Bridge programs allow registered nurses to pursue licensure as advanced nurses.
Registered nurses (RNs) with an associate nursing degree or diploma can pursue higher education and licensure as an advanced practice nurse, such as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, through a bridge program. While some programs confer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree after completion of the undergraduate coursework, all students receive a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree at the end of the accelerated curriculum.
University of South Alabama
The RN to MSN bridge program at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing admits students twice a year, in the spring and fall. Students in the program typically earn their MSN within six to eight semesters. Admission requirements include a current RN license and satisfactory completion of 19 prerequisite courses dispersed among subjects in written communication, history, social science, natural science, and humanities and fine arts, with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Upon admission, students must submit to a criminal background check and a drug test. Students receive a BSN at the end of the third semester and an MSN at the end of the seventh semester with clinical nurse leader certification.
University of South Alabama
307 University Blvd.
Mobile, AL 36688
251-460-6101
southalabama.edu
Western University of Health Sciences
The RN to MSN program at Western University of Health Sciences allows students to choose from three specializations: clinical nurse leader, leadership and management, and ambulatory care. Regardless of the chosen track, students have to attend on-campus meetings only two weekends per semester; the majority of the curriculum is conducted online. To be accepted to the program, applicants must have an associate degree in nursing, one year of registered nursing experience, and college-level prerequisite courses in English composition, social sciences, psychology, nutrition, anatomy and physiology with lab, microbiology with lab, and statistics. Applications are due in March for matriculation in the fall of the same year, and the MSN is awarded after six semesters.
Western University of Health Sciences
309 E. 2nd St.
Pomona, CA 91766
909-623-6116
westernu.edu
Fairleigh Dickinson University
The graduate nursing program at Fairleigh Dickinson University conducts an RN to BSN to MSN program in which students can enroll at any point during the year. Prerequisites include high-school level English, chemistry with lab, biology with lab, history and college-preparatory math; additional courses in physics and a foreign language are recommended. Other requirements include an associate degree or diploma from an accredited nursing program and a minimum score of 1000 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Students can choose between full-time classes, which requires classroom attendance only one day per week, or part-time classes in the evening. After receiving a BSN, students then matriculate into the master's portion of the program and choose from any of the eight clinical or nonclinical specialty tracks.
Fairleigh Dickinson University
1000 River Rd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-692-2000
fdu.edu
