Second-Degree Accelerated Baccalaureate Program in Nursing

General Information

The Second Degree Accelerated Baccalaureate Program in Nursing is designed specifically for men and women who hold a baccalaureate degree in another field and want to pursue a BS in Nursing degree. This full-time program consists of two parts:

• Prenursing requirements (28 credits) in the physical and social sciences, mathematics, and humanities. These may be completed full time or part time at Purdue University or other institutions. Students may already have earned some of these credits.
• Nursing requirements (59 credits), including both theory and clinical. These may be earned only at the Purdue University School of Nursing as a full-time student.

Applicants are admitted to Purdue University School of Nursing's Accelerated Program once each year. Participants will be admitted to the nursing coursework in May, complete coursework in August of the following year, be eligible for graduation from Purdue University in August, and be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The Second Degree Accelerated Baccalaureate Program in Nursing leads to a bachelor of science (BS) in Nursing degree.

It is the mission of the Purdue University School of Nursing's baccalaureate program to prepare a generalist practitioner capable of providing professional nursing care to individuals and families with diverse health needs in a variety of settings. This program provides a sound foundation for you to obtain leadership skills, utilizing nursing research in the clinical setting, and for pursuing graduate education in nursing. Provision is made for smooth transition from second degree to the School of Nursing's advanced practice programs (Master of Science with ANP specialization and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs).

This baccalaureate program promotes a climate that recognizes each person's past experiences and builds on those strengths. It provides a more realistic career change that can be made without you having to enroll in a 2-year associate degree program, a 3-year diploma program, or go the full four years in a traditional baccalaureate program. A 2-year associate degree or 3-year diploma in nursing will not enable you to pursue graduate school, while our Second-degree program will.

The great variety of educational and life experiences which the students can share with each other and faculty can enhance knowledge and practice of all concerned, as well as provide faculty with continued stimulation and challenge.

• There are strong academic and clinical faculty members to teach the didactic, clinical, and research components of the program.
• The student has the flexibility of leaving the program after a baccalaureate degree is completed.
• Clinical experiences are in culturally diverse local (Delphi/Family Health Clinic of Carroll County), national (Native American reservations) and international settings (Nursing Students Without Borders projects in Mexico, the Brigada de Salud project in Honduras, and the World Health Organization Collaborating Center affiliation).
• Students will have access to multidisciplinary faculty and researchers in a specified area of research.

Due to the intensive nature of the coursework, students are strongly encouraged not to have outside employment during the accelerated program.