Florida State University

Championing excellence and ingenuity, FSU is a renowned public institution established in 1851. In 1950, the inception of the College of Nursing marked a significant milestone, being hailed as the premier nationally accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing across Florida.

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Tallahassee, Florida

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School Ranking: A+
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Florida State University is a public and non-profit National University. The insitution offers a variety of hybrid, on-campus, and online programs—including BSN, Accelerated BSN, MSN, DNP, NP, Post Grad Certificate, and Other degrees. Programs are accredited by the ACEN and CCNE and the institution is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Student Demographics

  • 20 Average Age
  • 43% Men
  • 57% Women
  • 0% Veterans
  • 78% White
  • 11% Hispanic
  • 16% Black
  • 2% Asian

College Data provided by the U.S. Department of Education and complemented with additional insights from our analysts. Learn more about our Rankings Methodology.

Nursing Programs

  • $27,600 In-State Undergraduate Tuition*
  • $21,123 In-State Graduate Tuition*

*Tuition is an average of the programs listed below.

*Program Score compares similar specialty programs across our database. Learn more about our Rankings Methodology

Florida State University, a public institution, was founded in 1851. In 1950, the College of Nursing was founded and recognized as the first nationally accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing in the state of Florida.

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The 2-year BSN program is a competitive application process program offered through the College of Nursing after students have completed their prerequisite courses. There is a minimum of 52 FSU semester hours, or a completion of the Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution to complete the requirements for the Liberal Studies/General Education.

Veterans BSN

The Veteran's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program is a full-time, campus based program for eligible veterans. It provides medics, corpsmen, and non-medical veterans access to our undergraduate nursing education programs. There are two options for degree completion of a BSN - the Traditional BSN or the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.

The two-year program accepts admission from all Veterans. There is a 3 semester Accelerated BSN program available to Veterans who served as corpsman or medics.

Successful graduates of the BSN program are prepared for the national licensure exam (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse (RN), and have the foundation necessary to pursue graduate degrees if desired.

There is a process for students admitted to the nursing program. First, the student must complete an interview process, personal essay statement, and their nursing prerequisites, Liberal Studies/General Education requirements and a minimum 52 FSU semester hours completed or have earned an Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution.

Students that have an interest in a BSN and have other course work and military training will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if they have the requirements for admission into the FSU nursing program.

Requirements (not all inclusive)

  • Honorable Discharge from U.S. Military
  • Traditional BSN applicants: minimum overall 3.0 GPA, science 3.0 GPA, prerequisite courses-grade B or higher
  • Accelerated BSN applicants: requirements as above (only corpsman or medics can select this option)

Accelerated BSN

Those who hold a bachelor's degree in another field and desire a career change are eligible for the Accelerated program through the College of Nursing. It is a full-time commitment that is 12-months long and has the components of the BSN program.

After successful completion of this program, the graduate is prepared to take the NCLEX-RN to become a licensed registered nurse.

Graduate

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nurse Leader

Florida State University offers a graduate degree program with the focus on Nurse leadership. The MSN Nurse Leader program prepares the nurse in clinical settings to assume the leadership role within their chosen organization. The program, consisting of 32 semester hours and 315 clinical hours, is delivered online and structured toward the working nurse.

PLEASE NOTE:  The student is responsible to find their own clinical preceptor. Students will be required to complete a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and proof of immunization.

Admission (not all inclusive)

  • Official Transcripts
  • GRE or MAT scores
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Current RN License

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is for nurses who have a desire to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.

The program is 83 credit hours post-baccalaureate study and 1005 required clinical hours. It is designed in accordance with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (2006).

Some courses are offered online, but most of the DNP course learning is video conferencing at the Tallahassee campus. The students are required to come to an intensive weekend in Tallahassee for orientation and Advance Skills for the APN course. Students then work with their local community to achieve the learning objectives for their practicum courses.

Admission Criteria (not all inclusive)

  • BSN degree from nationally accredited program
  • Upper division 3.0 GPA or higher
  • GRE or MAT score(s)
  • Unencumbered Florida RN license
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • FDLE/FBI Level II background check
  • CPR Certification
  • Personal Health Insurance
  • Current CV or resume

Nurse Leader Certificate

The Nurse Leader Certificate Program is available for Post BSN or Post MSN nurses. It is designed to provide academic preparation for nurses who are either working in clinical settings as nurse managers or who seek to transition into leadership roles.

The program has a total of 4 didactic courses (14 semester hours) and 45 clinical hours. The program is offered online in order to facilitate the educational needs of nurses interested in advancing their career.  

Psychiatric Mental Health Certificate

The online Psychiatric Mental Health Certificate is available for post-masters/post-DNP students. Graduates will be able to sit for national certification as Family/Adult Nurse Practitioners. The program includes 23 graduate level credits of mental health theory and 540 hours of supervised clinical experiences. 

Admission (not all inclusive)

  • Official Transcripts
  • Current RN license (for NL cert) or ARNP license (for PMHNPC cert)
  • Copy of current CV/Resume

Clinical Clearance

The College of Nursing requires students of all disciplines to have the following on file at the College prior to practicing in any health care facility (not all inclusive):

  • Criminal Background check
  • 10 Panel Drug Screen
  • TB/PPD results
  • Proof of immunizations or titer results: polio, diphtheria, tetanus, MMR, varicella, hepatitis B series
  • Influenza Vaccine
  • Physical Examination
  • CPR Certification
  • Personal Health Insurance
  • Current unencumbered Florida RN license

Accreditation

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited the BSN, MSN, and DNP programs.

Florida State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

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