Program Overview
The Second Degree BSN at the University of Houston is a full-time accelerated nursing option for students who already earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a non-nursing field. The program is offered face-to-face at the UH Sugar Land campus and is designed for students making a career change into nursing.
This track runs for 12 months and begins in the spring semester only. UH describes it as an intensive one-year pathway for mature and experienced students who want to become registered nurses.
Students complete 60 upper-division nursing semester credit hours after meeting all lower-division prerequisite and Texas Core requirements.
The College of Nursing highlights several strengths, including access to the Texas Medical Center, CCNE accreditation, Sigma nursing recognition, and a curriculum that supports future graduate study.
ABSN Admission Summary
The University of Houston Second Degree BSN is a competitive admission program with firm academic and prerequisite standards. Applicants must complete all required coursework before the deadline, and no in-progress prerequisite courses are accepted.
Admission Requirements
- Completed online NursingCAS application
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended
- Completed accredited bachelor’s degree before the application deadline
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- 3.0 GPA in natural and behavioral sciences is expected
- All prerequisites completed before the deadline
- No in-progress courses accepted
- Completion of the school-approved pre-admission exam, which is TEAS
- Maximum two attempts on the TEAS
- Completed social security number release form
- Must satisfy the College of Nursing clinical readiness requirements
- Must pass a criminal background check and drug screen before final admission
- Current CPR certification is required by the application deadline, and it must be American Heart Association approved
- Interview, Board of Nursing clearance, criminal background check, and drug screen are part of final approval
Application Process and Deadline
Admission is offered in the spring semester only. The application opens on February 1 and closes on August 31. UH notes that NursingCAS processing can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should submit transcripts and documents well before the deadline.
Applications are not carried forward, and the school does not maintain a waitlist. The program also makes clear that all materials must be complete by the closing date for review.
Curriculum
Students complete 60 upper-division semester credit hours in courses that include nursing theory, pharmacology, evidence-based practice, clinical processes, and research.
The curriculum builds on foundational knowledge in sciences and humanities, aligning with the Texas Core Curriculum.
Courses include:
NURS 3230 – Nursing Professional Role I
Introduces students to the professional nursing role by exploring its historical roots, theoretical foundations, and differences from prior career experiences.
NURS 4312 – Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing Practice
Covers leadership theories and management principles in nursing, emphasizing current workplace challenges and administrative responsibilities in healthcare settings.
NURS 4322 – Policy and Ethics in Professional Nursing Practice
Examines the legal, ethical, and policy dimensions of nursing, focusing on advocacy, decision-making, and professional responsibilities.
NURS 3247 – Pharmacology for Collaborative Nursing Practice
Provides essential pharmacology knowledge including drug classifications, mechanisms of action, and therapy considerations across the lifespan.
NURS 3337 – Reading and Interpreting Scientific Literature
Teaches students how to analyze research studies using statistical tools and apply evidence to inform clinical decision-making.
NURS 3440 – Introduction to Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Combines health assessment and pathophysiology with training in evidence-based care, data collection, and patient evaluation.
NURS 3631 – Nursing Process for Symptom Management
Focuses on applying the nursing process to assess and manage physical and psychosocial symptoms in patients of all ages.
NURS 3633 – Clinical Nursing Practice I
Introduces clinical experience in acute and psychiatric care settings, allowing students to build foundational nursing and communication skills.
NURS 3634 – Clinical Nursing Practice II
Offers intermediate-level clinical training in acute care and maternal-child health environments to expand core nursing competencies.
NURS 3735 – Clinical Nursing Practice III
Provides advanced clinical exposure in high-acuity and community health settings with an emphasis on leadership and management skills.
NURS 3636 – Nursing Process for Collaborative Practice I
Focuses on patient care planning for adults, older adults, children, and childbearing families with tissue integrity and complex health needs.
NURS 3737 – Nursing Process for Collaborative Practice II
Centers on prevention and management of complex conditions across populations, integrating community-based and family-focused care strategies.
NURS 4314 – Nursing Research
Introduces nursing research methods and critical appraisal techniques for incorporating research evidence into clinical practice.
NURS 4297 – Special Topic in Nursing
Explores specialized nursing topics based on current trends or student interest, subject to instructor approval.
NURS 4212 – Informatics in Health Care
Covers digital tools and systems used in healthcare, emphasizing electronic records, data management, and nursing informatics.
NURS 4216 – Perioperative Nursing Clinical Elective
Prepares students for nursing roles in surgical settings, focusing on sterile technique, communication, and patient safety.
NURS 4218 – Emergency Nursing
Introduces emergency care principles and clinical skills required in trauma settings, with hands-on experience in emergency departments.
NURS 4220 – Clinical Decision Making
Supports NCLEX-RN preparation through content review and strategies to identify and address clinical reasoning gaps.
More information about the curriculum in the course catalog here.
Prerequisite Courses
Applicants must complete both the Texas Core Curriculum and the required lower-division nursing prerequisites before the application deadline.
Prerequisite Summary
The program expects students to enter with a complete general education and science foundation. Since no in-progress work is accepted, applicants need every required course finished and posted before the deadline.
Lower-Division Prerequisites
- Statistics – 3 semester hours
- Nutrition – 3 semester hours
- Human Anatomy and Physiology – 8 semester hours
- Chemistry – 3 semester hours
- Microbiology – 4 semester hours
- Psychology – 6 semester hours
- Introduction to Psychology
- Human Growth and Development
- Sociology – 3 semester hours
Texas Core Curriculum
Applicants must also complete all ten categories of the Texas Core Curriculum before applying, including communication, mathematics, life and physical sciences, language and culture, creative arts, history, government, social sciences, and component area option courses.
Clinicals and Learning Format
This program is primarily face-to-face, though UH notes that it also uses state-of-the-art technology and web-enhanced learning. Students should expect a demanding schedule of about five days per week in a one-year intensive format.
Clinical education is a major part of the track. The 60-credit curriculum includes 900 clock hours of lab and clinical experiences. Clinical areas include:
- Community health
- Pediatrics
- Medical-surgical care
- Mental health
- Obstetrics
- Physical assessment
- Elective practice experiences
Students are assigned to hospitals in the greater Houston area, including sites in Fort Bend, Katy, the Texas Medical Center, and surrounding Houston locations. This broad local network supports varied hands-on practice.
Tuition and Estimated Cost
The estimated total tuition and mandatory university fees for the UH Second Degree BSN are about $35,000 for the full 12-month program.
This estimate uses the published undergraduate tuition and consolidated fee total of $11,666.86 per term and applies it across three terms for the one-year accelerated plan.
Estimated Program Cost
- Per term tuition and mandatory fees: $11,666.86
- Estimated 3-term total: $35,000.58
The FAQ also states that books cost about $3,500 total, with around $3,000 in the first semester and $500 in each of the second and third semesters. That brings the rough academic total to about $38,500 before transportation, housing, and personal expenses.
The school also references fixed and variable tuition schedules, but those multi-year totals appear to reflect a traditional longer undergraduate timeline rather than this 12-month second-degree nursing track. For this program, the per-term published total is the clearer estimate.
Accreditation
The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), ensuring adherence to national standards in nursing education.
Additional ABSN Programs in Texas
Review all Texas ABSN programs