Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Change Your Life. Change The World.

Nursing is an exciting profession with countless opportunities, and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the doorway into the profession. For more than two decades, nursing has been voted the most trusted profession in the United States, and nursing employment is expected by grow by 7% over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Nursing has a highly-ranked BSN program on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of undergraduate nursing programs in its Best Colleges 2025 list. Our graduates attained an excellent 98.8% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX for FY 2024.

The college offers two pathways to the BSN. Our Accelerated 2nd-Degree BSN Program is a 12-month degree program designed for students who have earned a bachelor's degree (non-nursing) prior to acceptance and who are interested in becoming registered nurses. Our Traditional BSN program is a four-semester program designed for students who have earned prerequisites and wish to complete their nursing degree in our dynamic health science center. Both programs are concept-based and prepare graduates for the NCLEX-RN. Nursing graduates provide care throughout the lifespan including the planning, management, and coordination of care across environments. Due to the rigorous nature of the accelerated program, outside employment is strongly discouraged.

Accreditation information: The baccalaureate degree in nursing program at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Application Deadlines

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BSN Programs	Application Open  Date	Priority Application Deadline	Application Deadline
Fall Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)	August 15	February 1	March 1
Spring Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)	May 15	August 15	September 15

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Application Guidelines

Applicants are highly encouraged to apply at least four (4) weeks before the deadline for the program(s) of interest through NursingCAS.

All applications close at 10:59 CST. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered for admission until the following term. The program does not accept applications after the deadline. All application materials must be received in NursingCAS no later than two (2) weeks after the deadline. Spring BSN applications received after the deadline may be considered for Fall admission.

Spring Admissions: All degree, course requirements, and science prerequisites must be met by the end of the fall semester before beginning the program. Applicants with less than 51 credit hours are encouraged to apply for Fall cohorts.

Applicants are encouraged to apply before the Priority Admission Deadlines.
Benefits of applying early:

• Early admissions status decision
• Early scholarship decision
  Rules and restrictions apply
• Early interview decision notification

Course Requirements for Students
Enrolled Before August 2024

 

Course Requirements for Students
Enrolled Beginning August 2024

BSN Program Outcomes 

The graduate of the BSN Program will be able to:

1. Engage in clinical reasoning to make decisions regarding patient care.
2. Deliver safe, evidence-based, compassionate, holistic patient and family-centered care across the health and illness continuum.
3. Advocate for individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
4. Implement population-focused wellness promotion and illness prevention strategies that consider determinants of health and available resources.
5. Use effective communication and collaborative skills for professional practice.
6. Demonstrate accountability for personal and professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
7. Evaluate quality improvement processes to optimize safe health care outcomes for individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
8. Employ leadership principles to improve patient outcomes across healthcare systems.
9. Exhibit a commitment to continuous self-evaluation and lifelong learning.

General Education Competencies

General education competencies for the BSN program are:

• Critical Thinking
  Students will demonstrate their ability to solve problems, construct and present cogent arguments in support of their views, and understand and evaluate arguments presented by others. (NSG 449   Evidence-Based Practice Concepts of Scientific Inquiry and Evaluation)
• Communication
  Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in planning, preparing, and presenting effective oral and written presentations. (NSG 452 Population Health Nursing Concepts )
• Interprofessionalism
  Students will be able to explain interprofessional practice to patients, clients, families, and/or other professionals, describe the areas of practice of other health professions, and express professional pinions competently, confidently, and respectfully while avoiding discipline specific language. (NSG 456: Nursing Internship: Leadership and Management Practice)

General education competencies will be measured via student performance on oral presentations written critiques of research papers, and papers written in capstone courses in the above italicized courses.

 

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