Viterbo University

U.S.A. Wisconsin

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Has anyone attended Viterbo University BSN completion program? Is the program any good? Is it very expensive?

I am trying to decide where to apply to obtain my BSN. I attended College of St. Catherine-MPLS graduating with my ADN December 2002. So I have been a burse for about 7 years, and I am so ready to move up, because I would really love to be a wound/ostomy nurse specialist. I love wounds, and educating patients. From the research I have done so far the certification program that I would want requires a BSN, to obtain.

Thanks for any and all input. :yeah:

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Specializes in Cardiac, Hospice, Float pool, Med/Peds.

I am a Viterbo graduate and the program was great. Very expensive, but the class size is small and I did enjoy that... Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Ophthalmology.

I have a friend that is currently in the program and I would like to enroll in the fall. She really likes it. It is like $500/ credit currently, but I paid more than that per credit for my ADN. They also have lots of locations and you can get classes during the day instead of the evening. I also went to Marian College (now University) for a while. It's in the evening the advantage there was it was only $300/credit for BSN classes and you can work straight toward your MSN if you want to.

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I am at Viterbo now

AVOID THE SCHOOL AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

the professors are absolutely horrible. Given there are a few good ones- majority of them want to see you fail (no joke). it is a waist of money- its almost 2,000 dollars for a 3 credit class. this does not include the cost of clinicals (yes you get charged for clinicals!) cost of books are outrageous. i spent 900$ in books last semester (that is just 1 semester). It looks good and they put on a very very good front in making them selves look great. But its NOT a good program.

Only reason im staying-

im 1 yr from graduation and its too late now. But yes...avoid it!!! Many many people have dropped out because of it.

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You will hear many different things about it. but for what your paying for- you are not getting your money's worth. The school has changed alot in the last couple years. New professors, new class scheduale etc. So try not to get swayed into it by someone who hasnt been there in the last couple years. Lots of changes have happened since then.

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Specializes in Ophthalmology.

May I ask which campus you attend?

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I attended the La Crosse campus.

I may have over-reacted a tich. but i honestly do feel some of the professors want to see you fail. The school is so small that they know their students. I feld they picked their favorites and if you were not it, you were just screwed over. Some of the professors are amazing, no doubt about that. But would i do it over? yes! i would have picked a different school. They do not listen to their students concerns, especially when it comes to professors. Example:

i talked to one of the assistant deans (no longer there) about a professor giving me a very hard time and alot of other students. a very large portion of the class was failing. we all agreed her material was extremley outdated and wrong. she refused to listen to us when we tried to argue our test answers. Even when we showed her in the book that she is wrong. She would just state "well the book is wrong". Refused to give anyone points or even listen to our side. Did anything get done about it? No! what was the result??? Alot of students failing!

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I am a Viterbo grad. For me it was a hoop that I had to jump through. It was five times more expensive for my BSN than it was for my ADN. I don't really know if I would choose the same path if I had to do it over again.

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Specializes in assisted living.

hi em7008019!

Just wondering what you can tell me about marian. Did you stop going there for a specific reason? I just learned that Marian existed and was going to check into it. Any pros and cons that you can tell me? do you have to go full time? Where are you going now? Thanks!!

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Specializes in Ophthalmology.

The only reason I left Marian was that I moved out of Appleton back down to the Madison area and they did not have a section going in Madison at the time. The next Madison section starts in March of 2010.

They do have a relatively regimented schedule they would like you to keep, but do work with you some to accomadate if it just doesn't work with your schedule, but it can be awhile until the course is offered again. Especially if you are at one of their distant campuses. You do have to complete all of the gen eds before you can take an of the nursing courses.

It is an evening program which is nice if you have a day job. Most of the other BSN completion programs in the Madison area only offer classes during the day.

Last year undergrad credits were $300/ credit verses $500/ credit at some of the others I have looked at.

The only cons I came across was that you had to go to the local campus to make schedule changes, add/ withdraw from classes, ect. and you had to order your books ahead of time in order for them to be available for you at the "book store" at the Appleton campus. I say "book store" becaues although it was called that it was really just a big cabniet behind the main desk. The other thing I was they have an online area woth your syllabuses and things on it, but they didn't really explain how to use it very well ahead of time. This might be related to the fact that I didn't have to start with the 1st class they require because of transfer credits I came in about 3 months later so they may have explained it in one of the other courses.

My plan at the time being is to start back at Marian again in March when it is available in Madison.

If you think of any other questions please let me know. Overall it was a very positive experience.

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Specializes in assisted living.

Thanks em for the quick reply! I am excited to hear that they will have a Madison section! I live between sun prairie and columbus so that would be great. A couple more questions that I have are:

1. is the program difficult to get into...is there a waiting list?

2. I got my degree from UW Madison the first time so I know those classes will transfer, but I took the a&p's from Moraine park in beaver dam. Do tech school sciences transfer to 4 year schools? I know that you can transfer in your ADN and finish so I was hoping that I wouldn't have to take those over.

3. What is CHE 103-general, organic, and biochemistry equivalent to? I took what I guess was chem. 101 the first time around.

What semester will you be in? I heard at Marian that you start as a sophomore taking nursing classes so that it really takes 3 years??

Thanks so much for your help!! Good luck with everything!

Marisa

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Specializes in Ophthalmology.

Marisa,

I only had 5 non nurisng courses to take. They took Chem, microbiology, A&P I & II from MATC in Madison so I assume they will take them from Moriane Park. I also went to Marian for a semester way back in 1998 long before I ever went to nursing school so I got credit for the Philosphy, Theology and History classes I took back then. With all of those courses I think they had me listed a junior. It is an excelerated program so each class is 8 weeks with the exception of BioChem and Statistics. You can finish the BSN portion in two years if you stick to their schedule and I think it is an additional 2 years if you want to do the masters. It is actually an ADN to MSN program but they have an option to opt out at the BSN. My orginal plan was to go through the NP training, but my specialty doesn't use NPs so I'll probably stop at the BSN.

The gen eds I have left are:

History

Statistics

Bio Chem

Bio Ethics

I took Death, Dying & Hope which was my second theology course last fall.

Here is a list of the courses I was able to transfer in:

Professional Comp & Reascher Writing - Marian Fall 98

Asthetics, Values and Culture I - Lit course from MATC

Asthetics, Values and Culture II - Music course from MATC

World Hsitory - Marian 98

Foundations of Christian Experience - Marian 98 (the is like their 100 level theology course, I think everyone has to take this one)

Philosophy and Values - Marian Fall 98

A&P I - MATC

A&P II - MATC

Psychology Elective - MATC

Intro to Sociology - MATC

Microbiology - MATC

I have 3 degrees from MATC as well as my ADN from Herzing college so they had a lot of credits to weed through to find things to apply to their course requirements. I however feel they are pretty liberal with transfer credits.

I also remember the 1st time I went their was after I got my Assoc. in marketing and I was going for another business degree and I went in a few credits shy of a junior.

I have the entire course requirement list if you'd like to see it. Let me know.

Hope this helps,

Erin

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