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Kent State University nursing students receive hands-on learning experience by practicing on a simulator.

Nursing for Registered Nurses Online - B.S.N.

Advance your nursing career with the Kent State's RN-to-B.S.N. program. Our program is designed to help you build on your nursing experience and earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, opening doors to a wider range of career opportunities.

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Program Information for Nursing for Registered Nurses Online - B.S.N.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in Nursing for Registered Nurses is for registered nurses (RN) with a diploma or associate degree who are seeking an accredited bachelor’s degree in nursing. The completer program is offered fully online for part- and full-time students. Expert faculty and administrators work closely with students to equip them to meet the future challenges of professional nursing and influence the future of health care.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy for more information.

Admissions for Nursing for Registered Nurses Online - B.S.N.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

Admission to the Nursing for Registered Nurses major is selective. Criteria for admission includes the following:

  • Evidence of admission in good standing from a state-approved associate degree or diploma nursing program
  • Minimum 2.000 overall GPA on a 4.000-point scale

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Acquire competencies based on professional standards to assume the role of the professional nurse and for career advancement, including graduate studies.
  2. Apply the nursing process in providing evidence-based, culturally sensitive care to promote health and adaptation of individuals, families, groups and communities.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Prerequisite Requirements (min C graded required in all courses)
BSCI 20021BASIC MICROBIOLOGY 3-4
or BSCI 30171 GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY
BSCI 21010ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB) 14
BSCI 21020ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II 14
CHEM 10050FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY (KBS) 3-4
or CHEM 10055 MOLECULES OF LIFE (KBS)
or CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS)
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA; minimum C grade required in all courses)
BSCI 30050HUMAN GENETICS 3
or BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS
NURS 40075INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS 23
NURS 40873INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE FOR REGISTERED NURSES 33
NURS 41000CONCEPTS AND ISSUES FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 3
NURS 42000LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 43
NURS 43001HEALTH PROMOTION IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (ELR) 3
NURS 44001POPULATION-BASED NURSING FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (DIVG) 3
NURS 45000HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 3
NURS 46000HEALTH CARE POLICY 53
NURS 47000CAPSTONE CLINICAL FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (WIC) 63
or NURS 47099 CAPSTONE FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC)
NUTR 23511SCIENCE OF HUMAN NUTRITION (KBS) 3
Nursing Upper-Division Elective, choose from the following: 73
NURS 35020
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING AND HEALTH CARE
NURS 35040
COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
NURS 35070
NURSING ETHICS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
NURS 35075
INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC NURSING
NURS 35080
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN NURSING PRACTICE AND HEALTH CARE
NURS 45050
LEGAL ISSUES FOR NURSES
Statistics Elective, choose from the following:3-4
MATH 10041
INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS (KMCR)
NURS 31010
APPLICATIONS FOR STATISTICAL FINDINGS FOR EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
PH 30002
INTRODUCTORY BIOSTATISTICS
PSYC 21621
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
PSYC 11762GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
SOC 12050INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (min C grade)3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Kent Core Additional3
Associate Degree Courses and General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)39
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

Students who have successfully completed ATTR 25057 (or EXSC 25057) and ATTR 25058 (or EXSC 25058) or BSCI 11010 and BSCI 11020 with a minimum C grade may use those courses in place of BSCI 21010 and BSCI 21020.

2

Students admitted to the B.S.N./M.S.N. combined degree program may substitute NURS 60010 for NURS 40075.

3

Students admitted to the B.S.N./M.S.N. combined degree program may substitute NURS 60403 for NURS 40873.

4

Students admitted to the B.S.N./M.S.N. combined degree program may substitute NURS 60014 for NURS 42000.

5

Students admitted to the B.S.N./M.S.N. combined degree program may substitute NURS 60025 for NURS 46000.

6

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

7

Students admitted to the B.S.N./M.S.N. combined degree program may substitute NURS 60016, NURS 60020 or NURS 60101 for the Nursing Upper-Division Elective.

Progression Requirements

To be eligible to register for nursing (NURS) courses, students must have successfully completed:

  • Active, unrestricted registered nurse (RN) license in the state in which practica will be completed
  • Completion of required science courses or their direct equivalents with an overall 2.0 GPA
    • Anatomy and Physiology: BSCI 21010 and BSCI 21020
  • Chemistry: CHEM 10050 or CHEM 10055 or CHEM 10060
  • Microbiology: BSCI 20021
  • All Kent Core requirements
  • Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning course with minimum C grade
  • BSCI 30050 or BSCI 30156 (or equivalent) with minimum C grade
  • The following courses (or their equivalents): NUTR 23511; PSYC 11762; SOC 12050; and MATH 10041 (or NURS 31010 or PH 30002 or PSYC 21621)

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester PrerequisiteCredits
BSCI 20021
or BSCI 30171
 BASIC MICROBIOLOGY
or GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY
3-4
BSCI 21010 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB) 4
BSCI 21020 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II 4
CHEM 10050
or CHEM 10055
or CHEM 10060
 FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY (KBS)
or MOLECULES OF LIFE (KBS)
or GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS)
3-4
Associate Degree Courses 33
 Credit Hours47
Semester One
PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
SOC 12050 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours13
Semester Two
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
BSCI 30050
or BSCI 30156
 HUMAN GENETICS
or ELEMENTS OF GENETICS
3
NUTR 23511 SCIENCE OF HUMAN NUTRITION (KBS) 3
Statistics Elective 3-4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours12
Semester Four
NURS 40075 INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS 3
NURS 41000 CONCEPTS AND ISSUES FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 3
NURS 42000 LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 3
NURS 43001 HEALTH PROMOTION IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (ELR) 3
 Credit Hours12
Semester Five
NURS 44001 POPULATION-BASED NURSING FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (DIVG) 3
NURS 45000 HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE 3
NURS 46000 HEALTH CARE POLICY 3
Nursing Upper-Division Elective 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
NURS 40873 INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE FOR REGISTERED NURSES 3
NURS 47000
or NURS 47099
 CAPSTONE CLINICAL FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (WIC)
or CAPSTONE FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC)
3
 Credit Hours6
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • Fully online

Accreditation for Nursing for Registered Nurses Online - B.S.N.

Accreditation

The B.S.N. degree Nursing for Registered Nurses at Kent State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program Options

RN to BSN students may apply early to pursue either a Health Informatics focus or a Master's in Nursing focus that allows them to take up to three graduate-level courses (9 credits) that substitute for courses in their BSN program. Advisors can help students make the appropriate substitutions.

 

Master's Degree In Science-Health Informatics

  • Health Informatics Focus as Part of BSN: If Nursing is your primary career and you would like to add a few courses in health informatics (HI) to enhance your skills and differentiate you from other job candidates, following the health informatics focus as part of your BSN by using the three HI courses (9 credits) listed below as substituting for other courses under the guidance of your advisor.
  • Combined Bachelor's/Graduate Certificate: If you are pursuing a Nursing career but would like an option to apply for and change your career path to more health informatics-focused positions, the Combined Bachelor’s/Graduate Certificate option is the choice for you. This option involves applying for the Online Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics (18 credits) and using 9 credits from the certificate towards your BSN degree.
  • Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree: If you know that you would like to switch your career path to health informatics, the Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree option is the choice for you. This option involves applying for the Master of Science in Health Informatics (36 credits) and sharing 9 credits between the BSN and MS by applying three graduate-level courses (9 credits) in HI to the BSN program requirements.

These three graduate-level courses can count towards BSN program requirements.

  • HI 60401-HEALTH INFORMATICS MANAGEMENT (NURS 40075 - INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS)
  • HI 60403-HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS (NURSING UPPER DIVISION ELECTIVE)
  • HI 60412-CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT (NURSING UPPER DIVISION ELECTIVE)

*Additional health informatics courses are available and may be substituted with approval from and in consultation with the student’s undergraduate advisor. You can find the full list of available courses in the catalog.

Interested students should contact their advisor to discuss which options would be the best fit for their career goals.

 

Master's Degree In Nursing

Kent State's Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program prepares registered nurses for roles in advanced practice, education, and health care administration. Students in this program develop a foundation for further post-graduate and doctoral-level study in nursing.

The MSN major comprises the following concentrations:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Administration & Health Systems Leadership
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

RN to BSN students, regardless of which option they choose to pursue, can count up to three (9 credits total) of the following graduate-level courses towards their BSN program requirements:

  • NURS 60010- ADVANCED NURSING INFORMATICS (NURS 40075- INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS)
  • NURS 60025-HEALTH POLICY AND ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE (NURS 46000-HEALTH CARE POLICY)
  • NURS 60403-METHODS OF INQUIRY (NURS 40873-INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE FOR REGISTERED NURSES)
  • NURS 60101-THEORETICAL BASIS FOR NURSING PRACTICE (NURSING UPPER DIVISION ELECTIVE)

The following courses are only for the Nursing Administration & Health Systems Leadership concentration, plus one additional previously listed course (limit of 9 credits total):

  • NURS 60014-LEADERSHIP IN NURSING AND HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT (NURS 42000- LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE)
  • NURS 60020- LEGAL AND REGULATORY MANAGEMENT FOR NURSE ADMINISTRATORS (NURS 45050- LEGAL ISSUES FOR NURSES, NURSING UPPER DIVISION ELECTIVE)

Interested students should contact their advisor to discuss which options would be the best fit for their career goals.

Learn more about combined bachelor's/master's programs

Preliminary Transfer Evaluation Request

If you are interested in the 100% online program but would like to know what course credit will transfer to Kent State, the RN-to-BSN office would be happy to take a look at your transcripts and do a preliminary evaluation for you. Please note that this is a preliminary evaluation, not an official evaluation. When you go through the application process the Transfer Center has the final say as to which courses count for credit and which do not. The preliminary evaluation is just an estimate to give you a better idea of what you need for degree completion. Unless you are a previous Kent State student, a preliminary evaluation can only be done prior to application. (Preliminary evaluations are not really necessary for previous KSU students as we have your courses on record, unless you have gone elsewhere after attending Kent State)  

Prospective RN-to-BSN nursing students who wish to have their transcripts evaluated should complete the Transfer Evaluation Request form found at this link and upload unofficial copies of all transcripts from previous institutions (Kent State graduates post-1988 do not need to submit their Kent State transcript) to the form. 

Transcripts become official property of the College of Nursing and cannot be returned or forwarded to other Kent State University departments so do not send us your official transcripts.  The College of Nursing will complete a transcript evaluation for only those courses which are relevant and required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum. You will receive an Evaluation Report in 2-4 weeks by email.

When Can I Start?

Classes start every 6 weeks.

TermApplication DeadlineRe-enrollment DeadlineClasses Start
Fall I 2025July 25, 2025August 8, 2025August 18, 2025
Fall II 2025Sept. 26, 2025Oct. 10, 2025Oct. 22, 2025
Spring I 2026Dec. 11, 2025Jan. 6, 2026Jan. 12, 2026
Spring II 2026Feb. 26, 2026March 12, 2026March 22, 2026
Summer I 2026May 1, 2026May 8, 2026May 18, 2026
Summer II 2026June 5, 2026June 22, 2026June 28, 2026
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Courses are 100% online – students are never required to come to campus.

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Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Nursing for Registered Nurses Online - B.S.N.

Registered nurses

7.2%

faster than the average

3,096,700

number of jobs

$75,330

potential earnings

Teaching assistants, postsecondary

3.4%

about as fast as the average

169,600

number of jobs

$36,250

potential earnings

Additional Careers
  • Entry-level management
Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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