Turn your compassion into a career in Georgia Southern University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Go from classroom to bedside in just three semesters.
Locations
- Armstrong Campus (In Person)
Why Earn an Accelerated BSN at Georgia Southern?
- Step into a new, rewarding career in just three semesters.
- Join one of Georgia’s top-ranked nursing programs.
- Learn in a new building on our beautiful Armstrong Campus.
- Qualify to take the NCLEX-RN exam upon graduation.
- 57 credit hours to completion.
There’s never been a greater need for nurses than now — and the Accelerated BSN program at Georgia Southern can put you on the fast track to the training, skills and confidence needed to launch your new career in this rapidly growing field. Jobs are waiting for you: One recent study shows Georgia will face the country’s second-greatest shortage of nurses by 2035.
If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree in another field, you can tackle this challenge and uplift communities across the state by completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southern in just three semesters.
Our recently opened Health Professions Academic Building on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah features simulation labs where you can build your experience on industry-standard equipment without leaving campus. And you also get the chance to test your skills in the field, working directly with patients through clinical rotations with leading hospitals, clinics and other sites.
Through it all, you’ll learn from caring instructors who know what it takes to succeed, while dedicated nursing advisors provide the kind of individual guidance you need to keep your new career on track.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing?
When you get a nursing degree from Georgia Southern, you join a long line of accomplished graduates — and there is an equally long line of employers looking to hire them. And between our accredited status and the state’s dire nursing shortage — a lag that already numbers in the tens of thousands — you can be sure you’ll be in demand.
See for yourself: Our career services office maintains a dedicated site where employers routinely post looking for candidates.
Where our graduates work:
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- Emory Healthcare
- Memorial Health
- St. Joseph’s/Candler
What our graduates do:
- ER Nurse
- ICU Nurse
- Registered Nurse
What You’ll Learn
Your classes in this intensive, three-semester program expose you to all aspects of nursing. Through 12 required courses, you learn to work with children and adults, administer medications, make clinical judgments and more.
Your education builds on the arts, sciences and humanities foundation you gained through your previous undergraduate work. From here, you focus on nursing practice both in the clinic and classroom. So by the time you graduate with your BSN, you’ll have acquired skills in communication, health care technology, health policy and more — and are ready to become a leader that both colleagues and patients can trust.
See the CurriculumBuild Your Experience
No profession is more hands-on than health care. At Georgia Southern, nursing majors get out of the classroom and into the real world through a variety of clinical placements, research opportunities and other learning experiences.
Simulation Facilities
The 8,193-square-foot St. Joseph’s/Candler Nursing Suite on our Armstrong Campus gives our nursing students access to the latest classroom technology, in addition to hands-on simulators that are almost as good as the real thing.
Student Organizations
Sharpen your leadership skills, build a professional network and launch your nursing career
through student groups such as the Student Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Eagle 2 Eagle Peer Mentoring program.
Research and Outreach
We’re not content to just follow the science. Research partnerships at the Waters College of Health Professions lead to new innovations every day. You’ll also work with clients through our rehabilitation centers and other outreach initiatives.
“Our short-term goals include pairing students with clinical sites that they desire to work in postgraduation. Our long-term goals include improving access to care to many counties that are considered health care deserts.”
Want to Learn More?
Explore essential information about our Accelerated BSN, including application details, accreditation status, and licensing disclosures. Gain insight into the program’s credibility and requirements to help you start your journey toward success with the knowledge you need.
Applicants to the Accelerated BSN program must apply to Georgia Southern first and then the Accelerated BSN program. When completing the ABSN application, provide your Eagle ID number and your Georgia Southern student email address.
Fall semester applications for the ABSN program are available on the School of Nursing website from the first Monday in January through the first Monday in February.
Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application:
- Create an application account.
- Complete our online application using the PIN you received after creating your application account.
- Once complete, pay the $30 application fee or upload a valid fee waiver. Previous Georgia Southern applicants and dual enrollment students do not need to pay the fee.
- You can check your application status at My.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/admissions three days after completing your application. This page contains live information about your admission status, including a checklist of missing documents we need to make a decision.
Applicants to the Accelerated BSN program must meet the following criteria:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university (must have bachelor’s degree at time of application).
- Admission to Georgia Southern University.
- A grade point average of 3.2 on grades earned in Introduction to Statistics I, Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (four credit hours), Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (four credit hours), Microbiology with lab (four credit hours), Lifespan Development and Pathophysiology without repetition of failed science courses to achieve a passing grade. ALL prerequisites MUST be completed at the time of application.
- Must achieve a cumulative score of at least 75% on the Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam, formerly known as the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam, from the following subject areas: Anatomy & Physiology, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, and Math within the last year.
- Ability to meet all legal requirements for licensure.
- Postbaccalaureate students must complete Area D’s Introduction to Statistics and Area F with a grade of C or higher.
- Area F science course credits may not have been earned longer than five years before the time of application.
- Repeat of one Area F science course due to failure will make the student ineligible for the ABSN program.
- Postbaccalaureate students will be given credit for completion of Areas A, B, C, D, E and PE, with the exception of STATS in Area D and U.S. and Georgia History and Government.
- All core courses, including Georgia History, must be completed prior to starting the ABSN curriculum.
- Must be able to meet the Core Performance Standards.
- Clinical agencies utilized by the School of Nursing require criminal background checks and/or drug testing prior to acceptance of the student into clinical facilities. Students who do not pass the criminal background check and/or drug test will be unable to attend clinical courses and, therefore, will be unable to complete their program of study, resulting in course failure. Any fees or costs associated with background checks and/or drug testing are the responsibility of the student.
- Students who fail out of any nursing program may be considered for readmission to Georgia Southern’s nursing program after a period of three years. Only one readmission in the nursing program per track is permitted. The student must meet all current entry requirements. Upon acceptance, the student will be required to complete all nursing courses from the beginning.
- If a student withdraws from the ABSN program, they are eligible to apply to the next fall admission cycle of the traditional BSN program.
- A student who fails one ABSN course will need to meet with the ABSN program director to review their program of study. The student may be given the opportunity to join the traditional BSN program on a space-available basis. A student who fails more than one ABSN course will be dismissed from the program.
State law requires proficiency in U.S. and Georgia History and Government. At Georgia Southern University, a student may demonstrate proficiency by examination or credit for political science and history. For further information about School of Nursing rules, requirements, criteria and more, please refer to Georgia Southern’s course catalog.
Application Process
Applicants must complete the Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing program application with an unofficial transcript from Georgia Southern University attached to the application. Unofficial transcripts from any other college attended and unofficial HESI scores should also be attached to the application. An application is considered incomplete and will not be reviewed if the student does not meet ABSN admission criteria and/or does not attach requested transcripts/scores.
Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by student email after all applications have been reviewed. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the School of Nursing of changes to their mailing address and phone number.
Reviewing applications is time-consuming. It may take three to four weeks after the deadline for all applications to be reviewed. The School of Nursing will begin notifying students after all applications have been reviewed. Calling to check the status of an application will delay the reviewing process.
It is important to remember that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the nursing program. Admission is competitive. Accepted students may be assigned to clinical sites up to 100 miles outside the greater Savannah area. Accepted students are required to submit a copy of a photo ID to hold their seat for the intended semester of entry.
Criminal Background Check and Drug Training
Students accepted to the School of Nursing will be required to complete a criminal background check and drug screening.
The School of Nursing uses clinical agencies that require criminal background checks and/or drug testing prior to acceptance of the student into clinical facilities. Students who do not pass the criminal background check and/or drug test will be unable to attend clinical courses and, therefore, will be unable to complete their program of study. Any fees or costs associated with background checks and/or drug testing are the responsibility of the student.
Clinical Internship/Practicum Experience Update
Many of the clinical programs offered by the Waters College of Health Professions (WCHP) require a clinical internship or practicum experience to fulfill degree requirements. Pursuant to the University’s legal agreements, participants in clinical experiences are required to abide by the workplace rules of the clinical site. The University is aware of recent federal requirements that would mandate vaccination against COVID-19 for those working in certain settings, including health care. At this time, we expect that these new requirements may significantly impact our ability to locate a placement for students who remain unvaccinated. As always, WCHP will continue to make every effort to place students at clinical sites. However, please be aware that we may be unable to locate a site to accept unvaccinated students, which may cause a delay or inability to progress and complete the program of study.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
All prelicensure programs are fully approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing. Georgia Southern University is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The School of Nursing anticipates that graduates of this program will seek the following professional state licenses: Professional Registered Nurse (RN).
For required disclosures on whether this program satisfies the license requirements of all states and territories for the Registered Nurse license, click https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/licensure/nurse-licensure-guidance.page to check the requirements of your state or territory.
The School of Nursing has determined that the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a Registered Nurse license in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.
The School of Nursing has not determined whether the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a Registered Nurse license (or certificate) for any state not set forth above.
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Take the Next Step
If nursing is your calling, Georgia Southern’s Accelerated BSN program can help you answer it. Contact us to learn how you can earn a nursing degree in just three semesters.