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RN to BSN Online

Prepare to be a leader among nurses with the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing online program. Enhance your decision-making and critical-thinking skills and learn to apply evidence-based data to strengthen your patient care.

Next Apply Date: 2/24/25
Next Class Start Date: 3/10/25
Apply Now
Next Apply Date: 2/24/25
Next Class Start Date: 3/10/25

Program Overview

Why consider the RN to BSN online program at A-State

The RN to BSN online degree program from Arkansas State University enables working nurses to advance their healthcare education and nursing career opportunities and be fully prepared for the complex challenges of a changing healthcare system.

Our experienced faculty ready registered nurses for BSN-prepared nursing management roles by emphasizing the development of leadership, communication, critical thinking and evidence-based practice skills. This program is also an excellent foundation for graduate studies in nursing. The 100% online coursework can be completed in as few as 12 months depending on the required support courses previously earned.

As an RN to BSN online student at A-State, you will learn from faculty who offer real-world insights and serve as experienced mentors. Plus, we offer a dedicated online services team as well as a highly qualified teaching assistant to answer your questions and equip you with the tools you need to succeed.

The university provides nursing professionals with a distinct pathway towards advanced degrees in the healthcare industry. At A-State, we maintain local relationships and partnerships with over 500 clinical sites, so we understand the real-world needs of the nursing community.

For state approvals, please consult the Program Map.

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Land these top jobs:

  • Nurse Unit Manager
  • Legal Nurse Consultant
  • School Nurse
  • Nurse Midwife
  • Acute Care Nurse
  • Military Nurse
Land these top jobs:+
  • Nurse Unit Manager
  • Legal Nurse Consultant
  • School Nurse
  • Nurse Midwife
  • Acute Care Nurse
  • Military Nurse

Our RN to BSN degree online can help you:

  • Deepen your clinical knowledge and hone your assessment skills to become a more well-rounded nurse and better patient advocate
  • Develop your nursing leadership and management skills
  • Enhance your decision-making and critical-thinking abilities
  • Be able to apply evidence-based data to strengthen and improve client care via comprehensive, efficient and cost-conscious measures
  • Broaden your career opportunities in work settings such as health systems, magnet hospitals, clinics, home health environments, schools, industries, and more
  • Be qualified to specialize in professional roles such as nurse unit manager, legal nurse consultant, school nurse, nurse midwife, acute care nurse or military nurse
Our RN to BSN degree online can help you:+
  • Deepen your clinical knowledge and hone your assessment skills to become a more well-rounded nurse and better patient advocate
  • Develop your nursing leadership and management skills
  • Enhance your decision-making and critical-thinking abilities
  • Be able to apply evidence-based data to strengthen and improve client care via comprehensive, efficient and cost-conscious measures
  • Broaden your career opportunities in work settings such as health systems, magnet hospitals, clinics, home health environments, schools, industries, and more
  • Be qualified to specialize in professional roles such as nurse unit manager, legal nurse consultant, school nurse, nurse midwife, acute care nurse or military nurse

Also available:

A-State offers a variety of undergraduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online undergraduate programs.

Total Tuition*: $8,460
Program Duration**: As few as 12 months
Credit Hours1 30

Accreditation

Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 866-621-8096

Call 866-621-8096

Learn more about what it's like to do your nursing degree online.

ADVANCE YOUR NURSING CAREER WITH AN RN TO BSN ONLINE!

DISCOVER ALL THE REASONS A-STATE IS A GREAT FIT FOR WORKING NURSES!

Tuition

Find out how and when to pay your tuition

Our RN to BSN online program offers the same affordable tuition to all U.S. residents. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.

Tuition breakdown:

Total Tuition*: $8,460
Per Credit Hour: $282

Calendar

Upcoming dates and deadlines for our online RN to BSN program

Our RN to BSN is a flexible online program featuring accelerated courses and multiple start dates per year.

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Spring 11/13/2512/16/2412/18/241/2/251/10/252/28/25
Spring 23/10/252/24/252/24/252/28/253/7/255/2/25

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date 2/24/25
Start Class 3/10/25

Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?

Apply Now

Admissions

Read the details of our admission criteria

A-State Online offers a streamlined admission process for both new students and transfers. Students who are interested in the RN to BSN online program should review and follow the requirements for admission below.

Admission Requirements:

  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license
View all admission requirements +

  • Complete online application and submit application fee.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above. If a student has a 2.40 – 2.499 the GPA may be calculated on nursing courses only. If the GPA on the nursing courses is 3.0 or above, the student is eligible for admission into the RN-to-BSN program. Students who do not have the required GPA and who lack pre-requisite courses are encouraged to take the pre-requisite courses and use those courses to bring up their GPA.
  • Proof of valid, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in the state of residency.
    • Students enrolled in their graduating semester of an associate degree program may be conditionally accepted and are able to take courses for one semester while completing RN licensure requirements. Proof of pending graduation required.
    • Graduates from an associate degree RN program may be conditionally accepted and are able to take courses for one semester following graduation while completing RN licensure requirements.

Transfer Guidelines

Students who have attended any other institution of higher education must meet the following requirements.

For students who have:

  • 13 - 23 college hours: Have a minimum of 2.0 grade point average on cumulative transcripts and official test scores.
  • 24 or more college hours: Have a minimum of 2.0 grade point average on cumulative transcripts.

​English Proficiency Requirements

This program requires a high level of English proficiency to meet academic and clinical objectives, along with meeting the criteria for licensure. You may be required to provide proof of English proficiency per A-State School of Nursing English Proficiency Standards. Additionally, if you’ve ever attended a professional program in the past, you may be required to provide a letter of good standing.

Meeting the admissions requirements does not guarantee admission. Students will be admitted based on space availability.

International Students

Students from non-English speaking countries or for whom English is not a native language must take one of the following tests:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 83 on the preferred internet-based test (iBT), 570 on the paper-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of at least 6.5 and a spoken band score of 7
  • Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) with a score of 56

    • Document Submission Address

    Submit all documents to:

    A-State Online
    P.O. Box 2520
    State University, AR 72467

    Fax: 870-972-3548
    Email: [email protected]

    For Non-US Postal Mail Overnight Delivery Only:

    A-State Online
    c/o Central Receiving
    2713 Pawnee St.
    Jonesboro, AR 72401

    CPR Certification

    Students entering the Nursing Programs are required to have completed a Health Care Provider Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation course (i.e., adult, infant, and child with AED). This course may be obtained at the local Red Cross, American Heart Association, or an approved facility. A card or letter demonstrating completion of the course must be presented. Annual proof of continued certification for the entire academic year is required. It is the students' responsibility to maintain current CPR certification.

    Work Experience Requirements

    • Must have completed 1000 hours of work as a RN prior to enrolling in NRSP 4793: RN to BSN Capstone. Applicants should contact Nichol Tate, RN to BSN Advisor at [email protected] with any questions. Documentation of Work Experience form (.pdf)
    • On admission and throughout the RN-BSN program, the registered nurse must maintain an unencumbered nursing license, CPR certification, and an acceptable immunization status.
    • Proof of liability insurance (Must be individual policy bearing student's name; minimum: $1,000,000/$6,000,000 coverage) will be obtained as a course assignment and is to remain in effect through the capstone course.
    • All documentation required by the School of Nursing must be kept current at all times during the course of the program and may be authenticated at any time during the program.
    • A-State will accept diploma nurses.

    A-State is ranked #3 among the "5 best RN to BSN programs in Arkansas (online and campus)" according to www.nursingprocess.org, 2024

    State Board of Nursing Approved

    The RN to BSN online program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

    Courses

    Advance your knowledge in these RN to BSN online classes

    A total of 121 credit hours is required to complete this BSN degree. The site-based project hours must also be done in a state in which Arkansas State has State Operating Authority. Please consult the Program Map for state approvals.

    The RN to BSN online course work consists of 8 core courses (24 hours) and two upper level nursing electives (6 hours). You must also complete required support courses (11 hours). In addition, you will receive credit for your nursing license (45 hours). Credit to your transcript for these hours is given in your graduating semester, once you have filed your intent to graduate.

    The remaining hours are comprised of 35 credit hours of general education courses. Fourteen (14) of the 35 credit hours include requirements of 4 hours of physical science, 4 hours of life science, 3 hours of Sociology and 3 hours of Psychology as detailed below.

    General education requirements may be transferred in, based on a transcript review and individual advising. General education courses needed may be completed online and concurrently with the nursing courses.

    Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.

    Expand All

    These 24 hours of core nursing courses are required.

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Explores the nurse’s role in the research process and provides the skills needed to evaluate the evidence and use research findings. Introduces professional writing styles and requires the application of a selected style in the preparation of various projects.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    An overview of the specific disruptions of normal physiology, mechanisms involved, disease manifestations and the therapeutic principles underlying treatment. Provides a link between the basic biological sciences and their clinical application.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Introduction to the importance of healthcare policy and its influence on nursing practice while examining the nurse’s role in developing, implementing and improving health policy at all levels.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course examines the history of healthcare informatics, current issues, basic informatics concepts, and health information management systems. Students will apply informatics concepts to current clinical practice settings suggesting methods to use technology to improve patient safety and work effectiveness.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Managerial and leadership aspects of the nurse manager in various healthcare environments are discussed.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Concepts of professional nursing practice expanded to the care of families and groups of clients in the community setting. Focuses also on change theory, group process strategies and professional and health care issues.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Concepts of professional RN-BSN socialization, accountability, advocacy, issues and trends which affect the role of the nurse are analyzed and discussed.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Application of baccalaureate level nursing knowledge and skills in problem identification, analysis, synthesis, plan implementation, and evaluation in a specific area of clinical interest as a transition to the graduate level advanced practice role.

    You are required to take 11 credit hours of support courses, including 8 credit hours of Anatomy and Physiology and 3 credit hours of Statistics from the three courses listed here if you have not already taken a Statistics course (2000 level or higher):

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 1
    The behavior of matter with respect to life processes, cells, tissues, functional anatomy of integumentary, skeletal, muscular and nervous systems, cat anatomy, nerve and muscle preparations and recordings. It is recommended this course be taken concurrently with BIO 2203.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Introduction to the biology of atoms, molecules, organelles and cellular functions, tissues, functional anatomy of integumentary, skeletal, muscular and central nervous systems, interaction with external environment.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 1
    Major sense organs, autonomic nervous system and internal environment, neuroendocrine control mechanisms, respiratory and cardiovascular functions, oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, liver functions, digestive, renal and reproductive processes. It is recommended this course be taken concurrently with BIO 2223.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Major sense organs, autonomic nervous system and internal environment, neuroendocrine control mechanisms, respiratory and cardiovascular functions, oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, liver functions, digestive, renal and reproductive processes. It is recommended this course be taken concurrently with BIO 2221.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Central concepts and techniques of conducting descriptive and inferential analysis employed in quantitative investigation to understand social processes and phenomena.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    For students in a variety of disciplines including the sciences, allied health fields, and education. Descriptive statistics for quantitative and qualitative data, normal distributions, correlation, linear regression, sample surveys, randomized comparative experiments, sampling distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing for means and proportions.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Basic concepts and methods of statistics in a technical environment, including descriptive statistics, significant tests, estimation, sampling and correlation.

    You are required to take two 3 credit-hour upper level nursing electives (6 credit hours). You may select from these courses:

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Self-assessment of awareness, knowledge, sensitivity and acceptance of the importance of cultural issues in a culturally diverse health care environment, definition and components of culture, cultural values, cultural competence, health and healing traditions, transcultural communication, fostering cultural competence in colleagues.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    xxxx
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    xxx
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    xxxx

    General Education courses (35 total credit hours) are required, and can be taken as co-requisites with the nursing courses as needed to fulfill the degree requirements.

    Required General Education Co-Requisites: 

    You are required to take 14 credit hours from the following courses that include 4 hours of physical science (you may choose between Chemistry courses and labs), 4 hours of life science, 3 hours of Psychology and 3 hours of Sociology:

    CHEM 1013
    CHEM 1011
    CHEM 1043
    CHEM 1041
    BIO 2103
    BIO 2101
    PSY 2013
    SOC 2213

    Other General Education Co-Requisites (as required to complete your degree):

    Communication Requirement (6 hours)
    ENG 1003
    ENG 1013

    Mathematics Requirement (3 hours)
    MATH 1043

    Arts and Humanities Requirement (9 hours)
    You must complete 9 credit hours from this section. At least one course must be selected from MUS 2503, THEA 2503, or ART 2503, and at least one course must be selected from ENG 2003, ENG 2013, or PHIL 1103.

    Social Sciences Requirement (3 hours)
    You must complete 3 credit hours of Social Science, selected from HIST 2763, HIST 2773, or POSC 2103.

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Introduction to visual art for all students regardless of background or experience. Students learn how to develop cognitive and experiential responses to works of art. This course is for non-art majors and does not meet general education requirements for any degree in Art. Fall, Spring, Summer.
    Duration: Varies weeks
    Credit Hours: 1
    Two hours per week. It is recommended this course be taken concurrently with BIO 2103. Special course fee: $10.00. Fall, Spring, Summer.
    Duration: Varies weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course examines bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, chlamydiae, molds, yeasts, and protozoans as they relate to human health. Lecture three hours per week. Special course fees may apply. Fall, Spring, Summer.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 1
    Introduction and development of hands-on techniques essential to the use of fundamental equipment and glassware common in all laboratory based sub-fields of chemistry. Computer-based graphical and statistical analysis of data. Prerequisite or corequisite, CHEM 1013.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Study of chemical reactions and equations, periodic relationships, the gaseous state, and the fundamentals of atomic theory, quantum theory, electronic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry and thermochemistry. Special course fees may apply. Prerequisite, MATH 1023 or ACT composite score of 23 or higher. Prior completion of CHEM 1003 or high school chemistry strongly recommended.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 1
    Special course fees apply. Prerequisite or co-requisite of CHEM 1043. Fall only.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    An introduction to selected fundamental concepts including dimensional analysis, mole concept, atomic and molecular structure, nomenclature, chemical reactions, thermochemistry, intermolecular interactions, gases, mixtures, kinetics, equilibrium and acid base chemistry. Fall only.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Study and practice of fundamentals of written communication, including principles of grammar, punctuation, spelling, organization, and careful analytical reading. Prerequisite, with grade of C or better, for ENG 1013.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Continues the practice of ENG 1003 to develop further the skills learned in that course. Based on reading and discussion of various types of writing, the students’ essays will provide practice in different kinds of rhetorical development, including research and documentation.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Introduction to the analysis and interpretation of literary works from several historical periods ranging from early civilizations through the Renaissance.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Introduction to the analysis and interpretation of literary works from several historical periods ranging from the Renaissance to the present.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    United States history. Social, economic, and political developments from Columbus to the end of Reconstruction.
    Duration: Varies Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    The social, economic and political developments Social, economic, and political developments from Reconstruction to the present. Fall, Spring, Summer.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Quantitative Reasoning Quantitative reasoning as the approach to understanding relationships using mathematical and algebraic methodologies. Contemporary topics will be used to identify, analyze, generalize, and communicate quantitative relationships.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course is an introduction to music for the listener who has had no formal training or experience. By exploring the history of Western Art music, learners will begin to connect the development of music with the changing of society and culture.
    Duration: Varies Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Basic problems of philosophy based upon readings in the works of selected leading philosophers. A prerequisite for upper level philosophy. Fall, Spring.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    American politics. The constitution, government, and politics of the United States.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Study of the important scientific, principles of individual human behavior from biological, cognitive, social, and behavioral perspectives.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Human society and social behavior.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Provides students with an appreciation of how various artistic elements combine to produce theatrical productions. Fall, Spring, Summer.

    *Total tuition for nursing core only. If additional courses are needed for program completion, total tuition may vary.

    **Taking back-to-back seven-week courses without interruption, nursing courses only.

    †A total of 121 credit hours is required for this baccalaureate degree. The number of credit hours each student must earn to satisfy the requirement may vary based upon university evaluation.

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