A career in nursing is a dream for many, but the rigorous schedule required by traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs can put the profession out of reach for many. If nursing school won’t fit into your schedule, an online nursing program for non-nurses may be just what you need. These programs are specially tailored for those non-nurses and students with bachelor’s degrees in non-nursing fields. The online format allows students to quickly earn their BSN degrees in just a few semesters.

For nursing candidates interested in online programs, convenience is generally the factor that ranks highest in importance and priority. But there are other elements that contribute to our ranking methodology, including accreditation, cost, and the program’s reputation. When choosing the top online nursing programs for non-nurses, our selection process included the following elements:

Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is one of the nation’s leading educational institutions, and its distance-based Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides the opportunity for students who have already earned a previous bachelor’s degree in another discipline to earn their BSN over three semesters, completing the curriculum in just one year. 

The program is full-time but distance-based, with all classes offered online. Clinical rotations are offered in local communities, on the Emory campus, and in optional global sites. The program has two required clinical intensive sessions that students must attend on Emory’s Atlanta campus. 

The University of Wisconsin’s Accelerated BSN program was the first program for students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. It is an intense program that offers all nursing theory courses online, with clinical rotations completed in or near a student’s home community. There are also required on-campus residencies, including a two-week lab/clinical combination and an advanced concepts/capstone week. 

Kent State’s Accelerated BSN was specifically designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree and who want to transition to a career in nursing. The hybrid program is offered as a combination of online and in-person classes and clinical experiences at major hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout northeastern Ohio. 

It emphasizes professional knowledge, skills, and compassionate nursing practices and can be completed in just 15 months and is offered as a daytime cohort or evening and weekend cohorts offered at the Akron and Cleveland locations.

The innovative accelerated BSN program offered at the University of Texas at Arlington delivers course content via a blended learning model with online, technology-enhanced courses and UTA faculty-supervised clinical experiences at partner hospitals throughout the state. 

The program is not linked to a traditional semester-based schedule, allowing students to enter and progress through the program at their convenience. 

Herzing University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program specifically designed for non-nurses seeking an undergraduate baccalaureate education. 

Classes are offered both on-demand and in real-time. The program’s eight clinical courses can be completed in your geographic area, and students are required to attend three 2-4 day intensives at a designated Herzing or partner site.

Wilkes University is a nationally ranked nursing program that offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing online program that can be completed in just one year. 

The program is full-time, offers complimentary clinical placement services and provides graduates the ability to quickly transition into a nursing career. There are multiple start dates and all coursework is offered 100% online. 

Marymount University has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the Best Regional Universities in the South, Best Colleges for Veterans, and Best Value School. Its Second-Degree Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a full-time program specifically designed for students who can take their courses online and complete their clinicals within the state of Virginia. 

The dedicated coursework is completed online: Only the two-week hands-on residency and the required clinical experiences are completed in person, and the clinical placement services are provided at no additional cost. The program is available for anyone who holds a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing area and takes just 16 months to complete and be fully prepared to take the NCLEX exam — the program even includes a prep course at no cost.

Chamberlain’s BSN Online Option leverages the school’s 130-year history of nurse education, offering students a hybrid model that combines online classes with clinical rotations offered in Iowa, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

Online classes are conducted in real-time, offering students the opportunity to participate in virtual simulations and labs, and the school offers a personalized approach that emphasizes individualized coaching. 

Skills evaluations are performed in-person and clinical immersions occur over the final two weeks of an 8-week session through clinical partner sites. The program can be completed in as few as three years of year-round study, and if you already have a bachelor’s degree in another area of study it can be completed in even less time.

Methodist College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Second Degree is an online and weekend program for those who already have a degree in another area of study. Full-time students can complete the program in two academic years or five semesters, with learning taking place in an online classroom that provides lectures, instructional materials, media, and discussions. 

Students must attend weekend face-to-face classes and clinical experiences at the school’s campus and at Peoria, Illinois healthcare facilities.

Roseman University of Health Sciences is a non-profit, private institution with locations in Nevada and Utah. Its College of Nursing offers a hybrid-online accelerated BSN program that is available to both graduates of bachelor’s degrees in other areas of study and applicants with 54 specific college credits. 

Courses are offered in a block curriculum that allows students to take one course at a time continuously. In addition to completing all didactic classes online, lab assignments, and assessments are conducted in person, as is the clinical rotation component of the curriculum. 

Second-degree programs can be completed in a little less than a year, while the accelerated programs for students who do not have bachelor’s degrees are offered in a year-round, compressed schedule that prepares graduates to take the NCLEX licensure exam in just three years.

Though each program is different, all of the second-degree programs require students to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university and the full-time online BSN programs require graduation from high school or its equivalent. 

Different schools have different minimum GPA requirements, and most require completion of prerequisite science-based classes. Others ask students to submit academic and/or professional letters of recommendation and personal statements explaining their reasons for wanting to become a nurse.

The length of the online BSN programs varies depending upon whether the student takes them on a full-time or part-time basis and whether the student already has earned a bachelor’s degree. The quickest path to nursing offered by these programs is one year and the longest is three years.

The cost to attend an accelerated online BSN program depends upon the individual program. Private schools tend to cost more than state- or community-based programs.

Every nursing program is a reflection of the priorities and philosophies of its faculty and administration, but there are certain classes that every nurse can expect to be part of the curriculum that they will be required to take. Some of these foundational courses include:

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