Nursing B.S.N. (Second Degree)

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If you want to pursue a career in nursing and have already earned a bachelor's degree, the RMU second-degree BSN program will prepare you for an amazing career as a professional nurse. You will develop strong technical skills, clinical judgment, and critical thinking in preparation for the R.N. licensing exam, all in a program that can be completed in 15 months. 

15-month program with manageable credit load

As an adult learner, we respect your need for a manageable program, and we value your time. Our accelerated program can be completed at a reasonable pace over four semesters. Other programs may promise a 12-month plan, but with heavy course loads that often cause students to stretch out their program to a more manageable length (at higher cost).

98% National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam) pass rate

The RMU second-degree program is a consistently strong program and develops engaged members of the health care team. We prepare you for success with NCLEX and beyond. The last five cohorts of the RMU Second Degree Nursing program have a combined 98% NCLEX pass rate on the first attempt. The NCLEX pass rate reported here is specific to our second-degree program. It's recommended that you ask about the pass rate for the second-degree cohort at any school you may be considering.

I think that the number of people who had a passing score at 75* questions shows how well the RMU second degree program prepared us for NCLEX.

- December 2019 Second Degree Nursing Graduate

* It's important to note that 75 questions was the
minimum number of questions in pre-COVID-19 testing.

High satisfaction

End-of-program evaluation data show consistently high rates of student satisfaction. In the 2019 survey, when asked if they would recommend the RMU Second Degree Nursing program to others, 100% of respondents said yes!

The program builds on natural and behavioral sciences, integrating liberal arts and professional courses with clinical experiences in community and hospital settings with a strong technological component. You will learn to care for patients in RMU's Regional Research and Innovation in Simulation Education (RISE) Center. You also have the opportunity to travel internationally with other RMU nursing students and professors to better understand global health issues.

I wanted to tell you about something that came up today in my Nursing Residency class recently. The topic was EBP and all about how to research and find information related to topics of interest in our fields. Two RMU graduates are in the same cohort and knew all about what they were talking about already due to our training at RMU! We even educated the class on PICOT (they were using PICO without talking about the time aspect) and how time can be beneficial in some topics and cases! I thought you might find that to be awesome as RMU Nursing is truly the best! :) Thank you for the work you all do to adequately prepare all future nurses to truly shine. It doesn't go unnoticed.

- May 2019 Second Degree Nursing Graduate

Affordable 60 credit workload

The RMU Second Degree Nursing program features 120 overall credits, including only 60 in the second-degree curriculum. Our program features more pre-requisite credits and fewer RMU credits, leading to lower tuition and cost savings. Candidates choose where to take the pre-requisite courses. Pathophysiology is a pre-requisite course at RMU and not part of the required curriculum, whereas competitor programs may include it as part of the necessary curriculum.

Colleen Sunday, PhD, RN
B.S.N. Program Director
sunday@rmu.edu
412-397-5440

How to Apply

Admissions Requirements

The following are required for admission to the RMU Second-Degree Nursing program: 

• Robert Morris University application for admission 
• Baccalaureate degree in another field 
• Undergraduate QPA of at least 3.0 (submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended) 
• Grades of B or better in math and science courses 
• Current résumé 
• Satisfactory completion of a chemistry course with a lab (high school or college, whichever is more recent) and must be documented with an academic transcript

Information regarding tuition may be found under Student Financial Services.

Pre-Requisite Information

All pre-requisites must be completed prior to the start of classes. All official documentation of pre-requisites must be submitted by the Friday before the start of classes.

The student must complete the following required pre-requisite non-nursing courses (30 credits) prior to the start of the nursing major. These courses may have been completed during your first degree.

• Statistics - 3 credits
• Anatomy and Physiology I with lab - 4 credits
• Anatomy and Physiology II with lab - 4 credits
• Microbiology with lab - 4 credits
• Human Growth and Development (Lifespan) - 3 credits
• Nutrition - 3 credits
• Pathophysiology - 3 credits

However, the following course may be taken during the 15-month nursing program.

• Healthcare Information System - 3 credits

Steps to Applying

• Visit rmu.edu/apply for our free online application.
• Click the Apply Online button.
• Click the Transfer button under the Undergraduate category.
• Follow the prompts and questions in the application.
• When prompted, under Enrollment Type select Degree-seeking or Second-Degree.

Course Plan

Fall Term (1) - 16 credits

11 credits during the 1st 8 weeks and 5 credits during the second 8 weeks

• First 8-Weeks:
  • NURS1010 Introduction to Professional Nursing - Online
  • NURS2020 Nursing Assessment & Health Promotion
  • NURS2021 Nursing Assessment & Health Promotion Lab
  • NURS2115 Foundations of Nursing Practice
  • NURS2116 Foundations of Nursing Practice Lab
  • NURS3030 Pharmacology for Health Professionals
• Second 8-Weeks:
  • NURS3020 Management of Adult I
  • NURS3021 Management of Adult I Clinical

Spring Term (2) - 18 credits

• NURS4014 Community Health/Health Promotion Theory (second half of the semester)
• NURS4013 Community Health/Health Promotion Practice Clinical (second half of the semester)
• NURS4020 Advanced Management of Adult Health II (full 15 week)
• NURS4021 Advanced Management of Adult Health II Clinical (full 15 week)
• NURS4025 Nursing Care of Psychiatric Clients (first half of the semester)
• NURS4026 Nursing Care of Psychiatric Clients Clinical (first half of the semester)
• INFS3440 Health Care Information System or NURS6340 Nursing Informatics

Summer Term (3) - 13 credits

• NURS3050 Nursing Care of Mothers, Newborns, and Families
• NURS3051 Nursing Care of Mothers, Newborns, and Families Clinical
• NURS3055 Nursing Care of Children and Families
• NURS3056 Nursing Care of Children and Families Clinical
• NURS3060 Nursing Ethics - Online

Fall Term (4) - 13 credits

• NURS4032 Transition to Professional Practice
• NURS4035 NCLEX Licensure Prep for Success
• NURS4041 Preparation for Professional Practice
• NURS4140 Nursing Research
• NURS4160 Nursing Care of the Aging Adult

Pre-Requisite Information

The student must complete the following required pre-requisite non-nursing courses (30 credits) prior to the start of the nursing major. These courses may have been completed during your first degree.

• Statistics - 3 credits
• Anatomy and Physiology I with lab - 4 credits
• Anatomy and Physiology II with lab - 4 credits
• Microbiology with lab - 4 credits
• Human Growth and Development (Lifespan) - 3 credits
• Nutrition - 3 credits
• Pathophysiology - 3 credits

However, the following course may be taken during the 15-month nursing program.

• Healthcare Information System - 3 credits

Advanced Placement/Standing Coursework

By virtue of the achievement of the first undergraduate degree, the applicant will receive transfer credit or advanced standing for all of the following courses (equivalent to 30 credits):   

• General Psychology
• Literature
• Sociology
• Economics
• History/Political Science
• Arts/Humanities
• Open Electives
• Communication Skills