844-937-8679
844-937-8679
Online RN to BSN Degree (Competency Based)
RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Competency Based-CB)
Prepare to enhance your nursing practice, faster. When you transfer credits from your Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), you can complete your Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Competency-Based) in as little as 12 months and for under $10K.
Self-governed, with the assistance of your faculty practitioners and faculty mentor, this program is designed for working professionals who have an associate degree in nursing, an unencumbered RN license and one year of professional experience.
This degree program has some required in-person practical experiences.
Ignite Your Passion
Start when you're ready
Courses
Browse courses for your online nursing degree
Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.
Program Handbook: Nursing Student Program Handbook
Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.
Requirements: 33 credits
In a competency-based program, you earn credit by demonstrating your knowledge of a core skill, or competency. Since there are 33 credits in this program, one competency equals one credit.
Requirements to enter this program:
- An Associate of Arts Degree in Nursing, Associate of Applied Arts Degree with an emphasis in Nursing, an Associate of Science Degree with an emphasis in Nursing, or an Associate of Applied Science Degree with an emphasis in Nursing from an accredited college or university.
- Students must have a valid, unrestricted/unencumbered RN license.
- A minimum equivalent of one year of full-time post high school clinical-based RN work experience within the past five years. (Full-time work is defined as 32 hours per week for the BSN-CB program.)
4 courses at a time
16Ìýweeks per course
11Ìýcourses per year
Schedule
Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for a Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Competency-Based).
Online learning with real-world clinical experience
Ìý Flexible onlineÌýlearningÌýthat helps you reach your educational goals.
Ìý Clinical hands-on experienceÌýwith direct care in-person clinical hours. A clinical coordinator provides support throughout the site and preceptor selection process.
Ìý Online support is availableÌýup to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.ÌýFrom day one, you'll have access to an academic support team dedicated to your educational success.
Flexible onlineÌýlearningÌýthat helps you reach your educational goals.
Clinical hands-on experienceÌýwith direct care in-person clinical hours. A clinical coordinator provides support throughout the site and preceptor selection process.
Online support is availableÌýup to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.ÌýFrom day one, you'll have access to an academic support team dedicated to your educational success.
Susan H. | BSN
Susan H. | BSN
Program purpose statement
The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a post-licensure education program designed for nurses with an active and unencumbered RN license who wish to obtain a bachelor's degree in the professional field of nursing. The program is designed to develop the professional knowledge and skills of registered nurses and prepare them as generalists who are able to apply critical thinking, professional skills and knowledge to make clinical decisions that will result in positive patient outcomes and support healthcare systems.​ View the Nursing Student Handbook (PDF) Ìýto learn more about program details.Ìý
Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.
Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every course.
We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.
Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every course.
We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Tuition
Paying for school
Tuition is based on a calculation of number of credits multiplied by the per credit cost.
RN to BSN-CB estimated program cost
$9,900Ìý/ program
Tuition Guarantee
With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable tuition rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.
Budget & borrow
How to pay for college
Paying for school can be intimidating, but we’re here to help you make sense of it. Our finance advisors can walk you through your options like federal financial aid and savings opportunities to minimize your debt. Plus, we can help you figure out your financial plan.
Careers & Outcomes
What can you do withÌýa RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Competency-Based) degree?
Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.
AnÌýBSN-CB can prepare you to be a:
- Charge Nurse
- Public Health Nurse (PHN)
- Director of Nursing (DON)
Top skills learned in this program:
Business Management
Communications
Coordinating Safe Care
Critical Thinking and Holistic Nursing
Health Administration
Information Management and Communication
Leadership
Professionalism
Quality Improvement and Case Management
Strategic Planning
Ready to get started?
Start your application for free or request additional information.
What you’ll learn
When you earn your online Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Competency-Based), you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:
- Demonstrate evidence-based holistic patient-centered care that reflects knowledge of the health-illness continuum.
- Implement appropriate health promotion and disease prevention strategies for diverse individuals, families and populations across the life span.
- Demonstrate professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct in health care industry.
- Apply leadership and organizational principles that promote safe health care delivery and nursing practice.
- Incorporate strategies that influence health policy at state, national, and international levels for the provision of safe, quality patient care.
- Integrate patient care communication and information technology systems in health care delivery to improve patient outcomes.
- Utilize interprofessional care coordination strategies to promote quality patient care.​
5% Growth
According to theÌý, job growth for registered nurses occupations is projected to be faster than average between 2024 and 2034.
The BLS Projected Growth for 2024-2034 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to °®¶¹´«Ã½ students or graduates.
Admissions
Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.
Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.
- No SAT/ACT requiredÌý
- No essay requiredÌý
- No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students
- We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.
How to enroll at °®¶¹´«Ã½
Receive 1-on-1 support
You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1]ÌýStart a conversation with an enrollment representative today.
[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)
Call or chat with us 7 days a week.
Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep
Receive 1-on-1 support
You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]
[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)
Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.
Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.
Student Experience
An education that fits your busy life
Balancing family, work and school
Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.
Online learning
Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.
Around-the-clock support and resources
You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.Ìý
Computer requirements for courses
Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment.Ìý
Faculty Spotlight
Professionals dedicated to you
Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average ofÌý29 years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.
Accreditation
Count on the quality of your education
programmatic accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the °®¶¹´«Ã½ are accredited byÌýthe Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
This program is aligned with leading industry organizations, such as:
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN®)
- Quality & Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
Frequently asked questions about the competency-based online RN to BSN program
The RN to BSN degree online at °®¶¹´«Ã½ is a post-licensure education program.Ìý You can also transfer an associate degree in nursing (ADN), if applicable, to complete the program faster.
Our bachelor’s in nursing program includes 11 core courses in topics such as health information technology for nursing, research outcomes management for the practicing nurse, healthcare policy and public health.Ìý
No, a bachelor’s degree in nursing is not the same as a registered nurse (RN). A BSN is an educational degree in nursing. An RN designation may only be used after completing all requirements and obtaining licensure by a state board of nursing as a registered nurse. If you’re an RN, you can pursue a BSN degree for expanded skills and greater career opportunities in your field.Ìý
The length of time to complete your bachelor’s in nursing program varies depending on the nursing program you choose and your educational history.Ìý
- Our traditional RN to BSN degree online can be completed in as little as 14 months for students who transfer in an associate degree in nursing (ADN). RNs without an ADN transfer will be awarded 40 total credits and may complete their degree in 2.5 years.
- OurÌýcompetency-based RN to BSN programÌýcan be completed in as little as 12 months but requires at least one year’s experience as an RN and is self-paced, independent learning.
The competency-based RN to BSN coursework is completed online and paired with on-site direct-care clinical hours. These in-person clinical experiences take place in approved public health settings, including those in your local community.
These clinical experiences help students apply nursing knowledge in real healthcare and community settings as part of the online RN to BSN degree requirements for the competency-based program.
Yes, our RN to BSN degree online is designed with the working registered nurse (RN) in mind. You’ll take one course at a time, every five weeks, and all the instructional information is delivered on your schedule. This is important because we understand nurses like you are likely working around the clock and need to be able to complete assignments at a time that’s convenient for you and your schedule.
While internships are not required, direct-care clinical hours are a part of the core nursing curriculum. The competency-based online RN to BSN program requires 90 direct-care clinical hours.
The direct-care clinical hours must be completed in person based in community health settings. These are in addition to the indirect care clinical hours completed in other courses.
Students can review the Nursing Student Handbook (PDF) for additional details about course alignment and clinical expectations.
Clinical experiences for the online RN to BSN degree (competency-based program) are completed in approved public health settings connected to course requirements. There are many pre-approved sites or students may seek approval of the facility of their own choice.
The clinical experiences in the RN to BSN program focus on health promotion, disease prevention and public health principles for individuals, families, populations and communities.
The competency-based online RN to BSN program does not require an on-campus presence.
Required clinical learning is completed through approved site-based experiences in a student’s local community rather than campus attendance. Other program requirements are completed online.
Many students pursuing the online RN to BSN degree (competency-based program) can complete clinical experiences in approved healthcare or community settings within their local community.
A clinical coordinator helps students identify approved placement opportunities that meet program requirements and site availability.
Current RN license required.Ìý
While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.