RN to BSN Programs San Jose, CA

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree now stands as the industry standard, especially in hospitals where registered nurses must hold the degree to get hired or promoted to a position in management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses prepared at the BSN level qualify for 39 percent more jobs than ADN nurses and are likely to earn 28 percent more throughout the course of their careers. By enrolling in an RN to BSN program, you will complete the BSN degree in 24 months or less and improve your career opportunities and income-earning potential. Your career path will be expanded to include teaching, administration, leadership, and even advanced education to the master of science in nursing degree.

San Jose State University

The RN to BSN post-licensure program at San Jose State University is designed for students that have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing program who are interested in obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. The program is open to current California RNs or students who will earn a California RN license by the conclusion of the first semester of the program. Those who have complete the University’s general education and nursing degree requirements will complete the program in three semesters. These candidates will be awarded 20 units for passing the NCLEX-RN exam. The program includes limited in-person and off-campus community experiences and online theory coursework. There will be an emphasis on research, leadership, and critical thinking. Graduates will earn the BSN degree and are eligible to apply for a California Public Health Nursing Certificate.

Program Outline

Semester credits: 120 including transfer credits
Duration: 1.5 years
Method of instruction: Online/Hybrid

Course titles:

Prerequisites: Elementary Statistics, Public Speaking, Critical Thinking Course, Introduction to Chemistry-Inorganic

Core courses – Evidence-Based Practice and Writing Workshop, Professional Practice Success, Theoretical Foundations, Community Health Theory, Community Health Practicum, Professional Practice Success II, Leadership, Senior Preceptorship

Admission criteria:

  • Obtain admission to San Jose State University before applying to the School of Nursing
  • Complete all university transfer requirements
  • Must have a 2.75 minimum GPA in all college coursework
  • Prior baccalaureate students must have a 2.5 minimum GPA in the last 60 units and be CSU eligible
  • Complete nursing prerequisite courses
  • Submit a nursing program application through NursingCAS by the deadline and pay the required fee
  • Must have an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited US college or university
  • Must have a valid California RN lciense – or will earn a California RN license by the end of the first semester of the program
  • Must have a minimum 2.75 GPA on all college coursework
  • Must have a minimum grade C on all prerequisite nursing courses
  • Provide a copy of driver’s license and a US passport, birth certificate, and permanent residency card
  • Clear a criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification

Program Cost:

Tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student are $3,926. Other costs for books and supplies must be covered by the student.

San Diego State University

The RN to BSN program at San Diego State University is open to students who have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing or Diploma in Nursing program from a regionally accredited program. Students will be admitted to the program upon RN licensure. The program content is delivered mostly online and designed to prepare students for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In addition to the nursing specific coursework, students must complete the general education requirements to earn the degree. Students who are second degree baccalaureate are able to complete the program in one year as the general education courses and international requirement are waived. All applications must be submitted in the Fall semester – even if applying for admission in the Spring.

Program Outline

Semester credits: 120 including transfer credits
Duration: 12 to 15 months
Method of instruction: Online/Hybrid

Course titles:

Prerequisites: Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Microbiology with Lab, Chemistry, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, General Education Requirements

Core courses –Research and Evidence-Based Practice, Nursing Professionalism, Health Assessment and Health Promotion for RN to BS, Community Health, Leadership, Nursing Care of the Complex, High Acuity or Critically Ill Patients or Transitional Care of Populations

Admission criteria:

  • Obtain admission to San Diego State University – apply via Cal State Apply
  • Complete all university transfer requirements
  • Must have a 3.0 minimum GPA in all college coursework
  • Complete nursing prerequisite courses by the end of the Spring semester – Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Microbiology with Lab, Chemistry, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, General Education Requirements
  • Submit a nursing program application through NursingCAS
  • Must have an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited US college or university
  • Must have a valid California RN license – required for progression through clinical courses
  • Must have a minimum grade C on all prerequisite nursing courses
  • Provide a copy of driver’s license and a US passport, birth certificate, and permanent residency card
  • Clear a criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification

Program Cost:

Tuition costs $13,000. Students must budget for books and supplies.

Point Loma Nazarene University

The RN to BSN degree program at Point Loma Nazarene University is offered in partnership with community colleges across San Diego and is designed with the working RN in mind. The program will include hands-on, evidence-based instruction, mentoring, and a practical clinical component that will build on the educational experience already achieved when preparing for the RN license. The program is delivered online with one day of in-person classes per week on campus or at a community college partner location. It paves the way for nurses to fulfill lifelong learning goals. Students will also practicums in the first, third and fourth semester of the program. The practicums will be based on community health. Students will work on them in small groups at an assigned location. They will be required to assess and implement a health plan to complete the requirements for the Public Health in Nursing Certificate.

Program Outline

Semester credits: 120 including transfer credits
Duration: 15 months
Method of instruction: Hybrid

Course titles:

Prerequisites: Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Microbiology with Lab, Chemistry, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, General Education Requirements

Core courses – Biblical Perspectives, Community and Following Faithfully, Communicating and Following Faithfully Practicum, Changing Minds/Changing Lives, Inquiring Faithfully I: Nursing Research, Inquiring Faithfully: Nursing Research, Caring Faithfully in the Community, Caring Faithfully in the Community Practicum, Leading Faithfully in Diverse Health Systems, Leading Faithfully in Diverse Health Systems Practicum, Capstone Inquiring Faithfully II: Evidence-Based Practice, Group and Organizational Behavior, Cultural Influences in the Work Place, Professional Writing

Admission criteria:

  • Must have completed at least 40 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 from an accredited institution
  • Must have completed or be currently enrolled in an associate degree in nursing program
  • Must have a current California RN license by the third term on the program
  • Must be at least 23 or minimum age 21 with an associate’s degree or significant work experience
  • Apply for admission to the nursing program
  • Must have a minimum grade C on all prerequisite nursing courses
  • Provide a copy of driver’s license and a US passport, birth certificate, and permanent residency card
  • Clear a criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification

Program Cost:

Tuition costs $500 per unit. Tuition includes the cost of textbooks and materials.

National University

Students enrolled in the RN to BSN program at National University will increase their knowledge of nursing and expand their career options. The program is open to candidates who hold an active and unencumbered RN license. Coursework is delivered 100 percent online in four and eight-week sessions. It will provide a foundation for professional nursing practice at the

baccalaureate level. Students will expand their clinical knowledge and further develop critical-thinking, communication, and therapeutic skills. Graduates will be prepared to develop caring, therapeutic nursing relationships with individual, families, groups and populations, provide safe, high-quality, culturally competent, patient-centered nursing care, participate in the continuous improvement of nursing care quality, use nursing judgement to manage, prioritize and delegate patient care, communicate effectively, and apply best, current evidence into practice. Students can start the program any month of the year. Students who pass the NCLEX-RN exam will receive 31.5 upper division quarter units.

Program Outline

Quarter units: 180 including transfer credits
Duration: 11 months
Method of instruction: Online

Course titles:

Prerequisites/Electives: Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Cultural Diversity, Issues and Trends in Healthcare, Legal/Ethical Issues and Health, Spanish for the Work Place, Cross Cultural Communication, Ethics, Healthy Aging

Core courses – Professional Issues for RNs, Introduction to Biomedical Statistics, Evidence-Based Practice for Research, Health Informatics, Nursing Leadership and Management Practicum, Community/Population Based Nursing, Quality Improvement, Quality Improvement Practicum

Admission criteria:

  • Must have completed at least 45 quarter units of lower division courses
  • Must have completed an associate degree or diploma in nursing program
  • Must have a current California RN license
  • Must apply for admission to NU
  • Apply for admission to the nursing program
  • Must have a minimum grade C on all prerequisite nursing courses
  • Provide a copy of driver’s license and a US passport, birth certificate, and permanent residency card
  • Clear a criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification
  • Must have health and liability insurance

Program Cost:

Tuition costs $442 per unit. Costs for textbooks and supplies are not included.

  • Website: https://www.nu.edu/
  • Address: 9388 Lightwave Ave, San Diego, CA 92123
  • Phone: (800) NAT-UNIV

California State University San Marcos

CSUSM’s RN to BSN program is an accelerated, online program designed for registered nurses. The program is offered 100 percent online – except for the clinicals which students can complete at their place of work. The community health clinical hours must be completed at a public health facility. Students must have completed an accredited associate degree or diploma in nursing program and have an active RN license to be admitted to the program. A total of 60 transferable credits must also be completed for admission. Some upper division general education courses may need to be completed to obtain the BSN degree. A maximum of 44 students are admitted with each cycle. The program admits new students multiple times per years.

Program Outline

Quarter units: 180 including transfer credits
Duration: 14 months
Method of instruction: Online

Course titles:

Prerequisites: Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, Microbiology for Health Sciences, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II, General, Organic and Biochemistry for Life, General, Organic and Biochemistry for Life Lab

Core courses – Role Transition for the RN, Role Transition Seminar for the RN, Bioethics and Medical Ethics, Nursing Assessment for the RN, Nursing Assessment for the RN Laboratory, Culture and Medicine: Healers and Healing Practices, Nursing Research, Health Promotion and Patient Education Strategies, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, The Biology of Cancer, Nursing Leadership and Professional Issues, Nursing Leadership and Management Laboratory, Family Nursing: Theory and Practice, Nursing Case Management and Vulnerable Populations, Community Health Nursing, Public Health Nursing Practicum

Admission criteria:

  • Must have a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all transferable unit attempted
  • Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree must have a 2.5 GPA at minimum
  • Must have completed a minimum of 60 transferable credits
  • Must have completed pre-nursing core with a grade of C or better and a cumulative GPA of 2.75  – Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, Microbiology for Health Sciences, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II, General, Organic and Biochemistry for Life, General, Organic and Biochemistry for Life Lab
  • Must have completed an associate degree or diploma in nursing program
  • Must have a current California RN license
  • Apply for admission to the nursing program
  • Must reside in an approved state
  • Clear a criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification
  • Must have health and liability insurance

Program Cost:

Tuition costs $5,742 per year for full-time residents. The program is eligible for financial aid.

Pacific College

Pacific College’s RN to BSN (Holistic Nursing) program offers a 42-60-credit online program of study. Students will complete 12 to 18 didactic and clinical courses depending on the extent of their previous education. The content is delivered in a hybrid model with most of the didactic work completed online and the one Community Health clinical practicum completed in the student’s geographic locale. Pacific College’s RN to BSN program is unique in that it is a holistic BSN, which provides the philosophical, professional, educational, and clinical groundwork necessary for holistic nurse leaders of the future. There will be an emphasis on self-care, health, wellness and disease prevention; relationship-centered approach; research and evidence informed practice; ethics; diversity & inclusion; advocacy; and authentic leadership in the profession and beyond. Graduates will be prepared to function as transformational leaders, capable of helping to shift the focus of healthcare paradigm from illness and disease to health promotion, wellness, and wellbeing for all.

Program Outline

Semester credits: 60
Duration: 4 terms full-time or 7-9 terms part-time
Method of instruction: Online

Course titles:

Prerequisites: Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Statistics, Microbiology for Health Sciences

Core courses – Theoretical Foundations of Holistic Nursing, The Nurse as Facilitator of Health: Role and Modalities, Community Health Nursing/Population Focused Healthcare, Leadership in the Delivery of Healthcare, Research in Nursing, Issues and Trends, Psychoneuroimmunology, Electives

Admission criteria:

  • Must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA in all transferable courses
  • Must demonstrate English language proficiency
  • Must have completed a minimum of 60 transferable credits
  • Must have completed an associate degree or diploma in nursing program
  • Must have a current California RN license
  • Apply for admission to the nursing program
  • Must obtain a clear criminal background check and drug screen
  • Complete the immunization requirements/titers
  • Complete CPR certification
  • Must have health and liability insurance

Program Cost:

  • Tuition costs $436 per credit. Books and supplies cost an additional $2,990. The application fee, administrative fee, and technology fee are additional.
  • Website: https://pacificcollege.edu/
  • Address: 7445 Mission Valley Road, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92108
  • Phone: 866.276.0717