3.2 GPA. TEAS Proficient. B- Across Every Prerequisite. The Fewest Prereqs in This Review.
Wagner College’s Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing pairs one of the most selective admission thresholds in the state with one of the shortest prerequisite lists: no Chemistry, no Statistics, and only one social science course required.
Career changers whose prior degrees didn’t include quantitative coursework face fewer prerequisite hurdles than at comparable programs — while still clearing a 3.2 GPA bar, TEAS Proficient requirement, and B- standard across all science prerequisites.
The Fall-start cohort runs on Staten Island through four sequential modules ending in December of the following year. Expect clinical experiences across New York City-area healthcare settings.
The program’s Module IV capstone includes both a Reflective Tutorial Senior Practicum (under an agency RN preceptor) and the distinctive standalone Holistic Nursing course — integrating mind-body-socio-spiritual care theory directly into the final semester of an accelerated program.
ABSN Admission Summary
Full acceptance into the School of Nursing requires all three conditions simultaneously: bachelor’s GPA of 3.2 or higher, B- or higher in all cognate prerequisites, and TEAS at the Proficient level. Meeting minimum criteria does not guarantee admission.
Academic requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with a minimum 3.2 GPA
- B- or higher in all prerequisite courses — only one prerequisite may be repeated once if unsuccessful
- TEAS score of Proficient (70% or higher) required
- All science prerequisites with labs must be taken in person — online science labs not accepted (as of Fall 2023)
Five required prerequisite courses:
Sciences — B- or higher; in-person lab required; online labs not accepted:
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab
- Microbiology with lab
Other science:
- Nutrition — may be taken at Wagner or online elsewhere; advised to check with admissions before taking an outside course to confirm it will fulfill the requirement
Social science — ONE of the following (B- or higher):
- Introduction to Psychology
- Principles of Sociology
- Introduction to Anthropology
Wagner requires no Chemistry and no Statistics as prerequisites — one of the shortest prerequisite lists of any program in this review.
Application process:
- Admissions deposit and completed application
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- TEAS score documentation — Proficient or higher (70%+)
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Physical examination and prescribed lab tests on file with the Nursing Department before the program start date
- Required immunizations: rubella titer or immunization, influenza vaccination (by October 31 each fall), varicella immunization or positive titer, Hepatitis B vaccination or declination, TB screening
- Annual flu vaccine required by clinical institutions
- CPR certification and drug screen required by healthcare agencies
- Background check required by clinical sites
Progression standards:
- Minimum grade of C+ (77–79%) required in every nursing course to pass and progress
- An unsatisfactory grade in a clinical laboratory component constitutes a course failure
- Students may fail only one nursing course throughout the program — a remediation course (NR050/NR150 Foundations for Success) is required the following semester before repeating the failed course
- Failure of the repeated course or any subsequent nursing course results in automatic academic dismissal
- Students may request only one course withdrawal while in the nursing program — after withdrawal, the student must enroll in NR050/NR150 and repeat the course the next available semester
- All courses within each module must be complete before progressing to the next module
- Students are eligible to sit for NCLEX upon graduation — pinned at the end of Module IV
Curriculum
Sixteen nursing units are distributed across four sequential modules — Fall (Module I), Spring (Module II), Summer (Module III), and Fall (Module IV) — over 15 months. Wagner uses a unit-based system rather than credit hours; one unit generally corresponds to approximately three hours of instruction per week per semester.
Clinical lab components are incorporated into nearly every nursing course from Module I forward. The final module’s Holistic Nursing (NR476) is a distinctive capstone-adjacent course that applies mind-body-spirit care frameworks to professional nursing practice — uncommon in standard ABSN curricula.
Prerequisite Overview
Five prerequisites required — all sciences in-person, B- or higher. Only one prereq may be repeated. No Chemistry or Statistics required. See the admission summary above for the full list.
Module I — Fall entry (4.5 units):
NR351 – Dimensions of Health Promotion in the Community (2 units) Introduces nursing and health promotion across a variety of community and healthcare settings. Covers basic community needs, cultural assessment, wellness, therapeutic communication, and primary prevention. Includes a clinical laboratory and community experience component — students enter patient care and community settings from the first module. Lab fee required.
NR353 – Dimensions of Health Assessment (1 unit)
Prepares students for comprehensive client assessment using the nursing process — physical examination, history-taking, and thorough documentation. Laboratory component included. Lab fee required.
NR355 – Pharmacodynamics (1 unit)
Defines and explains the nurse’s role in medication administration across community settings — nursing process applied to pharmacology, drug classifications, actions, and the nursing implications for each major drug category.
NR356 – Medical Dosage and Calculation (0.5 units)
Prepares students to calculate oral and parenteral drug dosages safely and accurately — three systems of measurement and conversion, drug orders, drug labels, and clinical scenario application. Psychomotor skills lab experience included. Lab fee required.
Module II — Spring (4.5 units; prerequisite: all Module I courses):
NR364 – Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family (1.5 units)
The nursing process applied to childbearing family health — prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care. Examines bio-psychological and socio-cultural stressors across the perinatal period. Clinical components in prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and NICU settings. Lab fee required.
NR366 – Nursing Care of the Childrearing Family (1.5 units)
Nursing care of children from infancy through adolescence and young adulthood — bio-psychological and socio-cultural stressors at each developmental stage within the family context. Clinical in pediatric well-child and acute care settings. Lab fee required.
NR368 – Nursing Care of the Family in Illness I (1.5 units)
The nursing process applied to patients experiencing alterations in cellular function and growth, oxygenation, metabolic function, and sexual health. Clinical component in an acute care setting. Lab fee required.
Module III — Summer (3 units; prerequisite: all Module I NR 300-level courses):
NR400 – Techniques of Nursing Research (1 unit)
Builds on prior knowledge by introducing students to qualitative and quantitative nursing research — critique, evaluation, and application of nursing research to clinical practice; importance of evidence-based practice for both patients and practitioners.
NR465 – Psychodynamic Dimensions of Psychiatric Mental Health (1 unit)
Evidence-based psychiatric-mental health nursing — nurse role development, therapeutic skills, assessment, intervention, and evaluation of clients with mental health disorders. Addresses cultural sensitivity, legal, ethical, and advocacy considerations. Clinical component in a psychiatric acute care facility. Lab fee required.
NR469 – Nursing Care of the Family in Illness II (1 unit)
Nursing process applied to patients experiencing alterations in tissue perfusion, digestion and elimination, and motor-sensory function. Clinical component in an acute care setting. Lab fee required.
Module IV — Fall (final semester) (4 units; prerequisite: all Module I–III courses):
NR472 – Community Health Nursing (1.5 units)
Community as a continuum of care — nursing process applied to promote, restore, and maintain health of individuals, families, and groups in community contexts. Community-based clinical component. Lab fee required.
NR474 – Nursing Leadership and Management (1 unit)
The nurse as leader — leadership styles, management theory, supervision, finance, budgeting, delegation, organizational structure, resource allocation, and case management across healthcare settings. Students build independent decision-making through collaboration in their Senior Practicum.
NR476 – Holistic Nursing (0.5 units)
A distinctive standalone holistic nursing course not found in most ABSN curricula — examines mind-body-socio-spiritual health connections and holistic approaches to stress management. Applies holistic integrative modalities in self-care, patient care, and family care using the holistic nursing process. Nursing theorists including Nightingale, Rogers, and Watson applied. Psychoneuroimmunology and emotional impact on health states examined through ethics and research. Clinical component included. Lab fee required.
NR490 – Reflective Tutorial: Senior Practicum (1 unit)
The program’s capstone course — students develop nursing independence under the direct guidance of a selected agency RN preceptor. Students assume an active leadership role as a healthcare team member, patient advocate, and care coordinator. Seminar reflection through oral and written communication bridges academic learning and professional nursing practice; students are eligible to sit for NCLEX upon graduation. Lab fee required.
Clinicals
Clinical experiences are integrated throughout all four modules, beginning in Module I’s community and health assessment experiences and escalating through acute care, specialty, community health, and the capstone Senior Practicum under a preceptor. Wagner’s Staten Island location provides access to New York City-area clinical placements.
- Clinical start: Module I — NR351 (Community experience) and NR353 (Health Assessment Lab) include clinical components from the first fall semester; clinical hours escalate across all four modules
- Specialties with clinical components: Community health and health promotion (Module I), childbearing family and maternal-newborn (Module II), childrearing and pediatrics (Module II), adult health I and II in acute care (Modules II and III), psychiatric mental health in acute care (Module III), community health (Module IV), holistic nursing (Module IV), and Senior Practicum under RN preceptor (Module IV)
- Nursing Resource Center: State-of-the-art simulation facility in Campus Hall with hi-fidelity manikins (birthing, newborn, child, adult, geriatric — multiple ethnicities), low-fidelity manikins, task trainers, video recording, 20-seat smart classroom with live streaming capability, SimCart Rx medication-dispensing unit with EMR integration, and 45 Lenovo Ultrabooks for student and ATI testing use
- ATI competency testing: Faculty integrate ATI standardized assessments throughout all modules — practice exams, tutorials, and proctored Content Mastery Assessments aligned with curriculum
- Senior Practicum (NR490): Capstone clinical experience under a selected agency RN preceptor — students develop independence in a real clinical setting under direct supervised mentorship, applying leadership and advocacy skills before graduation
- Clinical partners: Specific named clinical affiliate institutions not published in available materials — contact the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing at (718) 390-3440 for current affiliate information
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$85,000–$90,000 (three full semesters + summer per-unit rate)
Wagner College charges $54,318 per academic year (fall + spring) for full-time undergraduate enrollment. The ABSN’s 15-month structure spans three fall/spring semesters plus one summer session.
| Module | Term | Estimated Tuition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Module I | Fall 1 | ~$27,159 | Half of $54,318 annual rate |
Module II | Spring | ~$27,159 | Half of $54,318 annual rate |
Module III | Summer | Per unit | Rate not published; contact Wagner |
Module IV | Fall 2 | ~$27,159 | Half of $54,318 annual rate |
Tuition subtotal | ~$81,477 | Excludes summer | |
Comprehensive fees | ~$3,246 | $2,164/year × 1.5 years | |
Estimated total (excl. summer) | ~$84,723 |
Contact Wagner’s Student Financial Services to confirm the exact per-unit summer rate before financial planning.
Wagner College does not differentiate tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state residents — all students pay the same $54,318 annual rate.
Financial aid: Merit-based and need-based aid may be available through Wagner’s financial aid office. Contact Wagner College Financial Aid for current ABSN student aid eligibility. FAFSA completion is the starting point for federal aid.
At approximately $85,000–$90,000 for the full 15-month program, Wagner is priced in the upper range of NYC-area private programs in this review — comparable to D’Youville ($72,000–$75,000) and below NYU Meyers ($131,244). The ACEN accreditation, 3.2 GPA/TEAS threshold, and Staten Island location with NYC clinical access are the primary value differentiators.
See the official cost page for more details: Wagner College Cost of Attendance
Accreditation
The Bachelor’s and Master’s nursing programs at Wagner College’s Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing were re-accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) following a successful site visit in March 2024.
Note: ACEN accreditation is distinct from CCNE accreditation; both are recognized national nursing accreditors, but some graduate programs and employers distinguish between the two. Prospective students should confirm that Wagner’s ACEN accreditation is accepted by any graduate programs or employers they intend to pursue.
All programs are registered with the New York State Education Department. Wagner College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN upon graduation at the end of Module IV.