Better chance of getting into nursing program with BA?

RNpearls1908 · Oct 28, 2012

Having a BS or BA shortens the length of the programs atleast at my school and I think it does help out already having a degree esp if its from a good school.

zoe92 · Oct 29, 2012

It may help out. I know a couple universities such as Old Dominion University who said having a bachelor's degree will help your chances for admissions.

cnastriving2brn · Oct 29, 2012

Hi!
I will be getting my BA in psychology shortly and I will have a 3.1 when i graduate. I really want to do nursing and I know that my GPA is not good enough for an accelerated BSN program so I am going to try for my associates and go from there. Will my BA help me get into an associates program? or do they not really care. I have completed biology, math and human anatomy classes with B's and A's.

Have you tried looking at Sentara college of health sciences in Chesapeake va?

Katie828 · Oct 29, 2012

It will be school specific. My school gives 2 more "points" in the admission process for having a BA/BS.

dsb_fam · Oct 29, 2012

The accelerated program I am applying for does not look at your cumulative GPA, they only look at pre-req GPA. Might want to make sure this isn't the case in your area. Unfortunately for me, I graduated with honors with a Bachelors in Education, but it will not be looked at during the application process.

Boxer Mama · Oct 29, 2012

For the programs I have looked at, it would not help. They look at the pre-req grades and then experience. I think it would depend on the school and program.

mirandabear · Oct 29, 2012

What's your pre-req only GPA, not all of undergrad? I talked to a nurse and she went through an accelerated BSN program at a very competitive school and had a 3.1 undergrad GPA in psychology, no volunteer/healthcare experience.

SycamoreGuy · Oct 31, 2012

I would look around and reconsider and accelerated program. 3.1 gpa should be good enough to get into a program somewhere near you.

maddiem · Oct 31, 2012

Before you can get into an Accelerated BSN program, you will have to take nursing-specific prerequisites. Obviously since you have bachelors degree, you won't be taking english and philosophy and stuff...But you will need to complete Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2, Chemistry (maybe you took this during your undergrad?), microbiology...Taking these classes and getting good grades in them will bump up your GPA. You can take them at your local community college. I would try and go for a bachelors in nursing instead of an associates. More and more hospitals are requiring nurses to have their bachelors just to be able to apply for a job there. Good luck!

Sweet charm, ASN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

Thank you to all have replied. I am signed up for some pre reqs that I haven't taken yet. I live in so cal so I am going to try and apply to CSULB BSN program

anie10 · Apr 10, 2015

Would you consider LBCC?

I am concurrently finishing a BA and in an ADN program. Those things together got me into an online BSN at a local CSU (not long beach).

I didn't have the best gpa, so I went the ADN route, because for me, it was better to get the license than trying to rewrite my academic history.