Need info about Natinal University (San Diego) BSN program

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Hello everyone!

I was looking at National University's BSN program in San Diego, and I was wondering if anyone here had any information about it. The website is very vague.

-What are the prerequisites to actually get in?

- How hard is it to get into the program?

- Is anyone currently in the program? Any pro's and con's about it?

- How is the tuition? I see that it's $400 for clinical and $200 for theory courses

Thanks for helping me out! I will be attending the online information session next week, but I also wanted to get any REAL advice on this school.

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Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.

Hi there. I start in July. The program is 22 months straight (core courses) and then whatever else you need if you don't already have a bachelor's in something else.

In the cohort I applied, 160 people applied and 50 were accepted. I applied in November 2009 for the July 2010 cohort.

The prereqs are on the website, but include A&P 1&2, Micro, Statistics, Oral Comm, Psych, Soc, and some others I can't remember. I had a degree already, so mine were only the sciences. Don't quote me on this, but I remember the science prereqs being about $1700 each because they are more units. The nursing classes have additional fees. I think the cost of the program is around $50K or so for the BSN program if you don't have a degree. Again, don't quote me on that.

If you type National University into the search engine here, you should be able to find a helpful thread with a lot of info!

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Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.

The $400 theory and $200 clinical are additional fees.

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Hi ExPharmagirl

Thank you for responding to my post! :p Do you know if National requires ALL of the prerequisites to be done? Or a certain amount of them? For example, I don't have Information Literacy, Spanish for the Workplace, Cross Cultural Pluralism in the USA completed....

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Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.

Just IL is a prereq for entrance. The rest are requirements for the degree.

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Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.

Sorry, that wasn't clear. You need your sciences, soc, psych, english, IL, stats, oral comm (see the website if I'm missing something) for enterance. The rest are just requirements for the bachelor's.

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Hi, I started July 09 and will graduate May 2011. I will not comment to the current requirements for getting in because they have changed that since I applied so any info I have would be outdated. I can tell you they say the entire program is about 40-50 grand. So that is a con of course, it's expensive. But... I personally didn't want to wait for 3 years on a wait list, still have 2 years of school and only have an associates. I would rather get loans and be a nurse sooner. But to each their own. Most of the classes are 2 months long because they include clinicals (hospital experience). They are technically 2 classes even though clincial is pass/fail. So they bill you for 2 classes. So every 2 months I get a bill for over $3000 which I ignore because I have loans.

Pros: Seems like we get a decent amount of clinical experience compared to other programs, you get a BSN in 2 years

Cons: Expensive, some teachers are pretty bad, the schedule is not put out until 1 month before next class (sometimes less) so you need to be really flexible.

Over all, I think it's a pretty good program. You have your good and bad teachers, but that's anywhere.

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Hi Maiday,

I'm assuming you have graduated now, so can you please give me some advice on National? I haven't even gone it to see the adviser yet. I go on Tuesday. Anyway, how well respected of a school is National? Did you have trouble finding a job? How did potential or current employers view your education from National? Would you recommend this school to prospective students?

I am going to be 30 in August and I want to start a family by the time I am 35, but I want to have my career as a nurse first. So, basically, I just don't want to waste my time if this school is frowned upon.

As much info as you can provide me would be great!

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Hi brae82,

Yes, I graduated May 2011 and I got a job right away. I actually started in August but that was because that was when the new grad program started. I work in a progressive care unit which is a step down from ICU and I love it.

National has a good reputation in the hospitals as far as I can tell. But honestly most of the schools in San Diego are good and I don't think I've heard bad things about any schools in particular just bad students individually. I think honestly in this economy the school matters less than who you know. I started working as a CNA per diem in the hospital I wanted to work at a year before I graduated. They interviewed all internal candidates first and hired most of the people who already worked in the hospital when they did their new grad RN program. So it definitely gave me a head start.

You will hear some bad and some good things about NU, but I would personally recommend the program and I have to friends or friends of friends. In the end, I graduated in 2 years with my BSN and I got a job as an RN. That was my goal and that's what happened. Could it have been a better school in some ways... yes. But I, like you was 30 and I already had a child. I did not have 3-4 years to sit on a wait list AFTER finishing prereqs.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

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Thank you so much for all of the info you gave me! You have been so helpful. It always feels good to talk to an alumni of the school I may be attending. I really appreciate it!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the California State Nursing Programs forum

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Hi Maiday,

I have one more question. While you were in nursing school, did you go to school to be a CNA simultaneously? I am highky considering doing what you did so I have my foot in the door. Was it difficult working while in school? I've heard it's best not to work because nursing school is so demanding...

Again, thank you for all of your help! You've been awesome!!! :bow:

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