RN to BSN | RN to MSN | Step Ahead

The RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs are also offered at our Greensburg and Cranberry locations.

RN to BSN Program
This program is designed for registered nurses seeking a BS in Nursing. A current Pennsylvania nursing license is required.

• Fast Track Program (Greensburg & Cranberry)
  RN to BSN/RN to MSN Nursing (Undergraduate to Graduate)
  You became a nurse because you care … about your patients, about your colleagues, about people. You want to make sure your patient gets the best care available, and that begins with your degree. The Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) is the preferred degree in nursing practice according to the American Nurses Association. And, it is the base degree which provides a nurse with the best chance for career and educational advancement.
  
  Our program focuses on the six essential areas of contemporary nursing: community-based care, multiculturalism, health promotion, health care policy, nursing research, and nursing theory. Limited clinical hours are included, as the program relies heavily on the experience gained during completion of the registered nurse (RN) licensure.
  
  The accelerated format is designed for the student who has successfully earned RN licensure. Carlow accepts up to 58 transfer credits in core liberal arts and sciences, and awards RN students an additional 30 advanced standing credits in nursing. Classes are held once a week during daylight hours, and students move through the program as part of a cohort group.This fast-track program is designed to be completed in 16 months or less depending on the completion of prerequisite courses.
  
  Upon earning the BSN, you may choose to continue your education by pursuing one of two MSN degrees in the same one-day per week accelerated format.

Back to Top

RN to MSN Program
We have designed our RN to MSN program with the working professional in mind. Classes in this program are offered on a predetermined day each week. The program prepares nurses to assume leadership roles in a variety of health care settings, including education and administration. Registered nurses who enter the fast-track program with the necessary prerequisites can finish their BSN in 12 to 16 months, and then be admitted to an additional year to complete the master’s degree in nursing.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Natural Sciences: BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 227, CHM 105
Social and Behavioral Sciences: PY 205 or PY 208, SO 152 or SO 215

Back to Top

The Step Ahead Program
This program allows academically qualified nursing majors to earn up to 11 graduate credits while completing their undergraduate degree. To qualify, students must have:

• a high school GPA of 3.5, or
• a minimum of 1100 on the SAT, or
• a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at the end of the first semester of the sophomore years at Carlow

AND

• no more than one basic skills course upon admission to Carlow

Students apply for entry into the Step Ahead Program during the admission process or at the end of the first semester of sophomore year in the Nursing program. To successfully complete the Step Ahead Nursing curriculum, the student must complete six to nine credits of core requirements outside of the regular semester structure (e.g., in a summer session), and also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.1 during the junior and senior years.

• All Nursing Course Descriptions

Back to Top