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Nursing (RN-BSN) BSN

Undergraduate

You’re already an RN, which means you have the foundation to excel in the healthcare industry. Our accredited fully online Nursing RN to BSN degree program is designed to give you the knowledge and skills to build upon your prior nursing education and earn your BSN while staying in your current place of employment!

Our online Nursing RN to BSN degree can be completed in as few as three semesters and there are no required chemistry courses. All of our courses and all course prerequisites are available fully online. 

The online Nursing RN to BSN degree is designed with you, the working RN professional, in mind. You can choose to begin this program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester with an 8, 10, or 16 week option, which allows you to earn this degree on your time.

A number of scholarship opportunities are available to online students. To find our list of available scholarships for which you may qualify, click here.

General Education Curriculum

Written Communication (6 hours)

Course Credits
Composition One
3 hrs.
Composition Two
3 hrs.

Natural Science and Mathematics (8- 10 hours minimum)

Select 2 courses with labs:

Course Credits
Biology and Society *
3 hrs.
Principles of Biological Science I *
3 hrs.
Principles of Biological Science II *
3 hrs.
Human Anatomy and Physiology I *
3 hrs.
Human Anatomy and Physiology II *
3 hrs.
Chemistry and Our Environment *
3 hrs.
General Chemistry I *
3 hrs.
General Chemistry II *
3 hrs.
Weather and Climate *
3 hrs.
General Physics I *
3 hrs.
General Physics II *
3 hrs.

Humanities (9 hours)

Course Credits
World Literature
3 hrs.

Select 2 course, 1 history required:

Course Credits
World Civilizations: Beginnings to 1500 C.E.
3 hrs.
World Civilization: 1500 C.E. to the present
3 hrs.
Introduction to Philosophy
3 hrs.
Ethics and Good Living
3 hrs.
Comparative Religion
3 hrs.

Aesthetic Values (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

Course Credits
Art Appreciation
3 hrs.
Dance Appreciation
3 hrs.
The Enjoyment of Music
3 hrs.

Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

Select 2 courses:

Course Credits
The Human Experience: A Global Perspective on Human Diversity
3 hrs.
Basic Economics
3 hrs.
World Geography: Dynamics of a Changing Earth
3 hrs.
American Government
3 hrs.
General Psychology
3 hrs.
Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology
3 hrs.

Mathematics (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

Course Credits
Quantitation Reasoning
3 hrs.
College Algebra
3 hrs.
Higher-level MAT course
3 hrs.

Writing-Intensive Requirement (Major Area)

Course Credits
Role Development as a Nurse Scientist
3 hrs.

ENG 101 & ENG 102 prerequisites

Speaking-Intensive Requirement (3 hours)

Course Credits
Business and Professional Speaking
3 hrs.

Capstone Requirements

Course Credits
Leadership
3 hrs.

Must be taken Senior Year; ENG 101 & ENG 102

Progam Curriculum

Major Area of Study Requirements

Course Credits
Commonalities of Nursing Practice
3 hrs.
Pathophysiology
3 hrs.
Health Assessment & Health Promotion Theory *
3 hrs.
Role Development as a Nurse Scientist
4 hrs.
Population Health Nursing Theory and Praxis
4 hrs.
Medical-Surgical Nursing
14 hrs.
Psychiatric Nursing
6 hrs.
Maternal-Child Nursing
10 hrs.
Mental Health Across the Life Span *
3 hrs.
Health Care Systems
3 hrs.
Evidence-Based Practice
3 hrs.
Professional Nursing Concepts II
3 hrs.
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Practice Experiences
3 hrs.
Leadership
3 hrs.

Additional Requirements

Course Credits
Human Anatomy and Physiology I *
3 hrs.
Human Anatomy and Physiology II *
3 hrs.
College Algebra
3 hrs.
Nutrition
3 hrs.
General Psychology
1 hrs.
Developmental Psychology
3 hrs.
Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology
3 hrs.
The Family
3 hrs.

Select 1 course with lab:

Course Credits
General Microbiology *
3 hrs.
Microorganisms in Health and Disease *
3 hrs.

Select 1 course:

Course Credits
Introduction to Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
3 hrs.
Introduction to Biostatistics
3 hrs.
Statistical Methods I
3 hrs.

Additional Note

Please note that the above information is meant to be a guide and is not official. For further information regarding courses for this degree, see the University Bulletin. Please be aware that not all course choices listed in the University Bulletin are available online. However, sufficient online options are available to complete this degree.

* Requires additional 1 hour lab
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this program lead to initial or an upgraded license in Mississippi or any other state?

Licensure requirements and approval are determined by each state’s licensing board.  For general information about professional licensure, please review the Online Programs & Professional Licensure Page. If you have professional licensing questions regarding licensure relative to one of our online programs, please read our Professional Licensure Disclosure and then fill out the Professional Licensure Inquiry Form. If you have other questions regarding licensure, please email professional licensure.

There is a fee for each online course ranging from $ 30 – 100 depending if the course has a clinical component. Validation Credit Fees are a one-time fee of approximately $800

The RN-BSN Program provides you with opportunities to:

  • Improve your nursing practice as a BSN nurse
  • Climb the career ladder at your health care agency
  • Pursue advanced degrees in nursing, i.e., MSN, DNP, PhD
  • Become a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, a Nurse Executive, a Nursing Faculty Member

Yes. At Southern Miss, 34 credits (called ‘validation credits’) are given to RN-BSN students as a way of respecting the previous nursing course work already taken in your associate degree in nursing (A.D.N). You will register for these validation credits during your program of study.

  • Spring Semester (Application Deadline: January 2nd)
  • Summer Semester (Application Deadline: April 1st)
  • Fall Semester (Application Deadline: June 1st)

Yes. All prerequisites must be completed before starting the program. However, at the time of application, only two of the three natural sciences must be completed.

No.

No. As long as the prerequisite courses were completed with a “C” or better, those courses will transfer.

Scholarships and financial aid are available: The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and the School of Nursing award several scholarships each year to students in the RN-BSN Program. A full range of financial assistance is available through the Southern Miss Office of Financial Aid. For more information about the Nursing Education Loan/Scholarship for RN to BSN (NELR) go to http://riseupms.com/state-aid/nelr . The deadline dates for this scholarship application are January 1 – March 31. Additional scholarships are available through The University of Southern Mississippi. For more information, contact your advisor.

For more information or for transcript evaluation before applying, call Southern Miss RN-BSN Advisor at 601-266-5454 or 228-865-4555.

To find pricing information, click here. For financial aid information, click here. For detailed tuition information, click here.

Other classes that aren’t listed may count towards your degree once your transcript has been evaluated and posted.

If yes, visit online.usm.edu/military for more information on how Southern Miss can serve you and your needs.   We will help you with funding and scholarship information, admissions and course enrollment.

No, online students pay resident tuition.

Yes, all courses in the program are available totally online; however, there are two clinical experiences that are completed in your health care agency or through community health services. Students are not required to visit campus for any in-class lectures.

Please visit our programs page here: https://online.usm.edu/programs/

If you still have questions, please visit our FAQ page, or take a moment to fill out our form at the bottom of the screen, and we will reach out to you!

Admission Requirements

CURRENT RN APPLICANTS (RN):

  • Graduated from an associate degree program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
  • Current unrestricted Mississippi RN license or current unrestricted multistate RN license from a compact state

APPLICANTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING (ADN) PROGRAM :

  • Maintains current enrollment and ‘eligible to progress’ status in an Associate Degree Nursing Program within the state of Mississippi.
  • Minimum 21 ACT score and minimum GPA 2.0 on prerequisite courses.

ALL RN-BSN APPLICANTS:

 

  • Earned at least a ‘C’ in each prerequisite course and at least a ‘C’ in each nursing course in the ADN program with a minimum nursing GPA of a 2.0 on a 4.0-point scale
  • May only repeat/retake one required science prerequisite course one time
  • May only repeat/retake one associate degree nursing (ADN) course one time
  • Successfully completed all prerequisite courses before beginning courses in the RN-BSN Program [At the time of application, two of the three natural sciences courses must be completed]
  • Proof of current CPR certification, physical exam, immunizations (MMR, TDAP, Hepatitis B, varicella vaccine or titer), TB skin test, criminal background check, & controlled substances drug screen before beginning the nursing program
  • Must be in good academic standing at all institutions (cannot be on probation, probation continued or suspension)

Pre-Admission Advisement

Call your RN-BSN adviser (601.266.5454) or (228.865.4555) for transcript evaluation before applying for admission to the RN-BSN program.

You will receive guidance about the following:

  • Which courses complete prerequisite requirements
  • Which courses you may still need to take
  • Online options for taking needed prerequisite courses
  • Financial aid and scholarships

What will you need to do to apply to Southern Miss and the RN-BSN program?

 

  • Submit applications to the following:
  1. The University of Southern Mississippi (Undergraduate Program)
  2. The RN-BSN program in the School of Professional Nursing Practice
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