This degree track is for students who are not already RNs, but who have completed a bachelor’s degree in another field.  For program information, contact Associate Dean Carolyn Townsend, DNP, at 765.455.9278 or ctownsen@iu.edu.

Note that all students must complete several prerequisite courses prior to admission. Students must also complete the general education core at IU Kokomo prior to admission (see details that follow). Your advisor will apply relevant transfer credits to your planning sheet as you prepare for program admission. This is incorporated into the Plan of Study.  The School of Nursing requires a grade of C or better in all courses.

Once admitted to the second-degree track the nursing curriculum is completed in four consecutive semesters, including summer. All the BSN academic policies apply to students in this track.

Nursing Coursework Semester 1 (17 credits)

• NURS-B 222 Comprehensive Health Assessment & Practicum (5 cr.);
• NURS-B 253 Professionalism in Collaborative Practice (3 cr.);
• NURS-B 260 Fundamentals of Nursing Practice & Clinical (5 cr.);
• NURS-B 261 Pathophysiology & Pharmacology for Nursing (4 cr.)

Nursing Coursework Semester 2 (16 credits)

• NURS-B 237 Promoting Healthy Populations (3 cr.);
• NURS-H 356 Biophysical Processes & Lab (5 cr.);
• NURS-H 371 Adaptive Processes (5 cr.);
• NURS-R 375 Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)

Nursing Coursework Semester 3 (16 credits)

• NURS-H 360 Interactive Processes & Clinical (5 cr.);
• NURS-H 476 Complex Processes (5 cr.);
• NURS-L 420 Nursing Leadership (3 cr.)
• NURS-S 483 Nursing Practice Capstone (3 cr.)

Nursing Coursework Semester 4 (14 credits)

• NURS-B 334 Transitional Care of Families & Populations (5 cr.);
• NURS-B 444 Managing Health & Illness Across Care Environ. (3 cr.);
• NURS-S 488 Nursing Synthesis (3 cr.)
• NURS-S 491 NCLEX Preparation (3 cr.)

Admission & Eligibility Requirements:

• Admission to the major is competitive.
• Students must be admitted to Indiana University Kokomo as a degree-seeking student.
• Bachelor’s degree must be from a regionally accredited institution. Transcripts must be on file at IU.
• The baccalaureate degree earned should have at least 120 credits.
• Due to the accelerated nature of the track, the overall GPA from the bachelor’s degree must be 3.0, or the student should request a waiver from the Student Affairs Committee.
• Required prerequisite coursework may be completed at Indiana University or transferred from another college or university. If transfer credit, the student may not apply until this credit is evaluated and accepted by Indiana University.
• Time limitation on specific courses: Knowledge and competencies developed in courses that fulfill the requirements for anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, and statistics are time-limited for individuals pursuing an undergraduate degree in nursing. If any of these courses were taken more than seven years prior to the application (at time of application) to the nursing undergraduate degree, the applicant must validate the related knowledge and competencies through testing, portfolio, or repeating the course to be eligible for admission and progression.
• Must have a minimum grade of C (2.0) in each required application course.
• Students who wish to apply to this track of the BSN program must not have been dismissed from another school of nursing. If the student has been so dismissed, there is a process for requesting permission to apply (refer to the dean’s office).
• Applications received after deadlines may not be considered for requested admission cycle. Students wishing to reapply for a following academic cycle are invited to do so.
• Entering students must complete a national criminal background check and drug screen, and will be required to complete health requirements (e.g. immunizations). If there are findings here that preclude clinical placement, the admission offer will be rescinded. Consult with the dean’s office if you have questions.

The student must have completed the following prerequisite collegiate coursework:

1. Anatomy and Physiology: at least 8 credits in separate or combined coursework
2. Microbiology: (at least 3 cr.)
3. Statistics (at least 3 cr., upper-division—300-400 level)
4. Psychology (at least 3 cr.)
5. Sociology (at least 3 cr.)

Priority & Ranking of Applicants:

Students will be placed in Priority 1 grouping if all the eligibility criteria are met at the time of application (May 15 due date). Students will be placed in Priority 2 grouping if they are applying before completion of the baccalaureate degree (summer graduate) or before completion of any of the prerequisite collegiate coursework is complete (i.e. if the student will be completing some coursework in the summer semester).

Ranking of students will occur within each priority grouping with a point system. Points will be assigned based on:

1. GPA from Anatomy, Physiology, & Microbiology courses,
2. GPA from initial baccalaureate degree,
3. Scores from responses to three (3) short essay questions, and
4. Credit hours completed at IU

Please note: Completion of the baccalaureate degree does not automatically ensure that the graduate is eligible for licensure in Indiana. The Indiana State Board of Nursing and the State of Indiana statutes regulate eligibility to sit for the NCLEX and grant licensure. In particular, international students should be advised to carefully consider where and how they may achieve licensure if they earn an IU Kokomo degree in nursing. For students in the major, the policies governing the nursing program all apply to this track.