SUNY Tuition. DEU Clinical Model. Pharmacology Required Before Day One.
University at Buffalo’s ABS Nursing program combines public university pricing with two genuinely distinctive program features found nowhere else in this review.
- The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) clinical model — originating at Flinders University in Australia and adapted by the University of Portland — places UB students alongside staff nurses who share their own patient assignments, creating a collaborative teaching and learning environment where clinical instruction comes from working nurses rather than visiting preceptors. Faculty support the staff nurses in teaching; students aren’t observers but co-caregivers from the start.
- The second differentiator: Pharmacology is a required prerequisite, completed before the program begins — students enter having already studied drug classifications, pharmacokinetics, and nursing implications, allowing the nursing curriculum to build on pharmacological knowledge from the first week rather than introducing it mid-program.
The concept-based curriculum (CBC) is intentionally designed to avoid content oversaturation, using higher-order thinking to connect theory with practice across wellness-to-illness scenarios.
For New York State residents, the entire 12-month program costs approximately $24,000 — about one-third the cost of comparable private ABSNs in upstate New York.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is highly competitive and holistic — meeting all criteria does not guarantee acceptance. The review includes a video response, written essay, resume, and GPA analysis. Dismissed applicants from other nursing programs are categorically ineligible; applicants from prior nursing programs who were not dismissed must submit a verification of good standing form.
Academic requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree (or master’s degree) in a non-nursing field
- Minimum 3.3 overall GPA — note: the UB catalog lists 3.0 as minimum; the ABS program admissions page specifies 3.3; confirm current threshold directly with the School of Nursing at nursing@buffalo.edu
- Minimum 3.0 overall prerequisite GPA
- C+ (2.33) or higher in each individual prerequisite course
- At least 4 of 9 prerequisites complete by the application deadline; all remaining complete before mid-May program start
Application materials — dual application process:
- SUNY Application: Submit UB SUNY application and $50 fee — OR a Re-entry application (no fee) for former UB students; current UB students submit a major change request form instead
- NursingCAS Application: Create a NursingCAS account → search “SUNY University at Buffalo” → complete essay questions, resume response, and video response → pay $60 NursingCAS fee → submit
NursingCAS components (holistic review elements):
- Application essay questions
- Resume response
- Video response
- All GPA data from official transcripts
Transcripts: Submit to UB Admissions (not to NursingCAS) — from all schools attended; mail to Office of Admissions, University at Buffalo, 12 Capen Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260-1660, or email ub-admissions@buffalo.edu
Nine required prerequisite courses (C+ or higher in each; 4 must be complete by application deadline):
| Prerequisite | Recommended UB Course |
|---|---|
Human Growth & Development | NSG 250 or PSY 336 |
Human Nutrition | NTR 108 |
Human Anatomy with lab | PAS 313 (or PAS 301) |
Human Physiology | PGY 300 |
Applied Physiology | PGY 412 |
Microbiology with lab | MIC 301 |
Pharmacology | PMY 302 — required as a prerequisite; unusual among ABSNs reviewed |
Chemistry | CHE 121 or CHE 101 |
Statistics | NSG 295 or equivalent |
Transfer credit notes:
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II must be completed at the same institution
- C or higher required (C- not accepted); letter grades required (pass grades not accepted)
- TAURUS system at UB determines course equivalency for transfer credits — check before registering
- Courses not listed in TAURUS: submit a syllabus review through the online form to the relevant UB department
- AP, IB, and CLEP credit accepted for some prerequisites depending on score — confirm with UB Registrar
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Completion of all outstanding prerequisites at least by program start in mid-May
- CPR certification and background check per clinical site requirements
- Health clearance and immunizations per clinical partner requirements
- Clinical compliance documentation before DEU and clinical site placements
Progression standards:
- C+ or higher required in all upper-division nursing courses
- Students earning C or below in any upper-division nursing course are placed on academic probation and must repeat the course
- Chained lecture-lab courses (NSG 312/313, NSG 316/317, NSG 411/412, NSG 415/416) — both components must be repeated if either is failed
- Failure of two or more upper-division nursing courses (same or separate semesters) results in dismissal
- Failure of a repeated course on second attempt results in dismissal
Curriculum
Fifty-nine nursing credits are distributed across four consecutive semesters using UB’s concept-based curriculum (CBC). The CBC is explicitly designed to prevent content oversaturation — rather than cataloguing every disease and nursing response, it teaches conceptual frameworks that transfer across conditions, settings, and patient populations.
The three-part Wellness and Illness Concepts sequence (NSG 316/317, NSG 411/412, NSG 415/416) forms the clinical spine of the program, running across Summer 2, Fall, and Spring with escalating complexity. The program culminates in a patient-centered, team-based care coordination project examining health outcomes across populations and systems.
Prerequisite Overview
Nine prerequisites — Pharmacology is required (unique among programs reviewed); Anatomy and Physiology must be from same institution; 4 of 9 must be done by application deadline; all must be done before mid-May start. See the admission summary for the full list.
Summer Semester 1 (14 cr.) — program opens mid-May:
NSG 312 – Science of Professional Nursing Practice (5 cr.) Foundational course exploring professional nursing through the Scope and Standards of Practice and the Code of Ethics — prepares students for interprofessional roles by developing clinical reasoning and evidence-based decision-making across the lifespan. The program’s primary professional identity and practice framework course.
NSG 313 – Science of Professional Nursing Practice Practicum (4 cr.) Clinical practicum paired with NSG 312 — students apply professional nursing concepts in supervised clinical settings from the first summer session; foundation for all subsequent DEU and clinical placements.
NSG 310 – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Professional Nursing Practice Across the Lifespan (3 cr.) Uses the nursing process to promote health and prevent disease across all age groups — evaluating national health indicators, identifying wellness factors, and addressing health disparities through evidence-based strategies.
NSG 314 – Application of Healthcare Informatics to Promote Health, Quality and Safety (3 cr.) (12-week course spanning Summer 1 and Summer 2) Healthcare informatics applied to nursing practice — information systems for communication, error prevention, and outcome tracking; evidence application to improve safety and cost-effectiveness. This course runs continuously across both summer sessions.
Summer Semester 2 (12 cr.) — NSG 314 continues:
NSG 316 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities I (5 cr.) First of a three-part sequence — builds conceptual and practical skills for promoting wellness and managing illness across populations. Uses critical thinking and clinical reasoning to deliver collaborative, patient-centered care; concept-based framework applied from the first clinical course.
NSG 317 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities I — Practicum (4 cr.) Clinical practicum paired with NSG 316 — students apply nursing concepts in clinical settings including DEU placements; emphasis on evidence-based, culturally appropriate care across the lifespan.
NSG 315 – Social Determinants and Justice in Local and Global Settings (3 cr.) Examines cultural, economic, and political systems affecting health in local and global communities — supports public health initiatives, disease prevention, and advocacy for health equity and community needs.
Fall Semester (18 cr.) — highest credit semester:
NSG 411 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities II (5 cr.) Second installment of the clinical sequence — builds on NSG 316 with deeper clinical reasoning and care planning for more complex health scenarios; refines patient-centered care approach with escalating complexity.
NSG 412 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities II — Practicum (4 cr.) Clinical practicum paired with NSG 411 — hands-on experience in diverse healthcare environments; students apply situational thinking to manage care across varied DEU and clinical settings.
NSG 348 – Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research (3 cr.) Skills for evaluating and applying research in clinical settings — forming research questions, reviewing literature, and integrating findings into practice to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
NSG 413 – Promoting Quality Health Outcomes in a Culture of Safety (3 cr.) Systems and processes for improving patient safety and outcomes — the nurse’s leadership role in promoting a safety culture and achieving quality care across healthcare environments.
NSG 414 – Health Systems Policy and Economics (3 cr.) How healthcare policies and economics shape care delivery — the nurse’s role in addressing access, cost, and quality within complex healthcare systems; health policy advocacy.
Spring Semester (15 cr.) — capstone semester:
NSG 415 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities III (4 cr.) Third and final installment of the clinical sequence — prepares students for professional nursing transition; integrating assessment data and clinical reasoning to manage complex patient needs and ensure quality outcomes.
NSG 416 – Wellness and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families and Communities III — Practicum (5 cr.) The program’s final clinical practicum and highest-credit practicum course — emphasizes synthesizing patient data, prioritizing care, and managing health outcomes for diverse populations; functions as the capstone clinical immersion before NCLEX eligibility.
NSG 417 – Leading Professional Nursing Practice to Achieve Quality Outcomes (3 cr.) Develops nursing leadership skills to influence care quality at the unit and systems level — ethical decision-making, patient safety planning, and advocacy for quality outcomes from bedside to organizational leadership.
NSG 418 – Care Transitions and Care Coordination (3 cr.) Managing patient care transitions and coordinating services across settings — technology, collaboration, and evidence-based strategies to support quality care and patient independence. The program culminates in a patient-centered, team-based care coordination project examining health outcomes across populations and systems.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: UB ABS Nursing Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical experiences begin in Summer Semester 1 (NSG 313 practicum) and run through all four semesters — every Wellness and Illness Concepts course (NSG 316/317, 411/412, 415/416) carries a paired practicum. The program’s signature Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model transforms how clinical instruction works.
Dedicated Education Units (DEU) — the program’s defining clinical feature:
The DEU model partners UB School of Nursing with healthcare administrators and staff nurses across Buffalo-area hospitals and healthcare organizations. In the DEU:
- Staff nurses serve as the primary clinical instructors — sharing their own patient assignments with 2 UB students
- Students are not observers; they co-manage real patient care alongside the staff nurse from the start
- UB faculty support the staff nurses in clinical teaching, facilitate transfer of classroom learning, and ensure achievement of learning outcomes
- Built on mutual respect, open communication, and collaborative relationships — a “partnered commitment to student learning”
- Staff nurses benefit through mentorship, staying current on nursing education trends, and reinforcing their own clinical knowledge
- DEU sites: multiple major hospitals in Buffalo and surrounding suburbs, plus a hospice facility
Clinical scope:
- Total clinical hours: 600+ across all four semesters
- Clinical settings: acute care hospitals, community health settings, hospice and palliative care, and other healthcare environments within the Buffalo metropolitan area
- Concept-based clinical design: students apply CBC frameworks — not disease-specific scripts — to diverse patient populations across wellness-illness continua
Simulation: State-of-the-art facilities within UB School of Nursing — simulation experiences complement DEU and clinical hours throughout the program
Clinical note: No specific named hospital affiliates are listed in available materials beyond “major hospitals in Buffalo and surrounding suburbs” — contact the School of Nursing at nursing@buffalo.edu for current DEU and clinical site information.
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$24,000 NY resident | ~$62,000 non-NY resident
University at Buffalo is a SUNY public research university — program tuition is charged at public university rates.
| Status | Estimated Total (4 semesters) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
NY State resident | ~$24,000 | Tuition only; does not include fees |
Non-NY resident | ~$62,000 | Includes tuition and fees |
The $24,000 figure for NY residents is estimated tuition only and does not include fees, health insurance, books, or housing. Contact UB School of Nursing’s financial aid office for the complete cost of attendance breakdown including fees.
SUNY fee waiver: Students graduating with an AA or AS from SUNY or CUNY and applying directly to a SUNY four-year campus may have up to seven application fees waived — visit the SUNY website for eligibility.
Financial aid: FAFSA-based federal loans available; UB Financial Aid office provides complete aid information. Scholarships available through the School of Nursing. UB’s tuition structure, as a SUNY institution, is significantly below comparable private programs.
At approximately $24,000 for NY State residents, UB’s ABS program is among the most affordable 12-month ABSNs in this review — comparable to SUNY Downstate (~$15,800 for NY residents), SUNY Brockport (~$19,000 for NY residents), and Tennessee public universities. The non-resident rate (~$62,000) is more comparable to mid-range private programs. The SUNY research university environment, DEU clinical model, and Pharmacology prerequisite are primary value differentiators at the resident price point.
See the official tuition information page for more details: UB School of Nursing Tuition & Aid