Last Updated: October 14, 2026
Program Overview
Saint Joseph’s 15-month hybrid ABSN combines online nursing coursework, 600 clinical hours and two campus immersions in Standish, Maine.
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers a full-time accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing for people with a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree. The program spans four semesters and 61 nursing credits, with both live online classes and independent online coursework.
Required immersions take place in the first and third semesters at the Center for Nursing Innovation. These visits provide hands-on skills instruction and simulation; clinical rotations require additional in-person attendance.
The program accepts residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Its placement team helps arrange clinical sites and preceptors, and students receive academic and student-success support.
Saint Joseph’s is a Catholic college sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Its nursing handbook connects professional learning with holistic care, ethical practice and service.
Accreditation
The college’s baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Saint Joseph’s College is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
Completing the program prepares graduates to apply for the NCLEX-RN and state licensure. Licensure also depends on meeting the relevant nursing board’s requirements.
Admissions Requirements
- A completed bachelor’s degree in another discipline and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Official transcripts, three recommendation letters, a personal essay and a résumé.
- Completion of the required prerequisites and the program’s SPANS assessment.
- Residence in one of the four approved enrollment states.
Application Timing and Start Terms
Saint Joseph’s lists summer and fall intakes. Its public ABSN pages do not give a final application cutoff for either cohort; applicants should obtain the specific cohort’s closing date and immersion schedule from ABSN admissions before planning enrollment.
Plan for a full-time commitment of approximately 48–60 hours per week across classes, study, assignments and clinical learning. The program advises students against working while enrolled.
Prerequisites
The ABSN admissions page lists the following courses. Science courses must be no more than 10 years old, and the listed laboratory sciences require in-person labs.
- Introduction to Psychology: C or better.
- Microbiology with an in-person lab: C or better.
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II with in-person labs: C or better.
- Chemistry, general chemistry or organic chemistry with an in-person lab: C or better.
- Nutrition: C+ or better under the program’s admissions checklist.
- Statistics: C or better.
The college offers prerequisite courses at a reduced rate for ABSN applicants. Prerequisite tuition is separate from the nursing-program total below.
Curriculum
The 2026–27 accelerated BSN catalog lists 14 required nursing courses totaling 61 credits. Foundational assessment, disease and medication study develop into adult and specialty nursing, population health, leadership and a final internship.
The tables group courses by subject. Your cohort’s academic plan determines their exact timing.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations and assessment
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NU 105 — Introduction to Professional Nursing | 3 | Professional responsibilities, ethical practice, patient advocacy, teamwork, safety and health information technology. |
NU 205 — Health Assessment | 4 | Adult health histories and physical, psychosocial and spiritual assessment; documenting findings in the electronic record. |
NU 211 — Pathophysiology | 3 | Disease mechanisms and patient responses, with attention to cultural, genetic and ethnic influences on care. |
NU 212 — Pharmacology | 4 | Drug actions, therapeutic effects, adverse reactions, safe administration and patient education. |
NU 217 — Foundations of Nursing | 9 | The nursing process, basic safety and holistic care, including older adults, stress, coping and palliative needs. |
Adult and family nursing
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NU 301 — Nursing Care of the Adult I | 5 | Evidence-based care of hospitalized adults and families, clinical decisions, discharge teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration. |
NU 314 — Maternal Newborn Nursing | 4 | Care during pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn period, including family education, safety and culturally appropriate interventions. |
NU 315 — Nursing Care of Children | 4 | Health maintenance and care for children with acute or chronic conditions, involving children and their families. |
NU 390 — Nursing Care of the Adult II | 5 | Prioritizing care for adults with complex needs in high-acuity settings, building on the first adult nursing course. |
NU 400 — Mental Health Nursing | 4 | Psychiatric assessment, therapeutic communication, mental illness, crisis safety and care across the lifespan. |
Evidence, population health and professional practice
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NU 309 — Evidence-Based Practice | 4 | Reading and evaluating quantitative, qualitative and outcomes research to support individualized nursing decisions. |
NU 405 — Community Health Nursing | 4 | Population assessment, prevention, outreach, public health teamwork and emergency preparedness. |
NU 406 — Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 | Organizational systems, team coordination, ethical responsibilities, patient safety and quality improvement. |
NU 420 — Nursing Internship | 5 | Applying accumulated nursing knowledge to unfamiliar clinical situations while demonstrating safe care and professional judgment. |
Nursing Internship: NU 420 applies the program’s accumulated knowledge to clinical situations and professional responsibilities. It is distinct from the earlier specialty nursing courses.
Clinical Experience and Campus Visits
The current program overview specifies 600 clinical hours. A dedicated placement coordinator works with students to secure sites and RN preceptors and to complete health and clearance requirements; the college does not add a separate charge for placement coordination.
Students provide patient care under an RN preceptor’s supervision with oversight from clinical faculty. Placement support does not guarantee a particular hospital or schedule.
The two campus immersions are intensive instruction weeks in Standish. Budget for transportation, accommodation and meals as well as travel to clinical sites.
Tuition and Costs
The official ABSN tuition table lists $54,900 in tuition and $4,000 in additional program fees, for $58,900 before other expenses. Tuition is calculated at $900 per credit for the 61-credit nursing curriculum.
- Tuition: 61 × $900 = $54,900.
- Published additional program fees: $4,000.
- Tuition plus published program fees: $58,900.
Prerequisites, books and equipment, health requirements, clinical transportation, immersion travel and living costs can add to your budget. Published rates can change; financial aid depends on individual eligibility.
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