Accelerated BSN Program Overview
The accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program allows students with a previous bachelor’s degree outside of nursing to develop the foundation for a career in this high-demand field.
Students will learn the latest knowledge and skills in providing healthcare across the lifespan, the role of nursing, pharmacology, and more. ABSN faculty are real-world practitioners dedicated to training the next generation of nurses. Successful ABSN students are motivated, organized, and ready to commit to an accelerated timeline.
Application Requirements
- A completed bachelor's degree from a U. S. college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.*
- Submission of official transcripts from all college(s) attended.
- All applicants to the nursing program must provide evidence of adherence to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Immunization Requirements for Health Science students upon enrollment at Salem State University.
- A student who has previously been enrolled in a nursing program at another institution is required to submit official documentation from the nursing department stating they are eligible for readmission into that previous program. The nursing department program administrator must email the official documentation directly to admissions@salemstate.edu.
- Students who are not eligible for readmission into their previous program will have this considered within their admissions review. A personal statement or recommendations are strongly suggested.
- At this time, the TEAS test is not required for admission in the ABSN program.
Graduates from a Non-U.S. College or University
Applicants who are graduates from a non-US college or university are eligible to apply if the following conditions are met:
- Submit a complete, official transcript documenting the award of a bachelor's degree. All transcripts from institutions outside of the United States must have an evaluation from an approved agency of all courses completed, final grades, academic degree(s) earned, and grade point averages. If you have a non-U.S. high school diploma, an approved agency must validate any non-U.S.-based secondary education.
- Approved agencies include the Center for Educational Documentation, World Education Services, inc., North American Educational Group, or Educational Credential Evaluators.
- Completion of the MassTransfer Block at a Massachusetts Community College with the official stamped transcript on or before the start of Summer Session I (May 1) of the year in which enrollment begins. Please see the Salem State University Catalog for information about the MassTransfer Block.
Prerequisite Requirements for the ABSN Program
Admission to the ABSN program is competitive. Applicants must fulfill prerequisite coursework before beginning the ABSN program.
Students must have completed the following to be admitted to the program:
- One chemistry Course with a laboratory*
- A two-semester sequence in anatomy and Physiology with laboratory
- One college-level statistics course
- One 3-credit human growth and development course
- One college-level microbiology course with a lab*
- * Laboratory science courses may not be completed online
- An applicant may be enrolled in up to two prerequisite courses at the application deadline. Applicants must complete all prerequisites before enrollment.
- Submit completed transcripts before the program begins in May. If courses are in progress at the time of application, official proof of enrollment must be submitted.
- There is no recency requirement for your science prerequisites.
- If you are unsure whether or not your prerequisites meet admission requirements, please contact Undergraduate Admissions.
Accelerated BSN (ABSN) Program Timeline
Salem State’s rigorous full-time cohort program begins in May and concludes in August of the following year. Students should plan on being in classes for 16 months.
Because this program is accelerated, students are encouraged not to work while completing their ABSN degree. Courses and clinical sites will be offered during the day, evenings, and/or weekends.
How To Apply
To apply for the program, you will need to select the undergraduate application, set the application type to second undergraduate degree (prior bachelor's), request to enroll through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (evenings and/or summers), and select the major/program: Nursing, Accelerated BSN (must have a completed BS/BA).
ABSN Program Costs
For information on the ABSN program's tuition and fees, please visit the Tuition and Fees page. If you have additional questions, please contact the Student Navigation Center.
Financial Aid
Students enrolled in a second bachelor's degree program can receive only Federal Direct Loans. Federal and state grants are not available. The ABSN program is not a graduate-level degree program.
To receive federal financial aid, students must have a valid and completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with Salem State each year they are enrolled. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Terms and Conditions page.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, made significant changes to federal student aid programs, including federal student loans.
Students will be offered federal loans in the third year and beyond the undergraduate annual loan limit and/or up to their remaining aggregate lifetime loan eligibility based on their dependency status on their FAFSA.
The annual loan limit must be divided among the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms, as Summer is a required term for the ABSN program. One third of the annual loan limit will be allocated to each term.
For more information on loan amounts and dependency status, please visit the following pages:
Students can find information on their federal loans, including their loan borrowing history and aggregate loan borrowing totals, by logging in to their studentaid.gov account and visiting the “My Aid" section.
Financial aid awards will likely not cover all program costs. Therefore, reviewing the program's tuition and fees is crucial so students can plan to cover costs beyond the awarded financial aid.