Last Updated: October 2, 2026
Program Overview
A 12-month, 45-credit second-degree nursing pathway beginning each January, with hybrid coursework and in-person labs, simulation and clinical learning.
UConn’s Accelerated Second-Degree BS/CEIN track is offered through the Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing for students with a prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree. The current program page identifies Storrs, Avery Point and Waterbury as its three locations.
Full-time study runs through spring, summer and fall. UConn describes largely virtual coursework with designated campus days for labs, simulation and review, plus clinical placements. Since 2003, the program reports more than 1,700 graduates and partnerships with over 20 community-based healthcare organizations.
Admissions Requirements
Admission is competitive and holistically reviewed: the committee weighs academics alongside work history, military service, cross-cultural experience, and community service. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (conferred by August 31 of the year before the intended cohort) with a minimum 3.0 GPA is required.
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
- ATI TEAS score of 72% or higher, earned within one year of enrollment (maximum two attempts considered)
- Application via NursingCAS ($65 CAS fee) plus a $75 UConn School of Nursing fee
- Resume, two letters of recommendation (at least one academic), and short-answer/essay responses
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
The program is approved for VA education benefits (retroactive to January 2010) but cannot provide F-1 visa sponsorship for international applicants. Accepted students may defer admission only once.
Prerequisite Courses
Required prerequisites must meet the grades below and be completed within eight years. Applicants may have no more than two prerequisites outstanding, with no more than one in progress in the fall before entry. All must be complete with official transcripts received by December 31 before January enrollment. UConn accepts in-person, online and hybrid laboratory formats for its chemistry and anatomy/physiology prerequisites.
- Biology — B- or better, within 8 years (lab not required)
- Microbiology — B- or better, within 8 years (lab not required)
- Chemistry with lab — B- or better, within 8 years
- Anatomy & Physiology I with lab — B- or better, within 8 years
- Anatomy & Physiology II with lab — B- or better, within 8 years
- Undergraduate Statistics — C or better, within 8 years
Application Dates
The January 2027 cohort’s September 1, 2026 deadline has passed. Its rolling-review period ran February 1–September 1, 2026. Check the application page for the next cycle; confirm its opening and deadline before applying.
Admitted students pay a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit, credited to their first semester. NursingCAS verification can take four to six weeks, so transcripts and recommendations need advance planning.
Curriculum
The published BS/CEIN plan has 45 credits across three 15-credit semesters. Problem-based learning connects nursing and clinical science with culture, ethics and healthcare finance.
Required Courses and Credits
Spring — 15 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4301 — Concepts & Theories of Nursing Practice | 3 | Explores the nurse’s role in health care systems, interdisciplinary teamwork, cultural care, ethics, and evidence-based nursing theory. |
NURS 4304 — Health Assessment and Fundamentals of Nursing PRAXIS | 12 | Introduces core assessment and fundamental nursing skills through lecture and lab. Covers vital signs, medication administration, wound care, safety, and basic patient care. |
Summer — 15 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4300 — Clinical Science: Pharmacology and Pathophysiology | 3 | Examines essential pathophysiology and pharmacology concepts and their application to patient care. |
NURS 4414 — Theory & Nursing Practice for Behavioral Health | 4 | Covers psychiatric nursing theory, mental health promotion, therapeutic communication, and interdisciplinary behavioral health care in clinical and simulation settings. |
NURS 4424 — Theory & Nursing Practice Perinatal and Women’s Health | 4 | Focuses on nursing care for childbearing families and women’s health. Emphasizes clinical judgment, prevention, health restoration, and interdisciplinary practice. |
NURS 4434 — Theory & Nursing Practice for Child Health | 4 | Explores pediatric nursing care for culturally diverse families. Develops clinical decision-making, prevention, and health promotion skills in child health settings. |
Fall — 15 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 4305 — Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice | 3 | Introduces qualitative and quantitative research methods and their use in evidence-based nursing practice. Emphasizes appraisal, interpretation, and application of research. |
NURS 4544 — Theory & Nursing Practice for Community/Public Health Nursing | 4 | Focuses on community health nursing, epidemiology, wellness, prevention, and culturally responsive care for individuals, families, and populations. |
NURS 4554 — Theory and Nursing Practice for Adult Acute Care | 8 | Provides advanced nursing practice focused on the care of adult patients with acute health needs in complex clinical settings. |
NURS 4304 and NURS 4305 specifically require at least C to progress. Prior-degree and prerequisite coursework are separate from the 45-credit nursing plan.
Clinical Experience
Clinical learning covers behavioral health, perinatal and women’s health, children, community/public health and adult acute care. Simulation and lab experiences support supervised patient care through UConn’s community partners.
Students must maintain American Heart Association BLS certification and meet health, immunization, background-check and drug-screening requirements; some sites also require fingerprinting. Students pay compliance expenses. The clinical requirements page explains the required documentation; follow the advance submission deadlines issued by the clinical placement office for your cohort.
Clinical agencies can impose additional requirements. UConn does not guarantee an alternative placement when a student cannot meet a site’s health or screening criteria, and inability to complete required clinical experiences can prevent graduation.
Tuition
The 2026–27 bursar schedule lists a CEIN Nursing Program fee of $867 per credit, or $39,015 for the 45-credit nursing sequence at that rate. This program charge is the tuition-equivalent figure used here; university fees and other expenses are additional.
- 15-credit semester program charge: $13,005.
- Fall 2026 and spring 2027: $13,939 per Storrs term including $127 transit, $144 technology, $378 infrastructure and $285 book-bundle fees. Regional transit is $35, reducing each listed regional term by $92.
- Summer 2027: $13,005 in listed program charges.
Adding the three terms in that academic-year schedule gives $40,883 at Storrs or $40,699 at a regional campus in listed direct charges. Those terms span two calendar-year cohorts: a January 2027 entrant’s final fall is in the next academic year and may be billed differently. These figures are planning estimates, not a guaranteed calendar-cohort price or full cost of attendance.
Uniforms, equipment, clinical clearance, transportation and living expenses require a separate budget. The application costs $65 through NursingCAS plus $75 to UConn; the $1,000 enrollment deposit is credited toward tuition rather than added again.
The program is approved for VA education benefits, and loans and School of Nursing scholarships may be available. Waterbury students admitted for 2027 may be considered for a need-based UConn Elisabeth DeLuca Accelerated Nursing Scholarship of up to $10,000, using the FAFSA and nursing scholarship application. See financial assistance information; an award is not guaranteed.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates may apply to take the NCLEX-RN and seek licensure, subject to licensing requirements.
The program and course pages state that the curriculum meets Connecticut’s educational requirements and that UConn has not determined whether it meets requirements in other states. Students intending to practice elsewhere should obtain current program-specific guidance before enrolling.
UConn describes its graduates’ NCLEX performance as above the national standard; this university statement is not accompanied by a cohort year or numeric pass rate.