Two Degrees?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 14, 2017

My niece recently graduated with her BSN and is saying that she has two degrees because she has an ASN and BSN. I've never really thought about this before. What do you guys think?
On one hand I think that she's technically correct; on the other, I think it's a bit redundant.

She is indeed correct: she has an associates' degree and a bachelors' degree. Those are two entirely separate degrees, but just both in the same major. Is it any different than having a bachelors' degree and a graduate degree (MSN, PhD, etc.)?

If she's happy telling the world she has two nursing degrees, then fine by me! Let her handle the explanations when someone asks about that :)

Purple_Clover · May 15, 2017

Is it any different than having a bachelors' degree and a graduate degree (MSN, PhD, etc.)?

That makes sense. Thanks :)

NutmeggeRN, BSN · May 15, 2017

But if the degree (and all its rights and privledges) has not been conferred, I don't think she does. I just was at a large iniversity graduation and that was the phrase (all the rights and privledges.....) that given after the conferring of a degree. Did she do her AD first and earn that degree? If so yes, if she did a straight 4 year BSN then I think no. Curious as to what others think.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · May 15, 2017

That makes sense. Thanks :)

But each of those degrees are conferred at a separate time...

Zyprexa · May 15, 2017

I graduated with an ADN, and I graduated with my BSN this past December. I consider them to be two degrees.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · May 15, 2017

I graduated with an ADN, and I graduated with my BSN this past December. I consider them to be two degrees.

Yes exactly, two different programs and 2 ceremonies=2 degrees. Not a straight BSN program, but not sure what the OPS niece did.

cleback · May 15, 2017

Bridge programs count as two degrees? News to me.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 15, 2017

Bridge programs count as two degrees? News to me.

Bridge programs usually provide credit for prior learning and usually they'll transfer your prior earned units to the bridge program. When this happens, you usually effectively enter the bridge program as a "Junior" and graduate as a "Senior" and earn a Bachelors Degree.

In my case, I have both a Bachelors and an Associates degree, two separate degrees. It doesn't matter if the degrees are within the same major, they were conferred separately. Also in my case, I earned the degrees "backwards" in that I earned my Bachelors first and having that degree allowed me to merely attend my ADN program core courses and graduate with an ADN without having to take any further coursework from that college. Therefore I have 2 degrees!

If I pursue an MSN degree, I would have 3 degrees, though I'd only list 2 of them in my postnomials because of a redundancy in 2 of them (MSN and ADN).

Purple_Clover · May 16, 2017

@NutmeggeRN

Yeah she did two separate programs. ASN, graduation, BSN, graduation

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 16, 2017

Bridge programs usually provide credit for prior learning and usually they'll transfer your prior earned units to the bridge program. When this happens, you usually effectively enter the bridge program as a "Junior" and graduate as a "Senior" and earn a Bachelors Degree.

You described it better than I ever could.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · May 16, 2017

I have and AS in Criminal Justice (was going into forensics) then I switched to pre-vet and got BS in Biology. Decided I wanted to teach school and got Masters in Teaching. Lost teaching job ($$$) so went back and got ADN (which is really AAS) then my BSN and now finishing my MSN. I have a diploma for every degree. I earned them all. Just because you get a higher degree, does not negate the lower degree, but there is no reason to add to alphabet soup. I have seen most people use highest degree, RN and then cert. I am BSN, RN, OCN (I don't use the MAT normally-only for academic papers. My professors are all Ph.D, RN. They don't add everything. If I did everything, I would be MAT, BS, BSN, AS, AAS, RN, OCN. THAT is redundant.