Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
A 16-month, in-person BSN with a summer start and separate entry pathways for bachelor’s-degree holders and students with qualifying prior college credits.
UCCS’s Accelerated BSN, offered by the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, includes 68 nursing credits across four consecutive terms. Students study in Colorado Springs and complete on-campus skills work and clinical experiences.
Applicants must live in Colorado or intend to relocate there. The full-time pathway accepts students with a prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree as well as applicants who meet its general education and prerequisite credit requirements.
Program Pathways
Pathway One — bachelor’s degree holders: for those who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. The degree and all prerequisites must be conferred by the end of the fall semester (no later than December 31) of the application period. Requires a minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite courses.
Pathway Two — prior college credits: The current program page specifies at least 59 completed undergraduate credits, including general education and prerequisites, and a minimum 3.25 prerequisite GPA. Students admitted to UCCS’s Traditional BSN cannot transfer into this pathway.
Both pathways require A&P courses with a C or better, all science prerequisites within the last 10 years, a passing/competitive ATI TEAS score, and a certified background check. Applicants get up to two application cycles if first denied.
Accreditation
The UCCS Accelerated BSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Graduates are eligible to apply for RN licensure in Colorado and in other states where the curriculum meets requirements.
Admissions
Applications are accepted July 10 through January 10, with the TEAS exam, background check, and all final transcripts due by January 10; admissions decisions are emailed the first week of February. Steps:
- Complete the Readiness Self-Assessment
- Submit the Accelerated Program application through UCCS Admissions (select the Transfer Student application)
- Send official transcripts from every institution attended (plus study abroad and AP results)
- Submit the required background check
- Take the ATI TEAS pre-admission exam (scores accepted up to one year before the cycle close; up to two scores averaged per cycle)
Deferments are not allowed once a student has matriculated. All inquiries go to accbsn@uccs.edu.
Prerequisite & General Education Courses
Required general education and science prerequisites (UCCS equivalents):
- ENGL 1310 & 1410: Rhetoric & Writing I and II (3 each)
- HPNU 2050: Nutrition for Health Professionals (3)
- NURS 2060: Statistics for Nurses (3)
- PSY 1000: General Psychology (3); PSY 3620: Developmental Psychology (3)
- Global-Social electives (6), Humanities electives (6), General electives (6)
- BIOL 2030/2130: Microbiology Lecture & Lab (4)
- CHEM 1201: Intro to Chemistry w/Lab (4); CHEM 1211: Intro to Organic and Biochemistry w/Lab (4)
- HPNU 3050: Human Anatomy (4); HPNU 3060: Human Physiology (4)
- NURS 3010: Pathophysiology (3)
Science prerequisites must be completed within 10 years. The 2026–27 advising plan requires C or better in HPNU, HSCI and NURS courses and C− or better in other general education prerequisites. NURS 3010 at UCCS is restricted to traditional nursing students; the plan advises accelerated applicants who still need pathophysiology to consider BIO 216/2116 at a Colorado community college, subject to transfer evaluation.
Curriculum
The 68-credit nursing curriculum progresses through foundations, adult care, specialty practice, and a final capstone and public health term. This verified sequence comes from the 2026–27 Accelerated BSN advising plan.
Required Courses and Credits
Summer 1 — foundations (20 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 1010 — Pharmacological Math | 1 | Practices measurement, conversions and calculations for oral, parenteral and intravenous medication dosages. |
NURS 1230 — Foundations of Nursing Practice | 3 | Introduces professional values, nursing knowledge, healthcare policy and the social context of nursing practice. |
NURS 2050 — Pharmacology | 3 | Explores pharmacodynamics, medication administration, patient teaching, safety and legal and ethical responsibilities. |
NURS 2080 — Health Promotion | 3 | Explores disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, supportive environments and community health strategies. |
NURS 2100 — Basic Health Assessment | 4 | Builds assessment knowledge and practical skills through clinical laboratory work. |
NURS 2200 — Fundamentals of Nursing Practice | 6 | Develops basic nursing care and psychomotor skills through theory, practice laboratories and seminars. |
Fall — adult care and research (21 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 3100 — Mental Health Nursing | 6 | Applies mental health nursing concepts and critical thinking in theory and clinical laboratory experiences. |
NURS 3200 — Nursing Care of Adults I | 6 | Introduces medical-surgical problem solving and adult nursing care in acute-care clinical settings. |
NURS 3210 — Nursing Care of Adults II | 6 | Continues adult medical-surgical care while refining organization, clinical judgment and decision-making. |
NURS 4010 — Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice | 3 | Introduces the research process and critical appraisal of published nursing evidence. |
Spring — specialty practice (15 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4100 — Nursing Care of Children | 6 | Examines care of children from infancy through adolescence and their families across outpatient and acute-care settings. |
NURS 4200 — Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family | 6 | Explores family dynamics, childbirth and nursing care through theory and clinical laboratory learning. |
NURS 4300 — Leadership and Management | 3 | Applies leadership principles to healthcare policy, safety, legal issues and communication within teams. |
Summer 2 — capstone and public health (12 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4290 — Medical/Surgical Nursing Capstone | 6 | Integrates care of complex adults in acute and critical care, with emphasis on prioritizing and managing multiple patients. |
NURS 4400 — Public Health Nursing: Population Focused Care | 6 | Builds competencies for population-focused care and public health nursing practice. |
Clinical laboratory learning is embedded in multiple courses. The medical-surgical capstone integrates complex adult care; the separate public health course develops population-focused practice. The program also emphasizes patient-care technology, policy, ethical practice and interprofessional collaboration.
Clinical Training and Format
Before clinical participation, students complete health and safety clearances, including background and drug screening, health insurance, American Heart Association BLS and required immunization/TB records. The published pre-enrollment checklist includes MMR, Tdap, hepatitis B, varicella, influenza and COVID-19 requirements. BLS must remain current through the term; drug screening includes marijuana.
The ABSN is delivered in person, with on-campus labs and clinical rotations at Colorado Springs-area healthcare facilities, supported by advanced simulation labs. Because of the clinical and in-person requirements, the program admits only students who live in or intend to live in Colorado.
Tuition
Estimated tuition for 68 nursing credits is $32,776 for eligible Colorado residents after COF, using UCCS’s published Fall 2026 Beth-El rate of $598 per credit less a $116 COF stipend. Before COF, resident tuition is $40,664; at $1,107 per credit, nonresident tuition is $75,276.
Required nursing fees add an estimated $4,522: a $14-per-credit nursing fee ($952) plus six $595 ATI resource/testing charges ($3,570), attached to NURS 2100, 2200, 3100, 3210, 4200 and 4400. The general-fee schedule adds approximately $3,833.54 across two summer terms, fall and spring, including $170 in one-time matriculation, orientation and ID charges. Together, estimated nursing and general fees are $8,355.54 beyond tuition. The optional-out textbook access charge is another $32.46 per credit ($2,207.28 across 68 credits); equipment, clinical clearance, travel and living expenses remain separate.
These are current-rate estimates across the 20-, 21-, 15- and 12-credit terms; future rates may increase. COF depends on eligibility and available credit-hour support. UCCS directs accelerated students to its program tuition guidance and current Student Financial Services billing tables rather than relying on the standard tuition calculator.
Online Availability and Licensure
The program is primarily in-person, requiring on-campus attendance for labs and clinical experiences. Graduates are eligible to apply for RN licensure in Colorado and in other states where the curriculum meets educational requirements.
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