RN-BS in Nursing Curriculum

The College of Nursing offers registered nurses the opportunity to advance their professional knowledge by completing a baccalaureate degree program in nursing. The RN-BS option offers nursing courses with an online learning component. Nursing courses include face-to face class sessions in addition to Internet classes, thus adding value to the student learning experience.  Non-nursing course credits are transferred based on distribution requirements for the baccalaureate degree program in nursing.

A registered nurse may earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and apply to the RN-BS-MS option at a designated point in the baccalaureate program.  Students who select this option will earn graduate credits as part of their undergraduate study and after completion of the BS program, proceed to complete the Master of Science in Nursing Program.  Students in the RN-BS-MS option may earn up to 9 graduate nursing credits while completing the RN-BS Program.  RN students who do not select the RN-BS-MS option, but meet progression criteria, may take graduate nursing credits as electives to complete the RN-BS Program.

Note: Prospective applicants must make an appointment with the RN Program Director, Debbie Hawkins, for a transfer credit evaluation and to plan program progression prior to course enrollment.

Eligibility: 
Registered nurses who hold current RN licensure in Massachusetts and meet admission requirements

TRANSFER OF NURSING CREDITS:
38 nursing credits transferred based on submission and approval of a professional portfolio.

Non-nursing distribution credits: Credits may be transferred or challenged. Students may opt to take challenge examinations through Excelsior College and the College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP).

Course	Total Credits
English	6
Statistics	3
Anatomy & Physiology	8
Microbiology	4
Social Sciences	12
Humanities	9
Electives	9

Social Sciences:  Must include 3 credits of psychology & 3 credits of sociology.
Humanities:  Must include 3 credits of philosophy.
Mathematics:  Students must have 3 credits of statistics to be eligible for the RN-BS-MS option.

Students who have completed NUR 214 and 300 level nursing courses may take up to three graduate nursing courses as electives with permission of the RN Program Director and Graduate Program Director.

University Residency Requirement: RN students must earn a minimum of 45 UMD credits to be eligible for graduation.  This represents 33 required nursing credits plus 12 additional non-nursing credits taken at UMD. 

RN-BS Option Credit Requirements:

Non-nursing credits	42
Elective credits	9
Nursing transfer credits	38
Earned nursing credits at UMD	33
Total # credits for BSN	122

Required Nursing Courses in RN-BS Option:

Course	Total Credits
NUR 214 Scholarly Inquiry in Nursing	3
NUR 301 Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing	2
NUR 302                                Selected Mechanisms of Disease and Related Pharmacology	3
NUR 306 Professional Nursing (Prerequisite to all CON clinical courses, co-requisite NUR 301)	3
NUR 322 Holistic Health Assessment	4
NUR 330 Community Health Nursing	3 (clinical component)
NUR 331 Experiential Learning: Community Health Nursing	3 (clinical course)
NUR 409 Leadership in Nursing	3
NUR 452  Nursing Care of Persons with Chronic Illness	3 (clinical component)
NUR 453 Experiential Learning: Nursing Care of Persons with Chronic Illness	3 (clinical course)
NUR 460 Experiential Learning: RN Senior Mentorship	3 (clinical course)