Mississippi’s First ABSN — Four Hospitals on Campus, Public University Tuition
UMMC established Mississippi’s first accelerated second-degree BSN in 2002 — and the Jackson campus offers something no other ABSN in this review can match: four major hospitals physically located on the same 160-acre academic health science campus where students attend class.
University Hospital, Children’s of Mississippi, Wallace Conerly Critical Care Hospital, and Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants are not affiliates or partners — they are on-campus neighbors.
At approximately $19,845 in total tuition and fees for in-state Jackson students, that clinical infrastructure is accessible at a price that makes Mississippi’s flagship health science ABSN one of the most cost-effective second-degree nursing options reviewed in this compilation.
The Oxford instructional site, housed in a building that was originally a hospital, offers the same program near the University of Mississippi’s flagship campus approximately two hours north of Jackson — with Fall admission instead of Spring.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is selective and competitive, evaluated by the Undergraduate Admission and Progression Committee. The number of seats varies each cycle based on available faculty, clinical sites, and preceptors. One annual admission per campus — Spring at Jackson, Fall at Oxford.
Academic requirements:
- Completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution — must be conferred before beginning the program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA across all previously attempted undergraduate coursework from all institutions
- All prerequisite courses completed with C or better; minimum 2.0 GPA across prerequisite courses
- All 76 prerequisite credit hours (62 course credits + 14 academic electives) must be completed before beginning the program
- Applicants may apply when the total of completed + in-progress + planned prerequisite credits equals 76 hours — but all must be complete before program start
- At least two science prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C posted before the application deadline (in-progress science courses at time of application are not counted in the admissions process)
ACT requirement (upcoming changes):
- Jackson: Effective Spring 2028 applications — ACT superscore of 21 or higher required; ACT Science section required
- Oxford: Effective Fall 2028 applications — same ACT requirements apply
- No ACT requirement for current application cycles before those dates; no other entrance exam is currently required
76-credit-hour prerequisite requirements:
Natural Sciences and Mathematics (18 cr.) — science survey courses and courses designed for non-science majors are not acceptable; A&P courses older than 10 years may not be accepted:
- Microbiology with lab (4 cr.)
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (4 cr.) — must include structure and function of the human body
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (4 cr.) — must include structure and function of the human body
- College Algebra or higher-level math (3 cr.)
- Statistics (3 cr.) — must include descriptive and inferential statistics, central tendency, variability, correlation, t-tests, z-tests, ANOVA, chi-square, hypothesis testing, p-levels, and confidence intervals
Psychosocial Sciences (9 cr.):
- General Psychology (3 cr.)
- Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.)
- Human Growth and Development through the Life Cycle (3 cr.) — must include development from infancy through old age; Developmental Psychology at senior colleges or HGD at community colleges
Humanities and Fine Arts (15 cr.):
- English Composition I (3 cr.)
- English Composition II (3 cr.)
- Three humanities/fine arts electives (9 cr.) from: Art, Literature, Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Journalism, Drama, Theatre, History, Music, Survey of Religion
General Electives (20+ cr.):
- 14+ hours of general academic electives in addition to the 62 course credits — suggested courses include Abnormal Psychology, History, Anthropology, Political Science, Nutrition, Economics, Chemistry, Speech/Communication
Unacceptable courses: Physical training, military science, dogmatic religion, mathematics or science for non-science majors, credit without college-level testing.
Application process:
- Submit complete application and all fees to the UMMC Office of Enrollment Management by August 1 (Jackson) or December 15 (Oxford)
- Submit all application documents including official transcripts from all schools attended by September 1 (Jackson) or December 15 (Oxford)
- In-progress courses at the deadline cannot be considered in the admissions process — all transcripts must show final grades
- International applicants: TOEFL required (IBT minimum 79; PBT minimum 550); WES or CGFNS course-by-course transcript evaluation required
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Mandatory attendance at a program overview day with SON faculty held approximately 8 weeks before program start
- Full-time enrollment required; students are strongly discouraged from working due to program intensity
- Typical daily schedule: 8 AM–5 PM with evening and weekend clinical components
- Clinical compliance documentation (health requirements, background check, immunizations) per UMMC and clinical agency standards
Dismissal and readmission:
Students dismissed from any nursing program must wait one year from the dismissal date before being eligible to apply to any UMMC School of Nursing program.
Curriculum
Forty-eight nursing credits are distributed across three consecutive semesters — Spring, Summer, and Fall for the Jackson campus (Spring admission); the Oxford sequence begins in Fall with a corresponding three-semester progression.
The curriculum uses active learning strategies throughout and includes a three-part Health and Illness Across the Lifespan sequence as the clinical core, paired with Clinical Practicum courses in each semester.
Prerequisite Overview
Seventy-six total prerequisite credit hours required — 62 course credits plus 14 academic electives — all complete before program start. At least two science prerequisites must be complete with C or better and final grades posted before the application deadline. A&P courses older than 10 years may not be accepted. See the admission summary for the full list.
Three-semester nursing sequence (48 credit hours) — Jackson Spring Admission:
Semester I – Spring
N 412-1 – Professional Nursing Role Development I
Part one of a two-course series exploring foundational concepts for professional nursing. Focuses on core principles of nursing practice and introduces the role of the professional nurse.
N 413-1 – Health and Illness Across the Lifespan I
The first in a three-course series addressing health and illness from infancy to old age. Incorporates pathophysiology, physical assessment, pharmacology, and mental health concepts.
N 434-1 – Clinical Practicum I
Provides hands-on clinical experience in delivering patient-centered care across the lifespan. Includes practice in adult, pediatric, neonatal, childbearing, and mental health nursing.
N 405 – Basic Health Assessment
Focuses on developing foundational skills for health assessments. Covers interviewing, history-taking, pedigree development, and documentation for individuals across the lifespan.
N 401 – Health Promotion in Populations
Examines global health patterns and their societal impacts. Students learn strategies to assess, plan, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention initiatives for diverse populations.
N 433-1 – Interprofessional Education I
Introduces interprofessional collaborative practice with a focus on teamwork, communication, ethics, and role responsibilities.
Semester II – Summer
N 403 – Health Care Leadership and Collaboration
Explores leadership, management, and teamwork in nursing. Covers decision-making, communication, motivation, change management, and legal/ethical issues for future nurse leaders.
N 413-2 – Health and Illness Across the Lifespan II
The second course in the series, continuing the examination of health and illness across all life stages, integrating pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment.
N 434-2 – Clinical Practicum II
Continues hands-on clinical practice in diverse settings, focusing on patient-centered care for all age groups, including mental health and childbearing families.
N 433-2 – Interprofessional Education II
Builds on the interprofessional series, emphasizing communication, teamwork, and ethical values for collaborative practice in healthcare.
Semester III – Fall
N 413-3 – Health and Illness Across the Lifespan III
The final course in the series, synthesizing health and illness concepts across all age groups with a focus on integrated nursing care.
N 434-3 – Clinical Practicum III
Culminates clinical practice with advanced patient care experiences in diverse healthcare settings, emphasizing complex care needs.
N 497 – Nursing Capstone
Focuses on refining clinical and leadership skills for nursing practice. Emphasizes clinical reasoning, decision-making, and preparing for the transition to professional nursing roles.
N 412-2 – Professional Nursing Role Development II
The second course in the series, allowing students to apply nursing concepts and embody the professional nurse role in practice.
N 436 – Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
Introduces research processes and evidence-based practice. Students critically analyze research for application to clinical nursing while integrating ethical considerations.
N 433-3 – Interprofessional Education III
Concludes the interprofessional series, reinforcing teamwork, communication, ethics, and collaboration for effective healthcare delivery.
Clinical Practicum III (5 credits) is the heaviest single clinical course in the program, running in the final fall semester — the capstone patient care experience before graduation and NCLEX. The Health and Illness Across the Lifespan sequence (N 476-1, 2, and 3) carries a total of 16 credits across all three semesters — the most sustained clinical knowledge thread in the program.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: UMMC Accelerated BSN Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical training begins in Semester 1 and runs through all three terms, with a dedicated Clinical Practicum course in each semester escalating in credit and complexity. UMMC’s dual-campus model provides two distinct clinical environments — an academic health science center in Jackson and a re-purposed former hospital building in Oxford.
Jackson campus clinical infrastructure:
- Four major hospitals physically on the 160-acre Jackson campus:
- University Hospital
- Children’s of Mississippi
- Wallace Conerly Critical Care Hospital
- Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants
- Clinical Practicum courses provide supervised patient care across these facilities, supplemented by the UMMC Simulation and Interprofessional Education Laboratory and the Judith Gore Gearhart Clinical Skills Assessment Laboratory (standardized patients)
- Jackson Clinical Skills and Simulation Labs: Four high-fidelity simulation suites with control rooms and debriefing spaces; 27 treatment bays; home environment lab; advanced practice primary care office
Oxford instructional site clinical infrastructure:
- Building originally constructed as a hospital — simulation spaces replicate real-world clinical environments
- Six high-fidelity simulation suites across two floors with pre-briefing and debriefing rooms
- Eleven clinical skills rooms with mid-fidelity simulators and task trainers
- Home environment simulation suite; advanced practice primary care area with three clinic beds
- Clinical placements at Oxford-area regional healthcare facilities
Across both campuses:
- Total Clinical Practicum credits: 11 (NUR 483-1: 3 cr. | NUR 483-2: 3 cr. | NUR 483-3: 5 cr.)
- Specialties covered: Foundational nursing, health assessment, health promotion/population health, adult health across the lifespan (I, II, III), clinical judgment, leadership and collaboration, evidence-based practice, and capstone transition
- Schedule: Typically 8 AM–5 PM daily for classroom; clinical rotations may also include evenings and weekends — full availability required
- Interprofessional simulation: Access to shared UMMC Simulation and Interprofessional Education Laboratory supports cross-disciplinary, simulation-based training alongside medical, pharmacy, and other health professions students
- The CSSL is led by faculty with CHSE (Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator) credentials at both sites
Tuition
Estimated total tuition and fees: ~$19,845 Jackson in-state | ~$15,846 Oxford in-state
UMMC publishes a detailed Cost of Attendance by program. Tuition/fees figures below reflect the academic year COA components for in-state students.
Jackson campus (Spring admission):
| Semester | Tuition/Fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Spring (Semester 1) | $6,615 | Jackson ACCEL SPRING ONLY |
Summer + Fall (Semesters 2–3) | $13,230 | Jackson ACCEL SUMMER/FALL |
Total tuition/fees | ~$19,845 | In-state estimate |
Oxford instructional site (Fall admission):
| Component | Tuition/Fees |
|---|---|
Oxford ACCEL (Year 1) | $10,584 |
Oxford ACCEL FINAL | $5,262 |
Total tuition/fees | ~$15,846 |
Professional fee (additional — not included in tuition above):
- $3,000 per semester × 3 semesters = $9,000 total
- Covers additional faculty, ATI testing and resources, learning resources, simulated practice environment costs, and skills lab supplies
| Status | Tuition/Fees | + Professional Fee | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Jackson in-state | ~$19,845 | $9,000 | ~$28,845 |
Oxford in-state | ~$15,846 | $9,000 | ~$24,846 |
Full Cost of Attendance (including housing, food, books, transportation, medical insurance, and personal expenses):
- Jackson total COA: ~$45,458
- Oxford total COA: ~$42,502
At approximately $24,846–$28,845 in program tuition plus professional fees, UMMC is among the most affordable ABSNs in this review even after accounting for all required fees — comparable to Tennessee’s public universities (ETSU ~$27,485, Tennessee Tech ~$25,000) and dramatically less expensive than any private program reviewed. Financial aid and scholarships are available for qualified students through UMMC’s Office of Student Financial Services.
See the official tuition page for more details: UMMC School of Nursing Cost of Attendance
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) — awarded the maximum 10-year accreditation period at the most recent review in March 2022.
UMMC School of Nursing programs are in full compliance with the standards of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (Mississippi).
The University of Mississippi is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN; Mississippi is a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) state. Students pursuing licensure outside Mississippi should confirm state-specific requirements with the applicable Board of Nursing before enrolling.