The BSN Program at Mount St. Joseph University offers a three-year undergraduate nursing pathway, complementing its esteemed traditional four-year BSN program. The accelerated track targets high school students from institutions with substantial college credits and caters to those aspiring for a bachelor's degree within a condensed timeframe. This track aligns with the growing demands of prospective nurses in the healthcare sector, ensuring the continuity of our faith-based liberal arts education in the nursing education market. In response to the intensified nursing workforce shortage post-COVID-19, our three-year track emerges as a strategic solution, enabling students to graduate sooner, minimize tuition costs, and promptly contribute to filling critical gaps in healthcare. The nursing department aims to attract highly motivated individuals to join our pioneering program through collaboration with high school guidance counselors and alignment with dual-credit options available to high school students. While ensuring the same rigorous training and educational quality, this accelerated track reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of students and the surrounding community. We invite prospective students to embark on an expedited yet comprehensive journey toward a fulfilling nursing career.
Three-Year Pathway Students: (out of high school less than four years) the nursing department evaluates applicants from a holistic perspective and considers a strong applicant one who meets the following criteria for the nursing program:
- Recommended ACT score of 21 or higher/SAT score of 1070 or higher.
- Weighted high school cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Completed high school Chemistry, Algebra I, and Algebra II with a “C” or higher.
- Place above MTH 098 – Intermediate Algebra.
- Applicants must complete a minimum of 22 transfer credits that align with the program’s curriculum by high school graduation and 28 transfer credits that align with the curriculum before the start of the clinical nursing program. In addition, four transfer courses by high school graduation must equate to five of the nursing prerequisites listed below:
- BIO 197/197A
- BIO 198/198A
- SOC 103
- PSY 103
- CHE 104/104A/104R
- Two letters of recommendation acknowledge the applicant's attributes that will contribute to their success as a nursing student in a three-year accelerated track.
- A personal statement outlining the applicant’s interest in nursing, reasons for choosing a 3-year track, and the applicant’s plan for thriving in the nursing program as an accelerated student.
- A mandatory meeting with the applicant is required before enrollment.