Program Overview
Flagship-university depth with a built-in financial break — the University of Missouri’s Sinclair School of Nursing delivers its 17-month Accelerated BSN with MU Health Care clinical access (including Level I trauma), affordable in-state tuition, and a $15,000 MU Health award that doesn’t require payback for graduates who work at MU Health for two years.
The University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing offers an Accelerated BSN for students who already hold a completed non-nursing bachelor’s degree. The program runs 17 months and follows a four-semester sequence that includes a 10-week summer term, with 61 nursing credit hours completed in a cohort model with fall and spring starts. Up to 32 students are admitted for each start, and clinical training begins in the first semester and continues through the full sequence.
As the state’s flagship research university, Mizzou provides clinical access across MU Health Care — including Level I trauma and specialized pediatric care — and hands-on training in the Miller Family Simulation Center.
MU Health also provides a $15,000 award toward the program that does not require payback as long as the graduate works with MU Health for two years after completing the program.
Accreditation & Outcomes
The baccalaureate nursing program at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and holds full approval from the Missouri State Board of Nursing.
The University of Missouri is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The school reports strong licensure outcomes, with recent NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates around 96%. (The nursing clinical curriculum is being refreshed beginning fall 2025 to align with current accreditation standards.) Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
ABSN Admission Summary
This Accelerated BSN uses a competitive review with space limits and structured deadlines. Eligibility centers on a completed prior bachelor’s degree, prerequisite completion timing, GPA minimums, and an interview process.
Core admission requirements
- Degree: Non-nursing bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university (completed before accelerated courses begin)
- GPA: 3.0 cumulative GPA minimum (no rounding)
- Nursing coursework: 61 nursing credits completed over 4 semesters after admission
Prerequisite completion rule at time of application
- 7 prerequisite courses total; 5 of 7 completed at application, with no more than 2 in progress
- Minimum grade of C or better in prerequisites
Application cycles and timelines
- Fall clinical start: application window Dec 31 (8:00 a.m.) to Jan 31 (11:59 p.m.)
- Spring clinical start: application window Aug 15 (8:00 a.m.) to Sep 15 (11:59 p.m.)
- Eligibility review occurs after the deadline; interview invitations typically go out about 1-2 weeks after
- Interviews use the Kira Talent platform, recorded on-site in School of Nursing spaces
- Additional materials: professional resume (required template) and two professional references
International applicant requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 84 composite, with 26 speaking minimum, or
- IELTS: 6.5 overall, with 8 speaking minimum
Prerequisite Courses
The prerequisite set includes 7 courses and supports a fall or spring start. Both cycles require 5 completed at application and all completed by the end of the term stated for that cycle.
- Chemistry (3-4 credits, lab not required)
- Nutrition or Diet Therapy (3 credits)
- Microbiology (4-5 credits, lab required)
- Human Anatomy (4-5 credits, lab required)
- Physiology (4-5 credits, lab required)
- Pathophysiology (4-5 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Anatomy and Physiology serve as a prerequisite for MU Pathophysiology. For the January application (spring start), all prerequisites must be completed by the end of spring semester; for the September application (fall start), by the end of fall semester.
Curriculum
The Accelerated BSN nursing sequence totals 61 nursing credit hours across 4 semesters. Both start options include a 10-week summer term that occurs as semester two or three depending on start date. Course plans are built with advising to match prerequisite and co-requisite status.
Pharmacology & Nursing Implications I
Covers drug classifications, safe medication administration, and patient education. Includes special considerations for diverse populations.
Nursing Fundamentals & Assessment
Introduces the nursing process with hands-on lab and clinical experience. Emphasizes skill development in assessment, documentation, and patient care planning.
Holistic Health Promotion & Wellness
Focuses on comprehensive health assessments across the lifespan. Students learn to collect health histories and perform full physical exams using a holistic approach.
Adult Nursing Common Health Conditions
Applies the nursing process to care for hospitalized adults. Incorporates evidence-based practice, clinical technology, and interdisciplinary teamwork.
Mental Health Nursing
Explores biological, psychological, and social elements of mental health care. Emphasizes therapeutic communication and management of mental health conditions.
Pharmacology & Nursing Implications II
Examines medication management for acute and chronic conditions across populations. Emphasizes advanced pharmacologic applications in nursing care.
Introduction to Nursing Science & Informatics
Introduces nursing informatics, including data management and analysis. Prepares students to evaluate and use health information from clinical and consumer perspectives.
Geriatrics & Chronic Health Conditions
Focuses on diagnosing and managing long-term health issues in older adults. Covers conditions affecting multiple body systems in aging populations.
Reproductive & Neonatal Nursing
Covers nursing care related to pregnancy, childbirth, and newborns. Focuses on reproductive health and perinatal clinical practices.
Pediatric Nursing
Addresses nursing care for children from infancy through adolescence. Emphasizes assessment and treatment of pediatric health conditions and family-centered care.
Nursing Leadership & Ethics
Analyzes leadership theories, ethical issues, and policy trends. Prepares students for decision-making and resource management in nursing practice.
Community Health Nursing
Covers communication strategies, cultural awareness, and health equity. Emphasizes understanding social factors that impact community and public health.
Community Health Nursing Clinical
Provides field experience with public health professionals. Students design and deliver nursing care for individuals and groups in community settings.
Adult Nursing: Complex Health Conditions
Focuses on managing multifaceted health issues in older adults. Includes promotion of independence, safety, and chronic disease management.
Transition to Nursing Practice
Bridges prior education with new baccalaureate-level nursing concepts. Supports adult learners in adjusting to advanced academic and clinical expectations.
More detail is available in the Mizzou Accelerated BSN curriculum page.
Clinicals and Skills Training
Clinical experiences run across the full program and begin in the first semester, with settings that include acute, subacute, long-term, and community health environments. Through MU Health Care, students gain access to Level I trauma and specialized pediatric care.
Miller Family Simulation Center experiences support skill practice and clinical judgment development, and clinical learning may occur in faculty-led groups or with expert clinical nurse preceptors depending on the course.
Tuition
The estimated in-state program cost is $35,684 for the Accelerated BSN. MU Health provides a $15,000 award toward the program that does not require payback as long as the graduate works with MU Health for two years following graduation, which can reduce the net in-state cost to approximately $20,684.
This estimate reflects in-state tuition; out-of-state tuition is higher, and costs vary by residency classification, transfer hours, and academic progress. Because this is a second-degree program, grants are typically unavailable, though student loans may be used.
Confirm current figures via the official costs page.