Penn State World Campus online RN-BSN program

Nursing Students Online Learning

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Is anyone here currently attending (or have you already attended or are you thinking about attending) the Penn State University online RN-BSN program? If so, I'd love to hear from you and your reviews and perspective and any advice or recommendations you have to offer.

I will be graduating with my ASN in May and am looking to start an online BSN program fall semester.

After doing some research, PSU and Ohio University are on my short list. There is a thread dedicated to OU, but not really anything about PSU. So, if you're doing the online RN-BSN at Penn State, I want to hear from you!

I have a cache of college credits from a previous life, so I have most of the core done. I only need two other courses in addition to the upper-level nursing courses, and Penn State allows you to take the core classes concurrently with your nursing courses, rather than having to wait until you finish your core to begin the nursing program. So, if I go full time I could be finished in a year (start Fall 2011, finish Summer 2012).

On paper, I like everything I've read about PSU. Now I'm just looking to collect actual anecdotal evidence from those who have been there.

Transplant Nurse wrote:

. . . One colleague told me she quite OU because she was turning in poorly written papers and was receiving "A" letter grades on them. She enrolled in another program. I don't know if this was true, though.
I can only hope that this is true. I've spent a great deal of time and energy in the course of earning 3 degrees, and have had more than my fair share of challenging academics, so if I can get "A's" by turning in half-a**ed papers, that's a huge plus! Seriously though, I would hope that this if this were the case, the regulatory bodies would step in and investigate things.

. . . Another person told me the program costs well over the $6,000 quote. She may have had issues transferring in gen eds, though.
OU's published rate for the nursing courses required for RN-BSN program is $155/cr for the 50 required credits (12 classes) which is $7,750. I would image that this qualifies as being well over $6,000 and I'd be unhappy too if I found out that I had to pay nearly 30% more than I was expecting.

. . . My tuition (at PSU) is $481 per credit. I never really understood who had to pay the $517. I thought that was for students with over 59 credits at PSU, but I may be wrong. . . My total for PSU will end up being just over $13,000.
Looking at the website, it seemed to me that the nursing requirement was 42 credits which at $517 per credit would be close to $22,000. If the requirement is actually only 28 credits, at the $481/cr rate the total is under $14,000 which makes the PSU program quite a bit more attractive.

Great to have a site like this where you can exchange info and make informed decisions!

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Specializes in Transplant.
Transplant Nurse wrote:

I can only hope that this is true. I've spent a great deal of time and energy in the course of earning 3 degrees, and have had more than my fair share of challenging academics, so if I can get "A's" by turning in half-a**ed papers, that's a huge plus! Seriously though, I would hope that this if this were the case, the regulatory bodies would step in and investigate things.

OU's published rate for the nursing courses required for RN-BSN program is $155/cr for the 50 required credits (12 classes) which is $7,750. I would image that this qualifies as being well over $6,000 and I'd be unhappy too if I found out that I had to pay nearly 30% more than I was expecting.

Looking at the website, it seemed to me that the nursing requirement was 42 credits which at $517 per credit would be close to $22,000. If the requirement is actually only 28 credits, at the $481/cr rate the total is under $14,000 which makes the PSU program quite a bit more attractive.

Great to have a site like this where you can exchange info and make informed decisions!

Yes it is!!!

When I looked into OU, it was just under $6,000. This was over a year ago. I think she might have denied credit for some previous courses.

As for PSU: 33 credits are transferred in by portfolio, so you don't need to take them if you graduated from an ADN within 3 years or worked as an RN for a minimum number of hours. There are 28 credits included in the BSN courses. Their website is kind of hard to decipher- you only need to take the "prescribed courses" and 6 credits of "supporting and related" courses. If you take your gen eds somewhere else, or have them already, the deal is decent. Taking your gen eds at PSU is a rip off, and I think they know it. I bet that's why they let you take them at other establishments, and are lenient on transferring in credits.

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Transplant Nurse,

Please see if you can find something out for me: Do the credits you get for your nursing portfolio count toward the 60 hour minimum you need to be able to graduate with distinction from Penn State? Like if you have a qualifying GPA, can your diploma say "with distinction" or "with highest distinction" or whatever if your nursing courses + portfolio credits add up to 60 or more hours? Or are you only eligible if you take 60 graded credit hours at Penn State University Park or World Campus? I was hoping they'd let me but I don't think they will. That was one thing I found out about Ohio University: if you take the 50 (quarter hour) nursing credits, they'll say "Summa Cum Laude" or "Magna Cum Laude" or whatever your GPA qualifies you for on your diploma. Not important in the greater scheme of things, but when you're talking money like what a degree costs nowadays, a little more window dressing and an extra line on the resume can't hurt. lol!

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Specializes in Transplant.
Transplant Nurse,

Please see if you can find something out for me: Do the credits you get for your nursing portfolio count toward the 60 hour minimum you need to be able to graduate with distinction from Penn State? Like if you have a qualifying GPA, can your diploma say "with distinction" or "with highest distinction" or whatever if your nursing courses + portfolio credits add up to 60 or more hours? Or are you only eligible if you take 60 graded credit hours at Penn State University Park or World Campus? I was hoping they'd let me but I don't think they will. That was one thing I found out about Ohio University: if you take the 50 (quarter hour) nursing credits, they'll say "Summa Cum Laude" or "Magna Cum Laude" or whatever your GPA qualifies you for on your diploma. Not important in the greater scheme of things, but when you're talking money like what a degree costs nowadays, a little more window dressing and an extra line on the resume can't hurt. lol!

Good question! I will ask my advisor and post back in a few days.

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Specializes in Transplant.
Transplant Nurse,

Please see if you can find something out for me: Do the credits you get for your nursing portfolio count toward the 60 hour minimum you need to be able to graduate with distinction from Penn State? Like if you have a qualifying GPA, can your diploma say "with distinction" or "with highest distinction" or whatever if your nursing courses + portfolio credits add up to 60 or more hours? Or are you only eligible if you take 60 graded credit hours at Penn State University Park or World Campus? I was hoping they'd let me but I don't think they will. That was one thing I found out about Ohio University: if you take the 50 (quarter hour) nursing credits, they'll say "Summa Cum Laude" or "Magna Cum Laude" or whatever your GPA qualifies you for on your diploma. Not important in the greater scheme of things, but when you're talking money like what a degree costs nowadays, a little more window dressing and an extra line on the resume can't hurt. lol!

OK, unfortunately you need 60 PSU credits to graduate "with distinction." Boo. :crying2:

http://dus.psu.edu/handbook/distinction.html

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hello all! do you know how long it would take to complete if you are registered for full time? is it two years? thank you. :)

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I'm sorry I've already asked this here!

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hello everyone, ?jimrn?

i plan to complete my rn- bsn at psu's online world campus. i live & work less than an hour from hershey med. i plan to start this summer 2011. where do you buy your course materials/books. online? ebay? cheaper than unv book store price.

also- biggest question would i be able to receive financial aid? i know sometimes with online programs aes does not approve funding/loans because there is not a "set graduation date". any helpful info regarding ways to save money -especially on study material or helpful supplements would be great! thanks:dancgrp:i am excited to start the next step cuz i just found out a few hours ago....

i passed my boards!

woooo woooot!:yeah:

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CONGRATS JIM RN!:yeah:

I also recently passed my boards the end of March & would like to start The RN -BSN online program at PSU at well. I also live an hour away.

Does anyone know if the world campus requires clinical time? I heard a rumor that it does...?

Thanks!

Dani

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Specializes in Transplant.

The campus requires one independent study as the last class. I believe you must find your own preceptor. My friend is an NP, so I plan on doing mine with her. Otherwise, the whole program is online. As for books, I rent mine electronically for my iPad. As for financial aid, I believe you can utilize it, if you wish. It is just like enrolling in PSU's main campus, but the classes are online.

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Wow thank u so much! I recently purchsed an IPAD2 & will receive it in a few days - so thanks for the renting books info! That is nice I just recently read that I can do that. Of you have time to tell me the company or website that u rented ur books from that would be great!!!!

-dani

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Also - for the psu rn to bsn program did u go at ur own pace and do the class one by one or is it set up like a normal semester. I know summer semester starts may 15th I think.

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