Last Updated: October 14, 2026
Program Overview
UK’s 16-month hybrid ABSN offers fall and spring entry, online lectures and required in-person labs and clinicals, with a 54–55-credit nursing sequence for eligible degree-holders, military medics, LPNs and dual-degree students.
The University of Kentucky College of Nursing in Lexington offers its Accelerated BSN across four nursing semesters, including a required summer. The program page describes eight consecutive blocks, combining online lectures with face-to-face labs and clinical learning.
Applicants may enter through a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, qualifying U.S. military medic training, an active LPN license or an approved dual-degree arrangement. The BSN requires 120 total credits; prior education and transfer evaluation establish the requirements remaining before nursing entry.
Accreditation and Outcomes
UK’s baccalaureate nursing program is CCNE accredited and approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Graduation provides the educational preparation for NCLEX-RN and licensure application, subject to board requirements.
The board’s March 2026 report lists a 2025 first-time BSN NCLEX pass rate of 94.7% (266 of 281), compared with 98.4% in 2024 (245 of 249). The aggregate 2023–2025 rate is 95.6% (805 of 842). These school-level BSN figures include more than the accelerated pathway.
Admissions Requirements
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and 2.5 science GPA on a 4.0 scale. UK uses the best grade when a course has been repeated.
- Complete the applicable entry pathway and required courses with C or better. Second-degree applicants must complete a BA or BS; that first degree satisfies UK Core requirements.
- Apply through UK Undergraduate Admissions and provide required college transcripts and pathway documentation.
- Selected applicants complete an online recorded-video interview after academic screening; the current admission page lists a $50 interview fee.
- Complete required clinical-compliance documents and State Registered Nurse Aide training before nursing begins. SRNA course completion is required, but SRNA licensure is not required unless the student will work as an SRNA.
Admission is competitive; meeting minimum grades and GPA does not guarantee a place. LPN applicants must hold an active, unrestricted Kentucky LPN license or qualify for reciprocity, and military applicants must document qualifying healthcare training. Confirm dual-degree eligibility with the College of Nursing.
The current admission page lists October 15–March 1 for fall entry and June 1–August 15 for spring entry. Applicants needing F-1 or J-1 status are ineligible under the program’s stated online-degree visa policy; state authorization and transfer equivalencies should be checked before applying.
Prerequisites
The admission page separates courses needed to apply from those due before the first nursing semester. Approved equivalents require C or better.
Before Applying
- Human anatomy and human physiology: generally 3 credits each; the catalog also accepts UK’s NUR 109/110 anatomy-and-physiology sequence.
- General biology: an approved BIO 103 or BIO 148 equivalent.
- General chemistry equivalent to CHE 103, or an approved chemistry sequence. The catalog lists CHE 104/108 and CHE 105/107 alternatives.
- General or developmental psychology; the admissions page also lists approved sociology, family studies and public-health alternatives.
- Composition and communication equivalent to CIS 110/111 or CIS 112.
Before Nursing Begins
- BIO 208 — Microbiology: 3 credits.
- DHN 212 — Nutrition: 3 credits.
- STA 210, STA 296 or BST 230 — Statistics: 3 credits.
The 2026–27 accelerated catalog also lists the university’s foreign-language requirement and college prerequisites. Second-degree students satisfy UK Core through the first degree, but an advisor must confirm individual course equivalencies and any remaining graduation requirements.
Curriculum
The current accelerated catalog lists 54–55 nursing credits. Foundations and assessment lead to adult and family care, research and leadership, then public and mental health, practice readiness and clinical synthesis. The nursing subject groups below follow the current catalog; the entering cohort receives its approved block and semester schedule.
Required Courses and Credits
Foundations and Assessment — 14 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 321 — Introduction to Health Promotion | 3 | Health promotion, prevention and health disparities, using therapeutic communication, patient teaching, evidence and scholarly writing. |
NUR 323 — Health Assessment and Psychomotor Skills I | 2 | Foundational health assessment, physical examination, communication and nursing skills through lecture and laboratory practice. |
NUR 324 — Fundamentals of Adult Nursing Care I | 2 | Beginning professional adult care, applying the nursing process, clinical judgment, safety and evidence-based practice. |
NUR 325 — Fundamental Pathopharmacology | 2 | Foundational disease processes, medication actions and evidence-based treatment of health problems across the lifespan. |
NUR 330 — Health Assessment and Psychomotor Skills II | 2 | Further assessment and practical nursing skills, including medication administration, asepsis and safe procedures. |
NUR 333 — Fundamentals of Adult Nursing Care II | 3 | Further adult care and clinical judgment through online learning and face-to-face practice, with communication and collaboration. |
Adult Care, Pathopharmacology and Leadership — 16 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 326 — Pathopharmacology I | 3 | Further disease mechanisms and pharmacologic interventions, linking pathophysiologic findings to nursing care. |
NUR 334 — Nursing Care of the Adult Patient I | 4 | Medical-surgical nursing, cue recognition, clinical judgment, safety and culturally responsive care through didactic and clinical learning. |
NUR 405 — Nursing Care of the Adult Patient II | 5 | Further medical-surgical care, using evidence, critical thinking, pharmacologic knowledge and interprofessional teamwork. |
NUR 406 — Pathopharmacology II | 1 | Advanced disease mechanisms and medication management, including expected responses and outcomes of treatment. |
NUR 423 — Leadership in Nursing Practice: Enhancing Resilience, Technology, and Quality Care | 3 | Leadership, resource coordination, professional resilience, data and technology, safety and quality improvement in healthcare systems. |
Family Nursing and Research — 12 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 331 — Pediatric Nursing | 5 | Family-centered child and adolescent care, including development, prevention and acute and chronic health conditions. |
NUR 332 — Maternity and Reproductive Health | 4 | Evidence-based reproductive, childbearing and newborn care, including maternal and family health needs. |
NUR 328 — Research for Evidence Based Nursing Practice | 3 | Research methods and ethics, literature appraisal, evidence searches and communication of findings for nursing practice. |
Mental Health, Public Health and Practice Integration — 12–13 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NUR 418 — Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing | 4 | Mental-health assessment, therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care and recovery-oriented interdisciplinary practice. |
NUR 422 — Community and Public Health Nursing | 3 | Population assessment, public-health data, health disparities, community engagement, policy and evidence-based interventions. |
NUR 427 — Practice Readiness | 2 | Clinical judgment, comprehensive care planning, professional communication, ethics and evidence-based decision-making. |
NUR 426 — Synthesis of Clinical Nursing Knowledge | 3–4 | Intensive clinical integration of advanced skills, leadership, ethical decisions and evidence-based care, with preparation for professional practice and licensure. |
NUR 426 carries 3–4 credits, producing the 54–55-credit range. The catalog requires C or better in nursing courses and the university’s graduation requirements. Its 2026–27 undergraduate handbook identifies a 2.0 GPA in the nursing degree program; obtain an advisor’s degree audit for all applicable graduation GPA and residency requirements.
Clinical Experience
Labs and clinicals are in person, with simulation and skills practice supporting adult, pediatric, maternal, psychiatric and community nursing. The catalog notes that some community experiences occur outside Lexington, so students need transportation and schedule flexibility.
The linked sample plan, updated September 2025 lists 440–470 clinical contact hours plus 64 lab hours, or 504–534 combined hours. These are dated planning figures; the current catalog uses NUR 418 for mental health, and students should confirm contact-hour requirements in their approved cohort plan. Synthesis students must be available for their preceptor’s assigned schedule.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated cost: $25,428 resident / $68,766 nonresident tuition. Four terms at current campus tuition-only full-time rates of $6,357/$17,191.50. Assumes campus classification and same summer/full-time rates; $2,926 mandatory fees over four terms additional.
UK’s 2026–27 undergraduate rate page lists $7,088.50 per full-time semester for Kentucky residents and $17,923 for nonresidents, including mandatory fees. Standard campus per-credit rates are $581.50 and $1,484 respectively, also including mandatory fees.
The mandatory-fee breakdown lists $731.50 per full-time campus semester. Subtracting that amount gives current tuition-only campus rates of $6,357 per semester for residents and $17,191.50 for nonresidents. Four semesters at those unchanged rates would be $25,428 or $68,766 in tuition, before fees; the actual ABSN quote depends on billing classification and summer treatment.
UK separately lists $667 per credit including mandatory fees for students exclusively enrolled in fully online programs. The ABSN combines online academic work and in-person training, and its visa classification alone does not establish its billing rate. Ask Student Account Services to confirm the program’s tuition classification, summer charges, cohort credit loads and nursing-course fees before using either rate structure as a total.
Budget for screening, clinical compliance, supplies, uniforms, transportation and living expenses. Eligible students can explore College of Nursing financial aid and scholarships; eligibility depends on the award and student circumstances.
Related Programs
UK also offers traditional BSN, RN-to-BSN, graduate nursing and post-graduate certificate pathways, including doctoral study. These have distinct admission requirements and schedules.