Our unique four-quarter (autumn to summer, or spring to winter) full-time program is designed for students who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, self-reflective, and strongly committed. A solid foundation of science and humanities prerequisite coursework sets you up for success in our program.
The Accelerated BSN program includes:

• Coursework focused steeped in critical thinking, care and therapeutics, and health care resources.
• In-person lectures with experienced nurse practitioners and researchers
• Clinical simulation exercises in our state-of-the-art Learning Lab, and
• Supervised direct patient care in the field.

View Sample Spring Curriculum
View Sample Autumn Curriculum

1. 1. Apply leadership concepts, including highly effective communication to manage highly complex situations and facilitate clinical decision making that leads to the delivery of safe and effective nursing care for patients and their families.
   2. Appraise, summarize, and translate current evidence, knowledge, processes, and the principles of patient safety to facilitate quality improvement and skillfully apply them, bridging the experience of learning nursing science to engaging in nursing practice.
   3. Understand social determinants of health and the impact of proximity and positioning regarding economic, legal, and education policy development, a myriad of political and socio-cultural experiences, community settings, particularly communities that have been historically disrupted, underserved, and access to critical information on research regarding disparate health outcomes within their cultural community.
   4. Deliver and advocate for health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the individual, family, community, and population levels.
   5. Demonstrate value-based professional behaviors that integrate compassion, autonomy, integrity, social justice, ethics, and respect for diversity and human dignity.
   6. Understand and interrogate the dynamics of power in patient-provider interactions and demonstrate the psychomotor skills necessary to interrupt any implicit and explicit bias as a function of anti-racism principles in action, all of which promote health equity.

The primary difference between the ABSN and BSN programs is that you must have a completed bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field before enrolling in the ABSN program.

Otherwise, choosing between the Accelerated BSN program and regular BSN program is a personal decision. For some students, being able to earn their degree faster is worth the higher cost of the ABSN program. Other students prefer the pace and cost of the BSN program. There is no difference between the programs regarding the courses you complete or the degree you earn.

Our fast-track Accelerated BSN program offers the opportunity to apply early and get an admissions decision for our Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse-Midwifery (DNP-NM) track. If accepted, you’ll start your graduate studies in the autumn quarter right after finishing the four-quarter ABSN program.

Keep in mind that both programs are full-time, and admissions for either the ABSN or DNP cannot be deferred or transferred.

Program Advantages:

• Early admission decision for your graduate studies
• Clear focus on your nursing path during your undergraduate program
• Ideal for those transitioning into a nursing career
• A seamless transition from undergraduate to graduate studies, if accepted into both programs

To apply, you will submit an ABSN and DNP application by the posted deadline. In your ABSN application, there is a place to indicate you want to be considered for the Nurse-Midwifery track.

• A baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field OR enough time to complete a bachelor’s degree in time to start the program
• A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 for all completed college-level coursework
  • At the time you submit your application, at least three of the Natural Sciences (NSc) prerequisite courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in each course
  • A minimum grade of 3.0 (“B”) in each ABSN prerequisite course, including all Natural Sciences courses, Lifespan Growth & Development, and Statistics
  • There is no expiration date for prerequisite courses; however, you may wish to re-take a course if you feel you need a refresher
• At the time you submit your application, completion of a minimum of 100 hours of paid or volunteer health care experience in one setting within a three-month span, completed within 12 months before applying
• A clear understanding of the Registered Nurse (RN) role
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Meet Essential Qualifications for ABSN students

If you do not meet the minimum requirements above, you should not submit an application at this time.

You must also apply to the UW as a post-baccalaureate student for spring or fall quarter; this is a separate process from School of Nursing admission. Admission to the School of Nursing does not guarantee admission to the UW.

If you have completed some or all of your coursework outside of the United States, visit our International Applicants page for additional application guidelines.

• ABSN prerequisite worksheet
• ABSN Natural Sciences GPA Worksheet
• Evaluate your transcripts
• Healthcare experience