About the Degree

Prepare for whatever’s next

Whether you want to increase your salary, move into management, or earn an advanced degree and teach, getting your BSN is a smart move.

When you graduate, you’ll be prepared to practice in acute and long-term care, home care, community settings, and nontraditional settings. You’ll also have the foundation you need to pursue leadership positions or graduate study.

How it works

To be admitted to the RN to BSN Degree Completion Option, you must:

  • Have a two-year associate degree in nursing or a nursing diploma
  • Hold an unencumbered RN license in the state in which you are practicing and/or plan to meet your practicum requirements
  • Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from your ASN or diploma program
  • Nine credit hours of general education courses may be taken with nursing coursework

Admission is not competitive, so if you meet the criteria, you will be accepted into the program right away. Before you begin classes, you must:

  • Comply with immunization, CPR certification, and health insurance coverage requirements
  • Complete a national criminal background check

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; you may apply at any time.

Learn how to apply
Campus of enrollment

The RN to BSN Degree Completion Option is offered through all IU campuses. During the application process, you will be assigned to a campus of enrollment. Your campus of enrollment will provide academic advising and technical support throughout working on the degree. Like your coursework, these services are provided entirely online, so you never have to come to campus.

Academic calendar

You can enter the degree in the fall semester, the spring semester, or the summer session. All RN to BSN nursing courses are available year-round.

View the academic calendar
A nurse in red scrubs leans over the edge of a crib to play with a baby.
Two nurses walk together outside a hospital.
A smiling nurse interacts with an elderly patient in a wheelchair.

Nursing coursework

The RN to BSN Degree Completion Option's contemporary curriculum reflects the competencies that nurses need to practice in today’s health care system. All courses are taught by the expert faculty who teach on IU’s campuses, so you can be assured that you’re learning from the best.   

Required nursing coursework consists of nine core courses and two electives. You may complete nine general education requirements with your nursing coursework.

You must take NURS-B 331 first and NURS-R 470 last. They are offered both terms.  All other nursing courses may be taken in any order you wish.

All courses are 3 credit hours each.

  • NURS-B 304 Health Policy
  • NURS-B 331 Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing Practice (offered both terms)
  • NURS-B 404 Informatics
  • NURS-H 355 Data Analysis in Clinical Practice and Health-Care Research
  • NURS-R 375 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
  • NURS-R 470 Capstone (offered both terms)
  • NURS-S 474 Applied Health-Care Ethics
  • NURS-S 475 A Multisystem Approach to the Health of the Community
  • NURS-S 487 Nursing Management

All courses are 3 credit hours each.

  • NURS-B 344 Comprehensive Nursing Health Assessment
  • NURS-B 403 Aging with Dignity
  • NURS-K 301 The Art and Science of Complementary Health
  • NURS-K 305 New Innovations in Health and Health Care
  • NURS-K 434 Current Trends in Global Health Nursing
  • NURS-K 499 Genes and Precision Health
  • NURS-P 345 Pharmacology for Professional Nursing Practice
  • NURS-S 410 Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response
  • NURS-S 420 Care Coordination in Transitions of Care
Sarah Truman

My evidence-based practice course taught me so much about critical thinking as a newer nurse.

Marques Rayford, IU RN to BSN online alumnus May 2022