Last Updated: October 9, 2026
Program Overview
St. Luke’s January-start, 12-month ABSN combines hospital-based education in Sioux City, regional clinical rotations and a final RN-paired practicum across 56 nursing credits.
St. Luke’s College offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) completed in 12 months, beginning each January (Spring semester). Its defining feature is location: the program is based on the campus of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa, immersing students in real-life patient care in a hospital-based educational setting with access to the College’s state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Center.
Students complete 56 nursing credits plus 64 prerequisite credits for a total of 120 credits, with clinical rotations across hospitals, clinics, schools, and community agencies throughout the region.
Morningside University announced its acquisition of St. Luke’s following Higher Learning Commission approval on November 11, 2025; St. Luke’s became an operating division on January 1, 2026. The January 16 announcement said final U.S. Department of Education merger approval was still pending at that time, with St. Luke’s retaining separate degree authorization, accreditation and federal aid participation during the interim.
Accreditation
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at St. Luke’s College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing (Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing).
The Iowa calendar-year 2025 report lists 100% first-time NCLEX-RN passage among four St. Luke’s ABSN candidates. This is a small accelerated-track cohort, distinct from the college’s associate-degree nursing results.
The college’s March 2025 ABSN effectiveness report separately records 100% employment among six 2024 graduates seeking work and 60% on-time completion for the ten-student 2024 entry cohort (six graduates). Cohort completion and calendar-year NCLEX counts measure different populations.
Admission Requirements
Admission requires completion of 64 prerequisite credits with a minimum 2.80 cumulative GPA, high school graduation (or HiSET/GED), and an ACT composite score of 19 or above. Students are considered on a space-available basis, with applications reviewed continually for the Spring start.
- High school graduation with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50, or HiSET/GED
- ACT composite score of 19 (or equivalent on a comparable exam)
- 64 prerequisite credits completed with a 2.80 cumulative GPA
- Grade of 2.0 or higher in all transfer coursework
- All prerequisites completed and official transcripts submitted before the first date of attendance
- Admissions essay (200-250 words) on educational goals, future plans, and life accomplishments
- Criminal background check (and possible drug testing) before clinical components
Applicants for whom English is a second language must demonstrate proficiency on an approved exam. Transfer credit may be granted for up-to-date, comparable coursework completed with a grade of at least 2.0; after enrollment, all courses must be completed through St. Luke’s College.
Prerequisite Courses (64 credits)
Biological/Natural Sciences & Math (18):
- Anatomy & Physiology I (4)
- Anatomy & Physiology II (4)
- Microbiology (4)
- Nutrition (3)
- Elective (3)
Social & Behavioral Sciences (27):
- General Psychology (3)
- Developmental Psychology (3)
- Introduction to Sociology (3)
- Ethics (3)
- Electives (15)
Humanities/Other Disciplines (19):
- English Composition (3)
- Humanities Electives (12)
- Other Elective – any discipline (4)
Curriculum
The 2026–27 ABSN plan requires 56 nursing-program credits following 64 prerequisite credits, for a 120-credit degree. The January-start sequence progresses from fundamentals and assessment through medical-surgical and maternal-child care, then complex care, mental health, community practice and the final RN-paired practicum.
Required Courses and Credits
Semester 1 (Spring) — 21 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR300 — Nursing Fundamentals | 5 | Introduces core nursing skills and basic care concepts, including safety, communication, oxygenation, nutrition, and pain control. Students practice beginning competencies through lab and clinical experiences with a focus on person-centered care and prevention. |
NUR305 — Nursing Health Assessment | 2 | Teaches holistic health assessment across the lifespan using interview and exam skills. Students apply health promotion and prevention strategies through class and lab practice. |
NUR315 — Medical-Surgical Alterations in Nursing 1 | 6 | Covers common body-system disorders and related nursing care, including cardiac, respiratory, GI, renal, endocrine, skin, and musculoskeletal conditions. Clinical practice strengthens safe care, cultural awareness, and clinical judgment. |
NUR320 — Pharmacology | 3 | Explains medication principles and how nurses apply them in real care settings. Students focus on safe administration, priorities, clinical judgment, and patient teaching for diverse groups. |
NUR330 — Professional Concepts I | 2 | Introduces the nursing profession and expectations for novice students. Topics include theory, history, teamwork, communication, professionalism, and resilience, plus required community service hours. |
BIO321 — Pathophysiology | 3 | Examines how normal body function changes during illness and injury. Students learn causes, processes, signs, complications, and common diagnostic tests for frequent diseases. |
Semester 2 (Summer) — 17 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR335 — Medical-Surgical Alterations in Nursing 2 | 6 | Continues med-surg study with added focus on neurologic and kidney disorders while expanding prior system content. Clinical work builds stronger decision-making and safe, person-centered care. |
NUR345 — Maternal Child Health Nursing | 6 | Prepares students to care for pregnant patients, newborns, children, and families across settings. Students apply health promotion, disease management, assessment, and clinical reasoning in maternal-child care. |
NUR350 — Professional Concepts II | 2 | Builds professional nursing skills at the advanced-beginner level. Students study leadership, advocacy, ethics, legal issues, and informatics, with required community service. |
NUR410 — Intro to Nursing Research & Evidence Based Practice | 3 | Introduces research basics, including design, methods, and data concepts. Students learn to critique evidence and apply findings to safe, cost-aware, holistic care. |
Semester 3 (Fall) — 18 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR400 — Medical-Surgical Alterations in Nursing 3 | 6 | Covers advanced health alterations and prepares students for higher-acuity settings. Clinical experiences strengthen prioritization, delegation, leadership, and refined nursing skills. |
NUR405 — Mental Health Nursing | 3 | Focuses on nursing care for mental and behavioral health conditions. Clinical experiences expose students to community and specialty settings while reinforcing safe, culturally sensitive care. |
NUR415 — Community Health Nursing | 4 | Teaches population-focused practice through community assessment and program planning. Students use epidemiology and social determinants of health to plan prevention and improve access for diverse groups. |
NUR430 — Professional Concepts III | 2 | Integrates professional role content across prior concepts. Students apply evidence-based practice, policy, delegation, and management skills, with a community service requirement. |
NUR440 — Nursing Practicum | 3 | Supports the transition from student to RN through an immersive clinical pairing. Students work alongside a registered nurse to build real-world readiness. |
Students must earn C (78%) or higher in nursing and general education courses; clinical components are pass/fail. A grade below C results in dismissal from the ABSN program under the published progression policy.
NUR440 Nursing Practicum is the clinical transition experience alongside an RN. NUR410 separately develops nursing research and evidence-based practice skills.
Clinical Experience
Clinical rotations are integrated throughout all three semesters in diverse settings — hospitals, clinics, schools, and community agencies — anchored by UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital and community partners across the Sioux City region.
Students gain real-life patient care experience in a hospital-based setting and develop skills in the College’s state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Center, receiving weekly written faculty feedback and passing each clinical component to progress.
Essential functions include the ability to assess accurately, communicate effectively in English, work collaboratively, lift 40 pounds, perform CPR, and tolerate the physical demands of nursing care.
Tuition and Costs
Published 2027 tuition: $34,720. The college’s ABSN cohort budget lists $620 per credit for spring, summer and fall 2027. Its 21-, 17- and 18-credit semesters total 56 credits.
Required fees add $4,813, bringing published tuition and fees to $39,533. The budget allocates $3,820 in spring fees, $150 in summer and $843 in fall. The current catalog lists a $3,500 ATI assessment fee for new ABSN students; do not add it again to the cohort’s already-inclusive fee budget.
Books, supplies, uniforms, screening, travel and living expenses can add to the bill, as can prerequisite coursework completed before entry. Cost-of-attendance budgets include living and personal expenses and are not tuition-only figures.
These are the college’s published cohort-budget estimates; charges are subject to change. Review the tuition and fees page and financial aid options for your enrollment.
Related Programs
St. Luke’s College also offers an RN-BSN Degree Completion Program, a Bachelor of Health Science Degree Completion Program, and associate degrees in Nursing, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Care, along with RN-BSN articulation agreements with several area community colleges.