Saint Louis University’s accelerated B.S.N. option (A.B.S.N.) is an intensive three-semester, 12-month Bachelor of Science in Nursing program designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another area of study. However, undergraduate students who have at least 77 credits may be eligible to apply for the junior-entry accelerated option.

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing created the accelerated B.S.N. program in 1971, which was the first and only program of its kind in the United States. The Valentine School of Nursing developed the program to specifically meet the growing demands of students who choose to pursue nursing after completing their undergraduate study. 

Saint Louis University’s Valentine School of Nursing offers students state-of-the-art classrooms and clinical labs, excellent clinical experiences in a wide variety of settings and a low student-to-faculty ratio for all clinical courses. The A.B.S.N. program begins once a year in May with a summer session and extends through two additional semesters. Course requirements total of 53 credits and include practice lab and clinical work. In 2019, our NCLEX pass rate was 94%. Students who are reviewing our ABSN program may also consider our direct entry 21-month accelerated M.S.N. program.

Due to the accelerated pace of the A.B.S.N. program, it is strongly recommended that students do not work while attending school.

Curriculum Overview

Our one-year bachelor of science in nursing program has the same outcomes as the traditional four-year option. It incorporates an integrated approach to learning, early synthesis and application of concepts and concentration on the nursing major. 

Careers

Nursing graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN, an exam that measures the competencies needed to perform as an effective entry-level nurse. The Valentine School of Nursing expects its graduates to be successfully hired after graduation or accepted into graduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our University’s and School’s mission and goals. While we do consider academic metrics we also look at applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the school’s learning environment and to the profession.

Licensure Disclosure

The curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Missouri.  Note that the Missouri Board of Nursing may impose additional requirements on candidates prior to granting a license; we encourage you to investigate these requirements.   The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing (TBVSON) has not determined whether the curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for nursing licensure in any other states or territories. We encourage you to investigate the requirements in your state or territory prior to accepting an offer of admission at TBVSON.

Students with a Non-Nursing Baccalaureate or Higher Degree

To be considered for admission, you must have completed a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or an international equivalent, with a grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.00 system in previous college work. All international coursework must be evaluated by an approved evaluation agency (WES or ECE).

Prior to beginning the program, you must also have successfully completed the following general requirements or comparable courses with a grade of "C" or higher from a regionally accredited university, college or community college:

• Chemistry (3 credits)
• Human Anatomy (3 credits)
• Human Physiology (3 credits)
• Microbiology (3 credits)
• Inferential and Descriptive Statistics (3 credits)
• Theology or Religion (3 credits)
• Ethics (3 credits)
• Human Growth and Development - Lifespan (3 credits)
• Social Behavioral Science (3 credits)

Contact slunurse@slu.edu for an unofficial transcript review.

Requirements for Undergraduate Non-Degreed Students (Junior Entry)

You must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.00 system in previous college work and at least 77 transferable credits from a regionally accredited university, college or community college (a maximum of 64 credits can be transferred from a community college.)

The 77 credits must include all courses necessary to meet Saint Louis University School of Nursing requirements. A minimum of 126 credits is required to graduate from the A.B.S.N. program. Prior to beginning the program, you must also have successfully completed the following general requirements or comparable courses with a grade of "C" or higher from a regionally accredited university, college or community college:

• Advanced Strategies of Rhetoric and Research (3 credits)
• Literature (3 credits)
• History (3 credits)
• Fine Arts (3 credits)
• Philosophy (3 credits)
• Theology (3 credits)
• General Psychology (3 credits)
• Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
• Chemistry (3 credits)*
• Human Anatomy (3 credits)*
• Human Physiology (3 credits)*
• Microbiology (3 credits)*
• Inferential and Descriptive Statistics (3 credits)
• Medical Ethics (3 credits)
• Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits)

* Laboratory components are not required for science courses. Transcripts are evaluated on an individual basis; however, it is recommended and may be required that all sciences are completed within the previous 10 years.

Per section 335.066 RSMo of the Missouri Nursing Practice Act: Completion of the nursing program does not guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination.

Application Process

Applying for the accelerated B.S.N. option requires careful planning to ensure that all admission requirements are met. You may experience a significant delay in processing if the application instructions are not followed exactly as listed. Although there is no official application deadline, we encourage you to complete the application process as soon as possible, as space is limited.

Please follow the four steps outlined below to apply:

Step 1 - Application
Complete the online transfer application.

Note: Current SLU junior entry applicants petitioning to transfer into the A.B.S.N. program should not submit a transfer application.  

Step 2 - Transcripts
Submit your official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended in sealed envelopes to: 

Saint Louis University Office of Admission
DuBourg Hall, Room 119
One North Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103

Current or past Saint Louis University students may not need to request an official transcript. Please note this when submitting your personal statement or contact Christina Butler at xtina.butler@slu.edu so your transcript can be added to your file.

If you have completed college credits outside of the U.S., you must submit an official evaluated transcript from an accredited credential evaluation service (WES or ECE).

Step 3 - Recommendation Forms
Submit two recommendation forms.  Have the letter writer send the letter of recommendation to Christina Butler at xtina.butler@slu.edu. The subject line should read, "Letter of Recommendation for (student's name)" and the letter should be included as an attachment.

Step 4 - Goal Statement
A goal statement that 1) describes your community service or life experiences that have prepared you for a career in nursing; and 2) outlines how your individual values and beliefs will help you contribute to the field of nursing.  The statement should be one-to-two pages and double spaced.  Email the personal statement to Christina Butler at xtina.butler@slu.edu. The subject line should read, "Personal Statement for (student's name)" and the document should be included as an attachment. If you are a junior-entry applicant, note it at the top of your personal statement.

Review Process

The application review process begins in October and applications are reviewed monthly until the program is full. Decisions for junior entry students begins in late-December/early-January, once your unofficial fall transcript is on file with Christina Butler at xtina.butler@slu.edu.

A review of your official transcripts will be conducted when every item above has been received. Notification of your eligibility for consideration for admission to the accelerated BSN program will be sent to you from the Valentine School of Nursing's Office of Baccalaureate Admissions. This correspondence will include a list of any required course prerequisites that you must complete prior to full admission to the accelerated option.

For more information, contact slunurse@slu.edu.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at https://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

1. Graduates will be able to relate to people as unique individuals possessing worth, dignity, and potential for self-actualization.
2. Graduates will be able to synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from the humanities and natural, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences to provide safe, effective nursing care.
3. Graduates will be able to establish relationships based on understanding of self and others, and of interpersonal and group dynamics.
4. Graduates will be able to practice in a variety of settings with clients of all ages and diverse sociocultural backgrounds.
5. Graduates will be able to utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills, in application of the nursing process, to achieve optimal client adaptation.
6. Graduates will be able to assist clients, at any point on the health-illness continuum, to mobilize and use adaptive resources for promotion, maintenance and restoration of health.
7. Graduates will be able to collaborate with interprofessional colleagues, community representatives, and consumers to enhance health care.
8. Graduates will be able to apply evidence-based knowledge as the basis for safe, effective nursing practice.
9. Graduates will be able to apply the professional code of ethics and professional standards to clinical practice.
10. Graduates will be able to demonstrate personal and professional responsibility, accountability, and self-direction.
11. Graduates will be able to demonstrate leadership principles in professional and interprofessional practice.
12. Graduates will be able to demonstrate understanding of health care policy issues, trends and strategies as they influence accessibility, accountability and affordability in health care delivery.
13. Graduates will be able to utilize appropriate information and healthcare technologies to enhance the delivery of client care.

Continuation Standards

The Valentine School of Nursing requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Program Notes

The ABSN program begins in the summer term. With the exception of NURS 2500 Clinical Concepts in Nursing Practice (3 cr), NURS 3200 Health Assessment (0,3 cr), NURS 3330 Pharmacotherapeutics for Nursing Care (3 cr), NURS 3360 Pathophysiology (4 cr), NURS 3435 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing (0,4 cr) and NURS 3445 Public Health Nursing (0,4 cr), courses are offered only once per year.

Second Degree Students

Previous completion of a prior baccalaureate or higher degree at a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university, or an internationally equivalent degree, GPA 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 system in previous college work, completion of the following pre-requisite courses:

• Chemistry (3 credits)
• Human anatomy and physiology (6-8 credits)
• Microbiology (3 credits)
• Theology (3 credits)
• Ethics (3 credits)
• Human growth and development (3 credits)
• Social behavior science (3 credits)
• Inferential and descriptive statistics (3 credits)

Undergraduate Non-Degreed Students (Junior Entry)

Completion of at 77 transferrable credits from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university or community college (a maximum of 64 credits can transferred from a community college) with a GPA of 3.20 on a 4.00 system in previous college work, completion of the following pre-requisite courses:

• Advanced strategies of rhetoric and research (3 credits)
• Literature (3 credits),
• Fine arts (3 credits),
• Philosophy (3 credits),
• Theology (3 credits),
• Ethics (3 credits),
• General psychology (3 credits)
• Into to sociology (3 credits)
• Chemistry (3 credits)
• Human anatomy and physiology (6-8 credits)
• Microbiology (3 credits human growth and development (3 credits)
• Inferential and descriptive statistics (3 credits)

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions please contact,
Emily Boyd 
Retention Specialist
SLU Valentine School of Nursing
314-977-8995
slunurse@slu.edu