Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
South Alabama’s 12-month Accelerated BSN offers January and mid-July starts, completing 62 professional nursing credits in three consecutive semesters with a 270-hour precepted practicum.
The University of South Alabama’s Accelerated BSN Pathway completes the 62-credit professional nursing component in 12 months. Students attend full time for three consecutive semesters on a calendar that differs from the university’s regular schedule.
The pathway is designed for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and offers January and mid-July entry. The curriculum covers the same professional component as the traditional five-semester BSN.
Clinical courses may require more than 20 hours per week, including weekends. Full-time and weekday employment is strongly discouraged, and attendance on the first day is required.
Location and Delivery
The College of Nursing is based in Mobile, and clinical experiences use USA Health and regional healthcare facilities. The Baldwin County campus in downtown Fairhope also offers accelerated nursing. Cohort-specific campus and clinical assignments are provided by the College of Nursing; contact conaccbsn@southalabama.edu before planning a commute or relocation.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The baccalaureate nursing program is CCNE-accredited and approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing. Graduates prepare for the NCLEX-RN and may continue to graduate study; an active, unrestricted license is required for the MSN or BSN-to-DNP.
USA reports that its prelicensure BSN meets educational requirements for RN licensure across the United States. Graduation prepares students to apply for licensure and take the NCLEX-RN; each board determines the applicant’s remaining eligibility requirements.
The Alabama Board of Nursing’s CY2025 report records a 94.43% BSN first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for South Alabama, not a separately reported accelerated-cohort result.
Admission Requirements
Admission is selective and competitive; meeting the minimums does not guarantee a seat. Requirements:
- Completed bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, posted to an official transcript
- Admission to the University of South Alabama
- Minimum 3.0 GPA across the 26 required prerequisite credits.
- Grade of C or better in every required prerequisite
- Good standing with all institutions and any nursing programs previously attended
- Completed College of Nursing application with a $50 non-refundable fee
Applicants previously enrolled in nursing must provide their nursing-course transcript and a letter of good standing. Those dismissed from a nursing program may be considered for the Traditional BSN only.
Admission and registration depend on an acceptable background check, negative drug screen and completed health/immunization requirements. Current program instructions use Complio for compliance documentation.
Prerequisites may be completed or in progress when applying, but all must be finished before entry. University good standing requires a 2.0 GPA; that is separate from the program’s 3.0 prerequisite GPA.
Traditional BSN applicants with an overall GPA of 3.75 may be invited into the accelerated pathway when seats are available. Advising contacts eligible students after Traditional BSN admission; this is an invitation route, not assured accelerated admission.
Application Deadlines
- July 15: application deadline for the following January start.
- March 15: application deadline for the mid-July start.
Prerequisite Coursework (26 credits)
- BLY 101 & 101L: Life Sciences & Lab, or higher (4)
- BMD 251 & 251L: Human Anatomy & Physiology I and Lab (4)
- BMD 252 & 252L: Human Anatomy & Physiology II and Lab (4)
- Microbiology: BLY 213/214 or BMD 210/210L (4)
- CH 101 & 101L: Chemistry & Lab, or higher (4)
- PSY 120: Introduction to Psychology (3)
- Statistics: ST 305, ST 210, BUS 245, or PSY 220 (3)
Curriculum
South Alabama’s accelerated BSN contains a 62-credit professional nursing component, combining classroom and skills learning with dedicated clinical courses. Assessment, pathophysiology and foundational care lead into mental health, maternal-child, adult-gerontological and community nursing before the final practicum.
The accelerated program’s published sequences contain the same required courses but distribute them differently for fall and spring entrants. The tables below group those courses by subject. All professional nursing courses must be completed at USA; upper-division nursing credits do not transfer in.
Required Courses and Credits
Assessment, Foundations and Medication Management — 21 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NU 325 — Health Assessment | 3 | Health histories and assessment of physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs across the lifespan. |
NU 327 — Pathophysiologic Basis of Nursing | 3 | Changes in body-system function and their implications for nursing care. |
HSC 343 — Clinical Pharmacology | 3 | Drug actions, interactions, adverse reactions and evidence-based medication therapy. |
NU 311 — Clinical Nursing Skills | 3 | Basic patient-care skills, safety, clinical reasoning and communication through simulation. |
HSC 342 — Administration of Medication | 1 | Accurate medication-dose calculations and measurement systems. |
NU 300 — Foundations of Professional Nursing | 5 | Nursing care, health promotion and rehabilitation for adults and older adults with common health needs. |
NU 301 — Foundations of Professional Nursing: Clinical | 3 | Clinical application of foundational nursing care in acute and community settings. |
Mental Health and Maternal-Child Nursing — 12 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
CMN 350 — Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing | 2 | Nursing concepts and care planning for people and families with mental health concerns. |
CMN 351 — Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing: Clinical | 2 | Application of mental health nursing to patients and families across the lifespan. |
MCN 352 — Obstetric & Gynecologic Nursing Care | 2 | Nursing care during pregnancy and childbirth and for gynecologic health needs. |
MCN 353 — Obstetric & Gynecologic Nursing Care: Clinical | 2 | Clinical care of obstetric and gynecologic patients and their families. |
MCN 354 — Pediatric Nursing Care | 2 | Children’s health needs and family care across stages of development. |
MCN 355 — Pediatric Nursing Care: Clinical | 2 | Clinical application of pediatric health promotion, illness care and rehabilitation. |
Adult, Community and Evidence-Based Nursing — 15 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
AHN 447 — Adult-Gerontological Nursing | 4 | Nursing care for adults and older adults with complex multisystem health needs. |
AHN 448 — Adult-Gerontological Nursing: Clinical | 4 | Clinical application of complex adult care with patients and families. |
CMN 420 — Community Health Nursing | 3 | Population health and the social, environmental, economic and policy factors affecting communities. |
CMN 421 — Community Health Nursing: Clinical | 1 | A clinical project applying community and population health principles. |
NU 304 — Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing | 3 | Research appraisal, ethical use of evidence and professional writing for nursing practice. |
Professional Integration and Practicum — 14 Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NU 332 — Clinical Nutrition | 2 | Nutritional evidence for health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan. |
NU 414 — Issues & Trends in Healthcare | 3 | Leadership, policy, safety, quality improvement and continued professional development; a writing course. |
NU 412 — Decision Making in Professional Nursing Practice | 3 | Leadership decisions, delegation and motivation in patient and family care. |
NU 460 — Practicum | 6 | Culminating clinical practice with nurse preceptors and faculty guidance, integrating care, leadership and management. |
Total: 62 professional nursing credits. These are the same credits used in the tuition estimate. The separate 26 prerequisite credits are not included in the table or professional-component tuition calculation.
How the Entry Sequences Differ
- Fall entry: 25 credits in the first fall, 23 in spring and 14 in summer. The accelerated calendar starts in mid-July, ahead of the regular fall semester.
- Spring entry: 25 credits in spring, 11 in summer and 26 in fall. Adult-gerontological and community nursing move to the final fall alongside professional integration and the practicum.
The theory and clinical courses remain separate requirements even when taken together. Skills simulation begins early; the final NU 460 practicum is taken with NU 412 so students apply clinical judgment, delegation and leadership while working with a nurse preceptor.
Clinical Training
Dedicated clinical courses cover foundations, psychiatric/mental health, obstetric/gynecologic nursing, pediatrics, adult-gerontology and community health. NU 460 includes a 270-hour precepted practicum.
Clinical assignments can exceed 20 hours per week and may fall on weekdays or weekends. Students should plan for travel between assigned facilities.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated Alabama-resident tuition is $26,970 for the 62-credit professional component: 62 × the published 2026–27 College of Nursing rate of $435 per credit. The corresponding nonresident estimate is 62 × $870 = $53,940.
These are calculated current-rate estimates, not university-published package prices.
The estimates use the published 2026–27 tuition rates. Actual tuition may change with future rates or enrollment.
- The 26 prerequisite credits are excluded and may add tuition if taken at USA.
- Fees are excluded: a $150 registration fee applies below 15 credits in fall/spring; undergraduate summer registration has no such fee.
- Budget separately for the $50 nursing application, Complio, background/drug screening, immunizations, CPR, health insurance, uniforms, books and clinical transportation.
- Housing, food and other living expenses are additional.
Begin health-compliance work early. USA notes that a Hepatitis B series and follow-up titer can take several months; the cost depends on the provider and insurance coverage.
Other Nursing Programs
Beyond the accelerated pathway, USA’s College of Nursing offers a Traditional BSN, an online RN-to-BSN and an LPN-to-BSN pathway, an online MSN, a BSN-to-DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificates in multiple specialties.