Program Overview
Texas A&M University offers a second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. The program runs for approximately 15 months across four semesters and takes place at the university’s Round Rock campus in Texas.
Students complete 61 upper-division nursing credits that combine classroom instruction, simulation training, and supervised clinical experiences.
The program uses face-to-face lectures, team-based instruction, simulation labs, and video-supported learning to prepare students for professional practice.
Graduates become eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and pursue registered nurse licensure in Texas. Faculty also guide students through the RN licensure application process during the final semester.
A unique feature of the program is that the BSN degree meets the U.S. Army AMEDD Enlisted Commissioning Program (AECP) requirements. Texas A&M also offers an optional BSN Honors Program, which allows high-achieving students to conduct research alongside faculty mentors and develop skills in nursing scholarship.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission to the Texas A&M accelerated BSN program is competitive and focuses on academic preparation, exam performance, and evidence of leadership or service. Applicants must complete prerequisite coursework and submit a centralized application through NursingCAS before the stated deadlines.
Key admission requirements include:
- Minimum 3.3 GPA in prerequisite courses
- Minimum 3.3 GPA in nursing science coursework
- HESI A2 exam with at least 75% in each required section
- Completion of 40 of the required 59 prerequisite credits by the application deadline
- Minimum grade of C or higher in all prerequisite courses
- Completion of NursingCAS application
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Kira Talent timed verbal and written assessments
- Submission of official HESI score reports
- Additional application fee for external applicants
- Completion of remaining prerequisites prior to program start
Admissions committees also review additional factors such as:
- Community service involvement
- Leadership experience
- Military service
- Extracurricular activities
- Academic history, including course repeats or withdrawals
Applicants may apply to only one Texas A&M nursing program per admission cycle.
Prerequisite Coursework
Applicants must complete about 59 prerequisite semester credits before entering the nursing curriculum. These courses build a foundation in science, social science, communication, and liberal arts.
Key nursing science prerequisites include:
- General Psychology
- Lifespan Developmental Psychology
- Statistics
- General Chemistry with lab
- Anatomy and Physiology I
- Anatomy and Physiology II
- Microbiology
Additional required coursework may include:
- Communication courses
- American history
- Government and political science
- Creative arts
- Ethics or philosophy
- Nutrition
- Mathematics
Many prerequisites may transfer from other regionally accredited colleges or universities.
Curriculum
The curriculum is delivered through a combination of in-person lectures, simulation labs, and clinical experiences. Students must complete all coursework and clinical rotations at the Round Rock campus.
The program consists of intensive nursing courses covering essential areas like adult nursing, mental health, community health, and professional nursing practice.
Required coursework includes:
NURS 318 – Professional Identity 1: Role of the Professional Nurse
Establishes professional nursing identity and nursing’s unique contributions to society through distinct knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Examines roles and responsibilities of professional nurses within various healthcare systems and care delivery models. Provides foundational understanding of nursing professionalism with 3 credit hours.
NURS 330 – Management of Care 1: The Fundamentals of Nursing Care Across the Lifespan
Develops foundational knowledge and skills using clinical judgment model as systematic approach for nursing practice. Covers application of fundamental health assessment techniques and care delivery skills for individuals across the lifespan. Includes clinical component for hands-on skill development with 5 credit hours.
NURS 340 – Patho-Pharm 1: Connecting Physiology and Pharmacology to Common Patient Conditions
Examines abnormal functioning of human cells, tissues, and organ systems with pharmacotherapeutics for common and chronic pathological changes across the lifespan. Emphasizes influences of nutrition, genetics, environment, culture, health determinants, age-related variations, and alternative therapies on diseases and pharmacotherapeutics with 4 credit hours.
NURS 343 – Building Healthy Communities 1: Wellness & Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
Examines individual and population health prevention and promotion across the lifespan including health screenings, literacy, equity, access, policy, care delivery systems, epidemiology, and big data use for community health assessment. Includes clinical component for community engagement with 4 credit hours.
NURS 319 – Professional Identity 2: Interprofessional Practice and Evidence-Based Decision-making
Develops principles of collaborative practice and the professional nurse’s role as coordinator of care within healthcare teams. Covers evidence-based practice concepts and implications for quality care and safety standards. Advances interprofessional competencies with 3 credit hours.
NURS 332 – Management of Care 2: Nursing Care of Adults with Common and/or Chronic Conditions
Implements nursing care using holistic approach through examination of common and chronic illnesses or injuries in adults. Emphasizes clinical judgment model to achieve optimal health considering developmental stage, culture, and gender. Includes clinical component with 5 credit hours.
NURS 341 – Patho-Pharm 2: Connecting Pathophysiology & Pharmacology to Complex Patient Conditions
Builds on NURS 340 concepts related to abnormal functioning and pharmacotherapeutics for complex and emergent conditions across the lifespan. Addresses influences of nutrition, genetics, environment, culture, health determinants, age-related variations, and alternative therapies for complex diseases with 3 credit hours.
NURS 342 – Mental Health Nursing Care Across the Lifespan
Develops principles and concepts of mental health, psychopathology, and treatment modalities for clients with mental health needs. Builds complex knowledge, critical judgment, essential skills, and professional values within legal, ethical, and patient-centered care frameworks. Includes clinical component with 3 credit hours.
NURS 344 – Building Healthy Communities 2: Fostering Health Infrastructure
Explores unique nursing role in local, state, national, and global communities including design, implementation, and evaluation of culturally appropriate interventions. Coordinates with community members to improve health outcomes, build resilience, and facilitate disaster recovery. Includes clinical component with 3 credit hours.
NURS 418 – Professional Identity 3: Development of the Professional Nurse Role
Investigates professional nurse roles and responsibilities with strategies for personal nursing identity development and professional growth. Addresses quality outcomes, population health, health promotion, and advocacy using epidemiology principles, research, and data sets to guide healthcare decisions and address health equity with 3 credit hours.
NURS 433 – Management of Care 3: Nursing Care of Adults with Complex, High-Acuity Conditions
Develops critical thinking and problem-solving strategies for persons with acute and complex illness and injury. Examines acute illness effects in relation to developmental stage, culture, and gender using holistic approach to analyze and intervene in health alterations. Includes clinical component for advanced care skills.
NURS 436 – Maternal and Child Health
Provides care knowledge for childbearing women, families, and children including treatment modalities. Develops complex knowledge, critical judgment, essential skills, and professional values within legal, ethical, and patient-centered care frameworks for evidence-based care and patient safety. Includes clinical component with 5 credit hours.
NURS 442 – Application of Pharmacology Principles Across the Lifespan
Explores complex indications, planning, and interventions for fluid and medication management in various critical care and emergency settings across the lifespan. Provides advanced pharmacology application skills through clinical component for specialized nursing practice.
NURS 419 – Professional Identity 4: The Professional Nurse Leader
Examines various nurse leader roles and responsibilities, professional organizations, and activities. Develops leadership and management principles and skills with strategies for professional development. Prepares students for nursing leadership positions and career advancement.
NURS 435 – Management of Care 4: Synthesis of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for Professional Success
Incorporates clinical decision-making, delegation, teamwork, and interprofessional dynamics within legal, ethical, and evidence-based practice contexts. Explores concepts for building practice excellence, professional growth, employer value, and life management skills. Includes clinical component for professional preparation.
NURS 445 – Writing for Nursing Professionals: The Nurse’s Role in Health Advocacy and Quality
Develops scholarly writing skills in discipline-based course focused on health advocacy and quality improvement. Emphasizes academic writing improvement through policy and quality improvement process development with significant individualized attention and guidance for professional communication competency.
More curriculum details available here
Clinical Training
Clinical education forms a major component of the accelerated BSN program. Several courses include required clinical components, marked in the curriculum with an asterisk.
Students participate in clinical placements that allow them to practice:
- Adult medical-surgical nursing
- Mental health care
- Maternal and pediatric nursing
- Community and population health
Training takes place through hospital and healthcare system placements coordinated by the College of Nursing. Simulation labs at the Round Rock campus allow students to practice clinical decision-making and patient care skills in a controlled environment before entering real clinical settings.
Tuition
The estimated total tuition for the ABSN program is about $23,100, based on approximately $5,775.35 per semester across four semesters. Actual costs may vary depending on residency status and annual tuition updates.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Additional costs may include books, supplies, and personal expenses, but these vary by student and are not included in the core tuition estimate.
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