shorter continuous-term format common among ABSN programs.
The published sequence is fall, spring, fall, spring and fall, spanning approximately 28 months from the first fall entry to the final fall completion. Summer nursing semesters are not shown in that plan.
Located in Birmingham, the school combines a Christ-centered approach inspired by Ida V. Moffett with classroom study, simulation and more than 900 clinical hours. The school’s nursing tradition extends over a century.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The baccalaureate program is CCNE-accredited. The National League for Nursing lists Samford as a Center of Excellence for 2017–2026.
The Alabama Board of Nursing’s 2025 report lists a 100% BSN first-time NCLEX pass rate for Samford. This school-level measure does not isolate Second Degree BSN graduates.
Samford’s published school outcomes also report a 100% first-time NCLEX rate for 2024 BSN graduates and 96% employment before graduation for the 2023 BSN class. These are dated school-level measures, not promises or separate Second Degree BSN results.
Admission Requirements
Applicants apply to Samford University as an Undergraduate Transfer and then complete a separate School of Nursing application. Requirements:
- Baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field from an accredited institution
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale)
- Minimum science GPA of 2.3 across the required sciences (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry); conditional admission possible with a 2.3 in two of the four, maintaining 2.3+ to progress
- ATI TEAS exam: minimum 72% with at least 58.7% proficiency in all four areas (maximum three attempts per calendar year)
- No ACT or SAT required
Required science courses must be completed within seven years, with no more than one science course repeated once. Online laboratories are not accepted for the required sciences.
Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission. Accepted students complete background screening, drug testing and health/immunization documentation.
Start Term and Application Timing
Students begin nursing courses in the fall only. Samford’s current Second Degree admission page lists a June 1 deadline. Applicants submit the university transfer application first, then the nursing application supplied by Samford.
Prerequisite Coursework
The current plan lists 40 general-education and pre-professional credits. Some Biblical Foundations and statistics credit may transfer or be completed during the program; an adviser should evaluate each transcript.
- CHEM 108/109: General/Organic/Biochemistry with a face-to-face lab (4).
- MATH 110, 130 or 150: approved mathematics equivalent (3).
- BIOL 221/222 and 223/224: Anatomy & Physiology I and II with face-to-face labs (8).
- BIOL 225/226: Microbiology for Allied Health Sciences (4).
- PSYC 101: General Psychology (3); PSYC 205: Life-Span Development (3).
- NUTR 220: Nutrition Science for Health Professions (3).
- UCBF 101 and 102: Biblical Foundations (6); Global Engagement (3).
- Statistics equivalent to MATH 210 (3).
Curriculum
Samford’s five-semester second-degree BSN combines classroom study, laboratory work and clinical practice. Assessment, introductory nursing and pathophysiology lead into foundational care, adult and family nursing, research and leadership, followed by population health and transition to professional practice.
The published second-degree plan places 68 nursing credits in the five semesters below before the separately listed statistics and nursing-elective requirements. Statistics may transfer; Biblical Foundations and Global Engagement requirements also depend on prior coursework. These supporting requirements are explained separately below the nursing tables.
Required Courses and Credits
Fall 1 — 12 Nursing Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 210 — Medication Dosage Calculation for Nurses | 1 | Accurate medication calculations and principles of safe administration. |
NURS 236 — Introduction to Nursing | 3 | Professional nursing roles, patient-centered care, quality, safety and teamwork. |
NURS 241 — Health Assessment | 4 | Health histories, systematic physical assessment and communication; includes 30 laboratory hours. |
NURS 243 — Pathophysiology | 4 | Disease causes, development, manifestations, diagnostic information and prevention. |
Spring 1 — 14 Nursing Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 346 — Foundations of Nursing Practice | 8 | Assessment, care planning, nursing skills and clinical judgment; includes 135 clinical hours. |
NURS 324 — Pharmacology for Nursing Practice I | 2 | Medication therapy and the nurse’s role in safe administration. |
NURS 340 — Behavioral Health | 4 | Psychiatric and mental health needs of individuals, families and groups; includes 68 clinical hours. |
Fall 2 — 13 Nursing Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 350 — Adult Health Nursing I | 7 | Clinical decisions and priorities for adults with acute medical-surgical health needs; includes 135 clinical hours. |
NURS 348 — Maternal and Newborn Nursing | 4 | Routine and high-risk care during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery and the newborn period; includes 68 clinical hours. |
NURS 326 — Pharmacology for Nursing Practice II | 2 | Clinical application of medication therapy for diverse and specialty populations. |
Spring 2 — 13 Nursing Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 450 — Adult Health Nursing II | 6 | Evidence-based care and prioritization for adults with complex health needs; includes 135 clinical hours. |
NURS 448 — Pediatric Nursing | 4 | Growth, development, childhood illness and family-centered care; includes 68 clinical hours. |
NURS 380 — Scholarship for Nursing Practice | 3 | Literature review, research appraisal, evidence-based practice and quality improvement. |
Fall 3 — 16 Nursing Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 490 — Transition to Professional Nursing Practice | 7 | Professional nursing responsibilities, career preparation and transition into practice; includes 225 clinical hours. |
NURS 468 — Population Health Nursing | 4 | Health promotion, prevention, risk reduction and social determinants of health; includes 68 clinical hours. |
NURS 480 — Senior Capstone | 2 | Quality improvement, leadership and evidence-based practice through a scholarly project. |
NURS 470 — Leadership for Nursing Practice | 3 | Care management, outcome evaluation, healthcare systems, ethics, finance and policy. |
Additional Nursing Requirement
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
Nursing elective — approved course selection | 3 | A selected nursing subject; the course choice and placement are determined through advising. |
The nursing elective appears in the accompanying course list but is not assigned to a semester in the five-term grid. The 68 scheduled nursing credits plus the three-credit elective total 71 credits, before any statistics course still needed.
Supporting Courses and Transfer Credit
- NURS 232 — Statistics for Health Care Professionals, 3 credits: listed in Fall 2 if the equivalent statistics requirement has not transferred. It covers statistical methods used to interpret healthcare data.
- UCBF 101 — Biblical Foundations, 3 credits: Fall 1 if not transferred.
- UCBF 102 — Biblical Foundations, 3 credits: Spring 1 if not transferred.
- Global Engagement, 3 credits: Spring 2 if still required.
The published grid therefore shows term loads of 12–15, 14–17, 13–16, 13–16 and 16 credits, before placement of the additional nursing elective. An individual degree audit determines remaining requirements and prevents transferred coursework from being counted twice.
The tuition estimate below uses five semesters in the full-time tuition band, rather than multiplying a single credit total by a per-credit rate. Elective placement, transfer decisions or additional coursework can change the billed enrollment.
Capstone and Clinical Integration
The Senior Capstone is a scholarly quality-improvement experience; the separate Transition to Professional Nursing Practice course provides the final 225 clinical hours. The published plan lists 902 clinical hours plus 30 assessment laboratory hours, for 932 combined clinical and lab hours. Laboratory hours are not counted as direct clinical hours.
Clinical Training
The plan accounts for 902 clinical hours plus 30 health-assessment laboratory hours, totaling 932. Clinical specialties include foundations, behavioral health, maternal/newborn care, adult health, pediatrics, population health and transition to practice.
- Spring 1: 203 hours (Foundations 135 + Behavioral Health 68)
- Fall 2: 203 hours (Adult Health I 135 + Maternal/Newborn 68)
- Spring 2: 203 hours (Adult Health II 135 + Pediatrics 68)
- Fall 3: 293 hours (Transition to Professional Practice 225 + Population Health 68)
Fall 1 also includes the 30-hour health-assessment laboratory. Birmingham-area hospital and health-system placements and simulation support preparation for direct care; individual placements depend on the program.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated tuition is $106,475 for the standard five-semester plan: 5 semesters × the current 2026–27 full-time tuition rate of $21,295 = $106,475. This is a current-rate estimate, not an official guaranteed five-semester price.
The plan’s term loads are 12–15, 14–17, 13–16, 13–16 and 16 credits, all within the 12–18-credit full-time band. The estimate holds the current rate constant across all five terms. Actual tuition may be higher if Samford increases tuition during the approximately 28-month program; no future increases are predicted.
The 2026–27 tuition schedule lists $1,425 per credit below 12 or above 18. Transfer decisions, elective placement, extra coursework or rate changes may alter the total; prerequisites completed outside these five terms are excluded.
- University, nursing/program and course fees are additional and are not included in the tuition estimate.
- Books, supplies, TEAS testing, background checks, health requirements, insurance and clinical transportation require separate budgeting.
- Housing, food and other living expenses are excluded.
Financial aid can change the net amount a student pays. The net price calculator helps explore aid and living-cost assumptions, which are separate from this tuition-only estimate.
Other Nursing Programs
Beyond the Second Degree BSN, Moffett & Sanders offers a traditional BSN, a Transfer BSN, an online RN-to-BSN, and graduate programs including the MSN, DNP, post-graduate APRN certificates, and a COA-accredited Nurse Anesthesia program.