afineskylark

Hello, Is a Master's degree in nursing from Aspen University accepted by employers and accepted by other universities if I want to pursue a doctorate down the line? I currently have a BSN from Stony Brook University and have been a nurse for two years. I am thinking about getting my MSN and saw the program from Aspen University in forensic nursing that interested me. However the school is online and is nationally accredited, not regionally accredited. They are also accredited by the CCNE. I know some jobs and some schools for higher education do not accept degrees from schools that are not regionally accredited. Does it being accredited by the CCNE cancel out the fact that it is only nationally accredited and make it acceptable? I am very interested in the program but I do not want to waste my time or money getting a degree that will not be considered valid by employers or from other universities. Does anyone have any information? Thank you.

The program starts in June. In my year there were people who graduated in May 2016 with their first degree and then started the program in June 2016 so that means they applied when they had not finished their degree yet. I am not sure if that has changed though.

@js1776 I got your message but unfortunately I can't reply because I'm not considered an active member. Are you currently in the ABP program? I'm a member of the new class's Facebook page. Can I answer your questions on here or how would you like to get in contact? I'm happy to help if I can.

Congratulations rshergill877 and good luck! As far as the selection process, know that it is competitive and you want to stand out. I graduated summa cum laude from my BA program and thus had a high GPA, but I know other people in the program whose were not that high. A high GPA helps, but I really do think that they take more than that into consideration. They look at your recommendations and your personal essay too. Your recommendations should be from people who know you well or can write strongly for you. I think the personal essay is really important. As it is was already mentioned, you want to stand out. You want to catch them in the first sentence or two and engage them immediately. Write about something meaningful to you and your passion will hopefully shine through in your writing. Also, revise your personal statement! When you think you revised it enough, give it a rest for a day or two and then revise it again. You want to make it memorable and also make sure that there aren't any grammar errors. GPA, letters, personal statement, and application are what get you to the interview process. To get into the program, then you also have to add in your interview, your math test, and your writing test.

@xxdancer13, I think it is definitely overwhelming at times, but I do think that it is manageable. Some people I know have part time jobs still, but they recommend that you don't work during the program. It's not Monday-Friday since clinicals can be any day of the week, but you generally will have two days off a week (but they might not be consecutive). I'll copy what I wrote before about the summer: As far as the weekly schedule, over the summer we generally had one day of clinicals a week (either Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday). Mine rotated between all three days and I sometimes had two a week and then a week of no clinicals but I believe the majority of clinical groups had it every Thursday. Lectures were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday and Wednesday technically went from 9-6 but there were not many days that we were actually there that long because we did not have Med Math every day. It was usually 9-4. Friday was 9-12 (definitely nice!). Tuesday was lab and 8:30-3:30. We had one online class and another semi online class that was collaborative so it didn't take much time. As far as the fall, there are two clinicals either Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday. We have class Monday 4-8 (and sometimes simulation lab before), Wednesday class 9-6, and Friday 8-11. I chose the ABP program because it meant I could be done in a year, start working faster, and would only have to pay for housing out here for one year so I'd suggest weighing the pros and cons of each. It is manageable though in my opinion.

@briantai88, you're welcome. I don't know when the application became available this year, sorry. I know last year there was not rolling admission and I submitted my application a few days before the deadline and still got an interview and got in. I would suggest looking at the website to see the deadlines and if it is rolling admission. If it's not, it doesn't matter when it is submitted as long as it is in before the deadline. Sorry I don't know more about that.

@rshergill877 I know there are a few people in the program who commute from Queens now, but yes I imagine it is a trek. I don't know much about housing on campus since I personally found it pretty expensive and decided to find someplace off campus.

@rshergill877, You're welcome. I applied for the program pretty close to the deadline. When I applied it was not rolling admission but I don't know if that has changed. It's hard to answer about the NCLEX since I haven't taken it, but I would say yes. The exams are NCLEX like questions, which means the deeper analysis and situational questions so that is helpful. There are online codes you need to get and complete practice questions and case studies. And you take HESI exit exams for a lot of the courses which are sort of like mini NCLEX exams but on specific courses. I think it is preparing me well. As far as tuition and financial aid, you'd be better off contacting the school. Ballpark for tuition alone is about 15k I want to say? But don't quote me on that and again, I can't speak for your year. Then you have books/online access codes, uniforms/equipment, traveling for clinicals, housing, etc (which are costs you will likely have with any nursing program). I received financial aid, but I believe that is case specific.

I won't lie that it was very overwhelming the first week but then you develop a groove and figure out what works for you. I definitely could have had more time, but I feel like you can always use more time in everything. I think so far that it is enough time if you stay focused and manage your time. The professors were very accommodating when we raised concerns about the schedule and in my cohort, we are very supportive and cohesive and I think that definitely helps get through it. I found an apartment close to campus.

You're welcome. I interviewed in November and I heard back in early December. It was about two months. I know the interviews spanned a few weeks so I think they told us 6-8 weeks. It definitely feels like forever when you're waiting to hear back haha. People do get wait listed and I know there was one person who found out about a week or so before the program started that she got in so if you are wait listed it can be any time before the program starts. At least that's how it was for my cohort. As far as the weekly schedule, over the summer we generally had one day of clinicals a week (either Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday). Mine rotated between all three days and I sometimes had two a week and then a week of no clinicals but I believe the majority of clinical groups had it every Thursday. Lectures were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday and Wednesday technically went from 9-6 but there were not many days that we were actually there that long because we did not have Med Math every day. It was usually 9-4. Friday was 9-12 (definitely nice!). Tuesday was lab and 8:30-3:30. We had one online class and another semi online class that was collaborative so it didn't take much time. Hope that helps!

Hello everyone, I'm currently in the Stony Brook accelerated (1 year) program and here to help with questions you might have. It was useful for me to look at the thread from last year when I was applying so I wanted to get one started for all of you. Feel free to post questions or message me. I hope this is helpful.

I am currently interested in becoming a RN, and I am having a hard time deciding between schools. I really wanted some feedback and advice from students in the accelerated BSN programs at SUNY Downstate, Binghamton, and Stony Brook. I know they are all competitive programs and I'm not sure if I have the background to get into them. I graduated in 2014 with a BA in history and anthropology. My GPA was 3.93. I currently do not have the prerequisites (I have a plan for that). I do not have experience in hospitals or anything; all of my recent jobs have been in the education/tutoring field or research. I did however study osteology and I completed my own independent research project on a collection of human pelvic bones and I presented on the material at two conferences in addition to taking some biological anthropology classes. Do these programs require experience in the healthcare field prior to entering? Also, what do people think of the programs? I really am interested in working in a hospital, possibly in an ER or somewhere fast-paced. If anyone has any insight on the schools, advice, or thoughts on my likelihood to be accepted or declined, it would be greatly appreciated.