Accelerated BSN

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Program Overview

The Mission of the College of Nursing at MSU is to enhance the health of the people of Montana, our nation, and the global community by providing leadership for professional nursing through excellence in education, research, practice, and service.
 
The Accelerated Undergraduate Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing (ABSN) at Montana State University is designed for interested applicants who have successfully completed a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in a discipline other than Nursing. The program is implemented on one of our four campus locations: Bozeman, Great Falls, Missoula, and Kalispell. The program begins in May every year, with program completion the following August (15 months). 
 
Students progress through the ABSN nursing curriculum in 4 intense terms (summer, fall, spring, and summer) graduating at the conclusion of the second summer term. See the ABSN handbook for a sample plan of study.
 
Upon graduation, ABSN students are qualified to sit for NCLEX-RN®, the national licensing examination to enter professional nursing practice as a registered nurse.
 
Our undergraduate program is recognized as being the leading producer of Baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurses in the state of Montana. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Montana State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

• If you are an LPN interested in the BSN option, please refer to the policy on advanced placement of LPNs (C#11). 
• If you are already a Registered Nurse with an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADRN), you may be interested in learning more about the ADRN to Master's option.
• If you are interested in speaking to someone about the ABSN, please email our ABSN Coordinator at [email protected].

ABSN Program Requirements and Application

Tuition and Fees 

1. Tuition costs are calculated on full credit load per semester.
2. Tuition tables can be found here: http://www.montana.edu/ubs/studentaccounts/
1. 1. 1. Far left- click on “Tuition & Fee Charts- Current & Historical”
      2. Then click on- Accelerated Nursing
      3. Montana Board of Regents has the authority to change tuition from one academic year to the next.  These charts will show you an idea or “estimate” of what tuition currently is and has been in the past.
      4. PLEASE keep in mind that by the time you begin the program, there is always the possibility of tuition changing
   2. Other Costs to Consider:
   1. Uniforms and other required clinical equipment (stethoscope, shoes, watch, and scissors).
   2. Travel to clinical sites- Montana is a rural state, access to personal transportation is a requirement of the program, the ability to drive distances in heavy winter weather to clinical locations is a requirement of the program.
   3. Access to a computer and ability to use common word processing software.

Clinical Compliance Tracking

The College of Nursing utilizes CastleBranch®, an accredited member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) for compliance tracking.  The following requirements must be completed by October 15th:

• Background Check
• Urine Drug Screen
• Immunizations
• CPR American Heart Association BSL for HealthCare Providers
• Health Insurance
• HIPAA and OSHA Training

Details for completing this compliance tracking can be found within the application.

• Fees for this mandatory requirement are:
  • 1st Compliance Tracking (at the time of application) - $168.00
  • 2nd Compliance Tracking (one year later) - $106.00

 For questions or advising, please contact our ABSN coordinator.