Program Overview
Private University Quality at a Price Most Programs Can’t Touch
$9,000 per semester. Four semesters. $36,000 total. For a CCNE-accredited BSN from a private university, that number is difficult to find anywhere in the country.
Wheeling University’s Second Degree Nursing program is built specifically for career changers who already hold a bachelor’s degree — no general education requirements to repeat, just a focused 18-month nursing curriculum that moves from foundational science through critical care and a precepted leadership capstone.
A single ethics course is the only non-nursing requirement in the entire program. Students enter in May and graduate the following December, on a fixed timeline that makes financial planning straightforward.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission requirements are clear and direct — no interview, no essays, no letters of recommendation listed. A completed application, transcripts, TEAS score, and verified prerequisites are the core of the process.
Academic requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Grade of C or better in each individual prerequisite science course
- TEAS score of 68% or higher
Prerequisite coursework — all must be completed before entry:
- Anatomy & Physiology I and II (6 cr. combined)
- Chemistry (3 cr.)
- General Psychology (3 cr.)
- Developmental Psychology (3 cr.)
- Microbiology/Epidemiology (2 cr.)
- Statistics (3 cr.)
Total prerequisite credit load: 20 credits. These are evaluated for prior completion — students with science-adjacent undergraduate backgrounds may already satisfy several.
Application process:
- Complete the free online application at wheeling.edu (early application strongly recommended)
- Request official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended — submit electronically to gradadmiss@wheeling.edu or mail directly to: Wheeling University – GPS Admissions, 316 Washington Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003
- Submit TEAS score of 68% or higher
- Complete FAFSA if pursuing federal aid (school code:
#003831)
International applicants:
- Minimum TOEFL score of 650 required; exceptional applicants scoring 550–600 may be conditionally accepted
- All non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by WES or a comparable service
Post-acceptance requirements:
- ATI testing fees (billed once per semester — confirm current amount with the nursing department)
- Malpractice insurance (confirm amount with the nursing department)
- All courses offered on campus — fully in-person program
Curriculum
The nursing sequence spans 4 semesters across 18 months, with courses designated as theory (C) and clinical (D) sections running concurrently throughout. One additional requirement — THEO 305, Ethics/Theological Ethics (3 cr.) — is the only non-nursing course in the accelerated curriculum, reflecting Wheeling University’s Catholic mission without padding the timeline with unrelated coursework.
Prerequisite Overview
All six prerequisite courses must be completed before entering the nursing sequence. See the admission summary above for the full list. Students who have completed science-related undergraduate work may already satisfy several prerequisites — verify with the admissions team.
18-month nursing sequence:
Year 1 — Summer
NURS 201 Pathophysiology
This course focuses on understanding disease processes in key body systems, including endocrine, neurological, cardiac, respiratory, and renal systems. Students learn to identify the relationship between normal and abnormal physiology and how these changes manifest as diseases.
NURS 203 Health Assessment
Students learn techniques for conducting holistic health assessments across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on history-taking, physical examination, and understanding cultural and psychosocial factors affecting health outcomes.
NURS 227 Clinical Nutrition
This course addresses the principles of nutrition and their role in health promotion, disease prevention, and patient care.
NURS 230D Fundamentals
This course introduces foundational nursing concepts, focusing on basic patient care skills, nursing principles, and essential techniques for safe and effective practice.
NURS 230C Fundamentals Clinical
In this clinical course, students apply basic nursing skills and patient care techniques in supervised healthcare settings, emphasizing hands-on practice and patient safety.
Year 1 — Fall
THEO 305 Ethics/Theological Ethics
This course explores ethical reasoning and theological principles as they apply to decision-making and professional practice.
NURS 309C Intro to Nursing Clinical
This clinical course provides hands-on experience in medical-surgical care, emphasizing the application of public health and community nursing principles in patient care.
NURS 309D Intro to Nursing
Students explore the fundamentals of delivering care to medical-surgical patients, focusing on healthcare issues, diseases, and foundational nursing concepts.
NURS 327 Research/EBP
Students learn the principles of nursing research and evidence-based practice. The course emphasizes evaluating peer-reviewed research to improve patient care outcomes.
NURS 329 Pharmacology I
This course covers the principles of pharmacology, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and medication classifications. Students focus on assessing patient responses to drug therapies as part of nursing responsibilities.
Year 1 — Spring
NURS 319C Maternity/Woman’s Health Clinical
Students gain clinical experience in maternal and newborn care, focusing on health assessments, intervention techniques, and patient education.
NURS 319D Maternity/Woman’s Health
This course emphasizes care for maternal and newborn clients, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, and addressing normal and abnormal healthcare needs.
NURS 320C Med/Surg Clinical
Students apply nursing care techniques in clinical settings, focusing on managing adult patients with complex, multisystem health concerns.
NURS 320D Med/Surg Nursing
This course explores nursing care for adults with multisystem health needs, emphasizing disease prevention, management, and improving patient outcomes.
NURS 326C Mental Health Clinical
Students gain hands-on experience caring for patients with mental health disorders, applying therapeutic communication techniques and evidence-based nursing interventions.
NURS 326D Mental Health
This course focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with mental health disorders. Students examine psychological therapies, nursing interventions, and care coordination.
Year 2 — Summer
NURS 405C Med/Surg Clinical
Students gain practical experience in managing acute health crises and promoting health maintenance in adult patients within clinical settings.
NURS 405D Med/Surg II
This course builds on medical-surgical concepts, focusing on managing complex health issues in adult patients through evidence-based care strategies.
NURS 406C Pediatrics
Students gain hands-on experience caring for pediatric patients, focusing on adapting care strategies to meet developmental and environmental needs.
NURS 406D Pediatrics
This course focuses on pediatric healthcare, emphasizing the physical, emotional, and social needs of children in various healthcare environments.
NURS 480 NCLEX Prep I
This course prepares students for the NCLEX-RN exam by focusing on test-taking strategies, nursing content review, and critical thinking skills.
Year 2 — Fall
NURS 422C Critical Care Clinical
In this clinical course, students gain experience caring for critically ill patients, focusing on acute interventions and managing long-term care needs.
NURS 422D Critical Care Nursing
Students learn to care for patients with critical and complex health needs, emphasizing decision-making, prioritization, and delivering care in high-pressure environments.
NURS 423C Leadership/Precepting
Students complete a clinical preceptorship, applying leadership skills and gaining experience managing nursing teams in professional settings.
NURS 423D Leadership
This course introduces leadership principles in nursing, using case studies to combine theoretical knowledge with practical care delivery strategies.
NURS 426 Nursing Trends and Issues
Students analyze current trends and issues in healthcare, exploring social, political, and economic factors affecting nursing practice.
NURS 481 NCLEX Prep II
This advanced preparation course focuses on reviewing nursing knowledge and refining test-taking strategies for the NCLEX-RN exam.
More information about the curriculum here:
NCLEX preparation is formally embedded as graded coursework in both Year 2 semesters — a structural feature that keeps licensure readiness central to the final push rather than treating it as an afterthought. The preceptored Leadership course in the final semester (NURS 423C, 4 cr.) serves as the capstone clinical experience.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: Wheeling University Undergraduate Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical practice runs throughout the entire 18-month program via the paired “D” sections that accompany every major nursing theory course — students enter clinical settings from the first summer semester and progress through adult medical-surgical, maternal care, mental health, pediatrics, critical care, and a final precepted leadership rotation.
- Clinical integration: Theory (C) and clinical (D) sections run concurrently each semester — no semester is purely didactic
- Specialties covered: Basic care, maternal/gender health, medical-surgical nursing (I and II), mental health, pediatrics and genetics, critical care, and leadership/preceptorship
- Final preceptorship: NURS 423C – Leadership/Precepting (4 cr.) in the final semester provides a supervised, real-world capstone clinical experience
- Delivery: All courses — including clinicals — are offered on campus and at affiliated Wheeling-area healthcare facilities
- Simulation and lab resources: Not detailed in available materials; contact the nursing department at gradadmiss@wheeling.edu for current simulation and clinical partner information
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$36,265
Wheeling prices the Second Degree BSN at a flat $9,000 per semester — one of the most transparent and affordable tuition structures of any private ABSN program in the country.
| Component | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Program tuition | $9,000 × 4 semesters | $36,000 |
Graduation fee | One-time | $265 |
ATI testing | Billed once/semester — confirm amount | TBD |
Malpractice insurance | Confirm with nursing department | TBD |
Estimated total | ~$36,265+ |
See the official tuition page for more details: Wheeling University Tuition & Fees
Accreditation
The baccalaureate nursing program, master’s degree program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Wheeling University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). For accreditation questions, contact gradadmiss@wheeling.edu or call WU Graduate Admissions at 304-243-2359.