Last Updated: October 7, 2026
Program Overview
SIUE’s full-time, fall-start ABSN combines a 65-credit nursing sequence with clinical experiences across specialty areas and graduate-course options for eligible students.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville offers a post-baccalaureate accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing for applicants with a prior bachelor’s degree in any field. The campus-based program begins in August and runs through three semesters and a summer session, a fall-to-fall sequence of approximately 16 months.
The current 2026–27 sample curriculum totals 65 nursing credits, or 66 for the accelerated undergraduate-to-graduate option. Graduates complete preparation for the NCLEX-RN; passing the examination and satisfying the relevant board’s requirements are separate steps toward RN licensure.
Program Format and Attendance
Full-time attendance: SIUE describes a traditional, campus-based format with classes up to five days a week. The accelerated pace covers the nursing coursework and clinical preparation of the baccalaureate degree across consecutive fall, spring, summer and fall terms.
Clinical travel: Clinical sites are within a 90-mile radius of the SIUE campus. Students are responsible for transportation, so planning should include commuting time and costs as well as class attendance.
Accreditation
SIUE’s baccalaureate nursing degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The School of Nursing’s accreditation page also lists its accredited master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
Admissions Requirements
- Complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by the end of the spring semester before fall enrollment.
- Have a 3.0 final GPA from the degree-granting institution, as recorded in the term the bachelor’s degree was awarded.
- Earn a 3.0 prerequisite GPA, with C or better in every prerequisite.
- Complete science prerequisites within seven years of admission.
- Provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- Review the School of Nursing Performance Standards and professional licensure requirements for the state where you intend to practice.
Admission is competitive and meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee a seat. Approved equivalent transfer courses may satisfy prerequisites; repeated courses follow SIUE’s course-repeat policy, and CLEP credit is accepted only when the university accepts that examination.
Application Dates and Steps
Application window: Applications become available August 1. The current catalog lists March 31 as a priority date, with admission continuing until the option is full; applications received afterward are considered on a space-available basis. March 31 is not presented here as a fixed final closing date.
Completion deadline: Finish remaining prerequisites and supply official completed-degree and prerequisite documentation by May 31 before fall enrollment, unless a prior exception is approved. That document/course deadline is separate from the application priority date.
Use the current post-baccalaureate admissions requirements and School of Nursing application instructions. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the nursing school receives all required materials.
Prerequisites
- ENG 101 – English Composition
- PSYC 111 – Introduction to Psychology
- CHEM 120A or equivalent – General Chemistry; no lab required
- BIOL 240A – Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
- BIOL 240B – Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
- BIOL 250 – Microbiology/Bacteriology with lab
- STAT 107 or STAT 244 – Statistics
- PHIL 225, PHIL 320 or PHIL 321 – Ethics
- NURS 234 – Human Growth and Nutrition Across the Lifespan in Nursing
Confirm transfer equivalents with a nursing adviser before taking replacement courses. These preparatory requirements are separate from the 65-credit nursing curriculum below; completing a prior degree does not waive the nursing prerequisite requirements.
Curriculum
The 2026–27 sample accelerated curriculum progresses from professional foundations, pathophysiology, pharmacology and assessment to adult and family care. Summer adds mental-health nursing, population health and scholarly inquiry; the final fall integrates complex care, quality and safety, leadership and readiness for practice.
The regular undergraduate sequence totals 17 + 18 + 12 + 18 = 65 credits. The following tables show the published sample sequence; an adviser-approved plan determines actual registration and prerequisites.
Required Courses and Credits
First Fall – 17 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 231 – Examination of the Role of the Professional Nurse | 4 | Professional roles, ethical practice, clinical decisions, communication, collaboration and patient-centered care. |
NURS 240 – Pathophysiology | 4 | Disease progression, altered body systems and compensatory mechanisms across the lifespan. |
NURS 241 – Principles of Pharmacology for Nurses | 3 | Medication actions, safe pharmacotherapy and drug treatment for illness and wellness across the lifespan. |
NURS 246 – Foundation and Health Assessment Across the Lifespan in Nursing Practice | 6 | Holistic assessment, psychomotor skills, medication administration and safe care through classroom, lab simulation and clinical experiences. |
Spring – 18 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 342 – Acute Care Nursing Across the Adult Lifespan | 5 | Assessment, evidence-based interventions and clinical decisions for adults with acute health conditions. |
NURS 454 – Reproductive Health and Care of Childbearing Families | 4 | Family-centered perinatal and reproductive care with attention to culturally responsive, safe and equitable practice. |
NURS 455 – Care of Children and Adolescents | 4 | Developmentally appropriate pediatric and family care for acute and chronic conditions, health equity and clinical judgment. |
NURS 343 – Chronic Care Nursing Across the Adult Lifespan | 5 | Chronic disease progression, self-management, long-term care coordination and strategies to improve quality of life. |
Summer – 12 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 374 – Mental Health Nursing: Foundations for Practice | 5 | Recovery-oriented nursing care for people with mental-health conditions across the lifespan. |
NURS 375 – Community and Population Health Nursing | 4 | Community assessment, evidence-based interventions, health policy, disparities, preparedness and population health equity. |
NURS 372 – Scholarly Inquiry | 3 | Appraisal, synthesis and application of nursing knowledge and evidence to improve care quality and outcomes. |
Final Fall – 18 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 481 – Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems | 3 | Managing resources, care systems and teams while developing professional decision-making and leadership. |
NURS 484 – Quality, Safety, and the Professional Nurse | 3 | Quality improvement, evidence-based care, disparities, teamwork, technology and ethical and legal responsibilities. |
NURS 482 – Transition to Professional Practice Role | 4 | Leadership, delegation, teamwork and clinical judgment while caring for patients across the lifespan in varied settings. |
NURS 476 – Care of the Person with Complex Needs | 5 | Nursing care for complex acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. |
NURS 483 – Nursing Synthesis and Readiness to Practice | 3 | Integration of leadership, professional competencies, evidence, ethics, communication and safety for practice readiness. |
Senior assignment: Students present the scholarly senior assignment to faculty and guests through NURS 481, or NURS 490 for the graduate-course option. This scholarly requirement is distinct from clinical practice courses. Standardized ATI examinations occur throughout the curriculum, and NURS 483 is required for synthesis and readiness review.
Clinical Experience and Health Requirements
Clinical learning accompanies foundations, adult, family, mental-health, community and complex-care nursing. The university’s degree requirements place clinical sites within 90 miles of campus and make transportation the student’s responsibility.
- Complete the nursing school’s health mandates before the first day of the initial term.
- Provide a physical examination and immunization history, including required annual TB testing and influenza vaccination, plus COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption under the posted policy.
- Maintain active American Heart Association CPR certification and provide proof of health insurance.
- Complete required criminal background checks and drug screening. Clinical agencies and school policies govern clearance.
Accelerated Undergraduate-to-Graduate Options
Eligible ABSN students may replace six undergraduate nursing credits with graduate courses toward the MS in Nurse Educator, MS in Healthcare and Nursing Administration or DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner. This option changes the undergraduate plan to 66 credits; graduate admission and program-specific requirements still apply.
The published sample uses NURS 604 in place of NURS 372 and NURS 606 plus the one-credit NURS 490 senior assignment in place of NURS 481. These are conditional substitutions rather than additional required courses for every ABSN student; contact nursing@siue.edu about eligibility and the approved plan.
Progression and Graduation
Graduation requires the approved 65- or 66-credit sequence, an overall GPA of at least 2.0, C or better in nursing courses and the senior assignment. The degree requirements specify a final grade of 75.5% or higher after rounding, with certain assessments also needing that average; one grade below C in a nursing course results in exclusion from the School of Nursing.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated domestic ABSN tuition: $21,352.50. SIUE’s published 2026–27 ABSN rate is $328.50 per credit; applying it to the regular 65-credit sequence gives this tuition-only estimate. The domestic rate applies to U.S. residents, including students from outside Illinois.
Required fees: SIUE’s Fall 2026 ABSN cohort schedule lists $8,120 in general and nursing program fees across its first three terms: $2,406.40 in fall, $3,541.20 in spring and $2,172.40 in summer. The schedule states that final Fall 2027 fees have not yet been determined, so $8,120 is a partial fee illustration, not a full-program fee total.
The current fee schedule assesses a $340 nursing program fee per clinical course and a $500 clinical program fee per 90 hours of practicum in designated clinical courses. Actual fees depend on the enrolled course plan and applicable billing year; obtain the entering cohort’s full estimate before committing.
- Full-time domestic students taking at least one on-campus course are assessed $1,291.50 for student health insurance in fall and spring under the published schedule. Eligible students with approved comparable coverage may waive it.
- Books, supplies, uniforms, health compliance, clinical travel, housing, meals and personal expenses are additional.
- Prerequisite tuition and extra coursework are excluded from the nursing-sequence estimate.
- The undergraduate-to-graduate option has different credits and graduate-course billing; $21,352.50 represents the regular 65-credit undergraduate route.
Consult the 2026–27 tuition and fee schedule for the ABSN cohort breakdown. This estimate applies the current rate across the sequence; a later entering cohort may face different rates and fees. Explore available university aid and nursing scholarships separately from the published price.
Related Programs
Compare ABSN programs in Illinois and explore other accelerated nursing options below.