Kitty DeGree School of Nursing
RN to BSN Admission Requirements & Degree Pathways
The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) Kitty DeGree School of Nursing offers a 100% online RN to BSN degree-completion program designed for licensed Registered Nurses who are advancing their nursing education to the baccalaureate level.
The RN to BSN program is a post-licensure degree-completion program and is not an initial RN licensure nursing program. Applicants must be graduates of an eligible diploma or associate degree nursing program and hold a current, unencumbered Registered Nurse license.
The curriculum builds upon prior nursing education and RN practice while advancing baccalaureate-level knowledge and skills in professional nursing practice, evidence-based practice, leadership, population health, informatics, quality and safety, and systems-based care.
Both full-time and part-time curriculum pathways are available to support working nurses as they complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the RN to BSN program must:
- Meet all admission requirements for the University of Louisiana Monroe.
- Graduate from an eligible state-approved diploma or associate degree nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA).
- Hold a current, unencumbered Registered Nurse license.
- Earn a minimum corrected cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in required pre-professional coursework. Grades earned in developmental education courses are excluded from this calculation.
No entrance examination is required for admission to the RN to BSN program.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing requires 120 semester credit hours, including a minimum of 30 semester credit hours through coursework offered by the University of Louisiana Monroe to satisfy University residency requirements.
Recognition of Prior Nursing Education and RN Licensure
Eligible students receive 39 semester credit hours of professional nursing credit in recognition of qualifying prior nursing education and current RN licensure. In accordance with established University procedures, these credits are posted to the student's academic record during the final semester of enrollment in the RN to BSN program.
Transfer Credit Evaluation
Students frequently ask which courses completed at another college or university will apply toward the RN to BSN degree.
Prospective students may use ULM's Transfer Credit Equivalency/Comparison Search to estimate how previously completed coursework may transfer to ULM. This resource is intended for planning purposes and does not constitute an official transfer-credit evaluation.
Individualized transfer-credit evaluations are completed after application to ULM and submission of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
Once the official transfer-credit evaluation is available, RN-BSN academic advising will determine how accepted coursework applies to the 51-hour pre-professional curriculum, identify any remaining degree requirements, and assist the student in selecting an appropriate full-time or part-time curriculum pathway.
ULM Transfer Credit Equivalency/Comparison Search
ULM Transfer Student Information
RN to BSN Degree Pathways
A student's RN-BSN pathway is determined in part by whether all 51 semester hours of required pre-professional coursework have been completed before admission to ULM.
Fast-Track RN to BSN (FTRN)
The Fast-Track RN to BSN (FTRN) pathway is specifically for eligible students who have completed all 51 semester hours of the RN-BSN pre-professional curriculum before admission to ULM.
FTRN students enter ULM ready to begin the 30-semester-hour professional RN-BSN nursing curriculum. The curriculum is offered 100% online, with full-time and part-time progression options available.
FTRN Program and Tuition Information
2+2 Degree Launch Network (DLNU)
The 2+2 Degree Launch Network (DLNU) provides a pathway for eligible students who have not completed all 51 hours of the RN-BSN pre-professional curriculum before admission to ULM.
Following ULM's official transfer-credit evaluation, students complete any remaining pre-professional requirements before progressing into the professional RN-BSN nursing curriculum.
Academic advising assists students in identifying remaining requirements and developing an appropriate plan of study.
Professional Practice Requirements
The RN to BSN curriculum includes practice experiences designed for licensed registered nurses. Before enrolling in NURS 4077 Nursing Management RN to BSN Practicum or NURS 4079 Public Health Nursing RN to BSN Practicum, students must provide documentation of current employment as a Registered Nurse in an approved practice setting.
Additional practice-experience requirements and expectations are provided in the applicable course materials.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition varies according to the student's admission pathway and remaining degree requirements.
Students who meet eligibility requirements for the FTRN pathway may qualify for the applicable FTRN tuition structure. Students entering through other pathways are assessed according to the applicable ULM tuition and fee schedule.
Because tuition and fees are subject to change, students should consult ULM's current published tuition information when planning educational expenses.
Current ULM Tuition and Fee Information
Ready to Get Started?
Students interested in the RN to BSN program are encouraged to apply to ULM and submit official transcripts from every college or university attended. Once the University's official transfer-credit evaluation is complete, RN-BSN academic advising can determine how accepted coursework applies to the degree and develop an individualized full-time or part-time curriculum plan.
For general questions about the RN to BSN program, curriculum, or application process, please contact:
Dr. Kathy Kennedy, DNP, APRN, CNM
RN-BSN Program Coordinator
Kitty DeGree School of Nursing
University of Louisiana Monroe
Email: kennedy@ulm.edu
Phone: 318-342-1518
Curriculum for RN to BSN Students
| Course | Credit Hrs |
|---|---|
| Core English Composition | 6 |
| BIOL 1014 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 |
| BIOL 1015 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology II | 3 |
| BIOL 1016 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I | 1 |
| BIOL 1017 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II | 1 |
| BIOL 2014 Introductory Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 2015 Introductory Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 2028 Pathophysiology | 3 |
| MATH 1011 College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1016 Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| CHEM 1001 Introductory Chemistry OR CHEM 1007 General Chemistry | 3 |
| PSYC 2001 Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 2078 Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| HLST 2007 Nutrition | 3 |
| Core Humanities | 9 |
| Core Fine Arts | 3 |
| Total Prerequisite and Core Course Hours | 51 |
| Course | Credit Hrs |
|---|---|
| NURS 2003 Health Assessment RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 2012 Gerontology and Genomics RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 2014 Computing for Nurses RN-BSN | 2 |
| NURS 2020 Professional Nursing Concepts RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 2070 Principles of Pharmacology RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 4006 Nursing Research RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 4076 Nursing Management RN-BSN | 2 |
| NURS 4077 Nursing Management RN-BSN Practicum | 4 |
| NURS 4078 Public Health Nursing RN-BSN | 3 |
| NURS 4079 Public Health Nursing RN-BSN Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 4090 Capstone for RN-BSN | 2 |
| Total Professional Course Hours | 30 |
| TOTAL HOURS FOR DEGREE | 120 |