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There are some similarities and some differences. The science pre-requisites are often the same--human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry for the health sciences, algebra. The BSN program may have more general education requirements. My experience was that in order to get into the BSN completion program I had to re-take anatomy and physiology because the university wanted it taken within 10 years. I was just at 11 years since I had taken it at a JC. My BSN program would not accept any of my nursing classes at the community college in transfer credit. Everyone who they excepted into their program they gave a blanket 32 credits if (that was the catch)--if, we passed a written and practical test of our nursing knowledge they had designed. I have not heard of any other universities doing this, so I don't know if this was unique or not.

Keep in mind that when you are getting a BSN you are getting a bachelor's degree. Most universities have a wide range of classes they want you to complete to qualify for that BSN--they want you to have a well-rounded liberal arts education by the time you are finished. Nursing will just be your major. I had to complete some fine arts classes, more math, foreign language and a black studies requirement that was unique to the school I was attending. Some of these classes were classified as upper division (junior class level) and could not be taken at a community college. Most universities also have some sort of requirement that you must earn a specific number of credit hours within their walls, so you are only allowed to transfer in a certain number of credit hours. The only way you will know about these kinds of requirements is to look the the college catalogs of the individual universities. If you know where you want to go for your BSN, plan ahead and take classes at the community college that you will be able to get transfer credit for at the university.