Last Updated: October 11, 2026
Program Overview
UMKC’s five-semester ABSN combines campus coursework with more than 1,050 clinical hours, including a 300-hour final internship; Kansas and Missouri residents qualify for the university’s resident academic program rate.
The University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies offers its accelerated prelicensure BSN to applicants with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree who are not already registered nurses. Fall entry leads through five consecutive semesters, including summer, in less than two years. The Health Sciences District supports learning alongside other health professions.
Accreditation
UMKC’s baccalaureate nursing program is CCNE accredited and approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Admissions Requirements
- Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA; an applicable University of Missouri System GPA must also meet 2.75.
- A grade of B− or better in each prerequisite.
- A prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree and completed prerequisite requirements before entry.
- At least 30 hours of direct patient-care experience within the previous two years, documented through the program’s form.
A 3.5 cumulative GPA is competitive guidance, not the minimum. Eligible patient-care experience can include paid work, volunteering, training and nurse shadowing. The program excludes veterinary care, pharmacy technician work and patient transportation from qualifying experience.
Apply to UMKC under the Pre-Nursing–Accelerated/BHS route, then submit the separate accelerated clinical application, resume/CV, personal essays and patient-care documentation. The program page lists an application window of November 1–January 31; the next fall application opens in fall 2026.
Prerequisites
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II with laboratory: 8 credits.
- Chemistry with laboratory: 5 credits.
- Microbiology: 3 credits.
- Nutrition: 3 credits.
- Human Growth and Development: 3 credits.
Chemistry, anatomy/physiology and microbiology must be within five years. The accelerated program page requires prerequisites by the end of the spring semester in the application year. Confirm the final degree-conferral and transcript deadlines for the entering cohort.
Curriculum
The 2026–27 accelerated catalog lists 69 nursing credits, separate from prerequisite credits. Foundational assessment, pharmacology and adult care lead to specialty and population nursing, then professional leadership and the clinical internship. The subject groups below identify required courses; the entering cohort receives its semester schedule from the school.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations, Assessment and Pathophysiology
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURSE 125 — Medical Terminology | 1.0 | Builds familiarity with medical word formation, common abbreviations and the organization of patient records. |
NURSE 127 — Drug Calculations | 1.0 | Practices interpreting medication orders and labels and calculating accurate drug doses. |
NURSE 220 — Fundamental Concepts & Skills | 6.0 | Introduces nursing assessment, basic interventions and the skills used in beginning patient care. |
NURSE 230 — Health In Aging | 2.0 | Examines aging, older adults’ care needs and the social, ethical and clinical factors affecting their health. |
NURSE 250 — Health Assessment for Nursing Practice | 3.0 | Practices collecting health histories and assessing physical, developmental, psychological and social findings. |
NURSE 395 — Pathophysiology | 3.0 | Explores disease processes and their effects on body function in support of nursing care decisions. |
Pharmacology, Adult and Family Care
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURSE 256 — Pharmacology | 3.0 | Examines medication effects and nursing responsibilities for safe administration and monitoring. |
NURSE 262 — Management of Adult Health I | 5.0 | Applies nursing knowledge and clinical practice to adults with common health problems. |
NURSE 364 — Management of Maternal & Family Health | 4.0 | Develops nursing care for mothers and families during reproductive and childbearing experiences. |
NURSE 366 — Management of Child & Adolescent Health | 4.0 | Addresses children’s and adolescents’ health needs and nursing care with their families. |
Statistics, Mental Health and Adult Care
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURSE 345 — Quantitative Analysis In The Health Sciences | 3.0 | Develops the quantitative analysis skills used to interpret health and nursing information. |
NURSE 360 — Management of Mental Health | 4.0 | Examines mental health nursing, therapeutic relationships and care for people with psychiatric needs. |
NURSE 362 — Management of Adult Health II | 5.0 | Extends adult nursing knowledge and practice to more complex patient needs. |
Public Health, Critical Care and Research
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURSE 342 — Legal & Ethical Issues | 2.0 | Examines legal responsibilities and ethical decisions in professional nursing. |
NURSE 465 — Management of Community and Public Health Nursing | 4.0 | Applies community assessment and public health nursing to population needs. |
NURSE 467 — Management of Critical & Emergent Care | 5.0 | Develops nursing care for people with critical illness and emergent health needs. |
NURSE 476 — Research Methods in Health Sciences | 3.0 | Examines health research methods and the interpretation of evidence for nursing practice. |
Leadership and Transition to Practice
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURSE 462 — Special Topics | 2.0 | Explores selected nursing topics as part of the accelerated degree requirements. |
NURSE 468 — Effectiveness in Complex Health Systems | 4.0 | Examines how nursing care contributes to effectiveness within complex healthcare systems. |
NURSE 472 — Clinical Internship | 5.0 | Integrates nursing knowledge and skills in a supervised clinical internship before professional practice. |
Clinical Experience
UMKC describes more than 1,050 total clinical hours, including a 300-hour final clinical internship. The internship should not be added again to that total. Clinical learning covers adult, mental health, maternal/family, child/adolescent, community/public health, and critical or emergent care.
Classes are generally during the day. Weekend clinical options may be available; students need flexibility for assigned clinical and learning schedules. Health, screening, professional certification and agency requirements must be met before placement.
Tuition and Costs
For fall 2026 and spring 2027, UMKC publishes nursing academic program rates of $612.30 per credit for Kansas/Missouri residents, $812.90 for eligible Heartland residents and $1,300.20 for other nonresidents. Its simplified rate combines tuition with supplemental, course and information-technology fees; it is not a tuition-only figure.
Applying those current rates to 69 nursing credits gives planning estimates of $42,248.70 resident, $56,090.10 Heartland and $89,713.80 nonresident, before separate university fees and personal expenses. These are current-rate illustrations, not a fixed quote for five semesters; summer and later-year rates must be checked.
Heartland eligibility covers Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Heartland is a distinct discounted rate, not the resident rate. Student Life and other applicable university fees, books, supplies, transportation and living costs are additional. See the current residency rates and university fees.
Related Programs
UMKC also offers a traditional BSN and graduate nursing programs with separate entry requirements. The 2026–27 catalog says RN-to-BSN is not accepting students during that academic year.