2nd Degree Options in Austin area

[indeeder]

Hi there! Looking for some information from current students, past and prospective students in the Austin area who are/have attended any of the 2nd degree accelerated nursing programs. I am aware of Texas Tech, TCU and Texas State but are there other choices? Also how long did it take for you to complete the program, including pre-reqs? I am just in the beginning stages of investigating and would love to hear from anyone who has knowledge of these programs. Are certain programs better than others, does one require more pre-reqs than the other, are they very hard to get into, cost, how difficult is the course work, etc... Thanks!!

[keili30]

i'm applying to the bsn program at the university of texas health science center in san antonio (uthscsa). they have a great program, and it is supposed to pretty affordable compared to others. i don't really know for a fact because this is the only program that i am interested in.

they have two traditional (fall and spring) application cycles and one accelerated (starts in may). traditional takes two years and accelerated is 15 mos. you submit your application and send your transcripts. transcripts are evaluated, and then invitations to take their entrance exam (TEAS) go out about a month later. once everyone has taken the TEAS, then they evaluate the criteria (60% TEAS, 35% GPA, 5% essays from application). they select the top 130 (fall/spring) and send acceptance letters. accelerated is a smaller group. the whole process takes 2-3 months.

if you're interested, they have open houses with lots of information. there is also quite a bit on their website. http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/ the staff is also very helpful. you can call or e-mail any questions, and they are very quick to respond.

i'm really psyched about this program, and hope i get good news in september. i say it's definitely worth a look.

if you have any other questions, please let me know.