Are you looking for a condensed, accelerated pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing? Ball State’s two-year track program allows you to graduate in just 19 months fully prepared for licensing as a medical professional.
Whether your plans after graduation include leaping directly into a career in a hospital or other medical setting, or moving on to graduate-level work, this accelerated degree plan will prepare you for future success.
What You Will Learn
Nationally Ranked
Our program is recognized by the National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.
Ball State School of Nursing prepares you for the nursing profession by providing a blend of intense lecture material with practical clinical experience. You will work with high-fidelity simulators that create a real-life experience in our million-dollar campus labs.
In addition, students apply their nursing skills in various clinical sites throughout east-central Indiana, including:
- hospitals
- long-term care facilities
- clinics
- provider's offices
- home health care facilities
What It’s Like to Major in Nursing at Ball State
Our nursing lab has top-notch simulation, resources, and support for nursing students. Faculty members provide student learning experiences that enhance critical thinking skills and preparation for real-world application of simulated scenarios.
See the Lab
Members of our faculty are experienced in the nursing field, and many are currently active in their specific areas of nursing. They are student-focused and have high expectations for student success across each of Ball State’s baccalaureate nursing programs.
Read Their Bios
Our nursing program offers general medical-surgical nursing courses, which are rigorous and prepare students for practice in multiple areas.
We also offer specialty classes, such as psychiatric, pediatric, community health, and childbearing nursing that allow students to be exposed to various types of nursing, as well as prepare them for care of clients throughout the lifespan.
In our leadership and management course during the last semester, students have an opportunity to work directly with a nurse in various areas of practice. Our critical care course is also unique to our program, and it brings all concepts from the foundational medical-surgical courses together.
Because Ball State enjoys strong relationships with clinical agencies across east-central Indiana, we are able to provide our students with hands-on learning experiences in a wide variety of clinical environments. You’ll have the opportunity to gain experience in environments from hospitals to private practice and long-term care facilities.
Explore Activities & Opportunities
Major Requirements
Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree in another major (as verified by an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university) will follow the second baccalaureate degree plan of study (fall admissions only).
Second baccalaureate degree applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and may apply for provisional admission provided space is available in the fall class.
The second BS degree track is an on-campus program offering an accelerated way to earn a BS in nursing and prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). After meeting prerequisite and University Core Curriculum requirements, students will complete the nursing courses and clinical hours for a degree in just 19 months.
Additional requirements include:
- Credit in ANAT 201, CHEM 101, BIO 113, PSYS 100, and SOC 100 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher and repeated no more than one time. A grade of C- or less is not passing in these courses for the baccalaureate nursing program. If a course is repeated, the most recent grade earned will be used. If the repeated course grade is a C- or less, the applicant will be removed from the applicant pool.
- Credit in NUR 228 and PHYS 215 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher or these courses in progress at the time the application is filed and repeated no more than one time for a grade of C (2.0) or higher on completion.
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The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing at Ball State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Credits
Total: 120
Courses
A few of the classes you will take include:
- Introduction to Nursing
- Health Applications
- Physical and Mental Health
- Pediatrics
- Childbearing
For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, please see our Course Catalog.
View Catalog
What Can You Do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
A bachelor’s degree in nursing prepares you to advance your career as a nurse, or to go on to graduate studies in nursing. This degree will prepare you to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, extended care facilities, clinics, homes, and community health agencies. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for National Council Licensure Examination for RN licensure (NCLEX-RN®).
You may pursue a career or further education as a/an:
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Postsecondary Nursing Instructor
- Nurse Anesthetist
Paying for Your Education
On top of the dozens of scholarships the university offers its students, our department gives awards every year to its own students to recognize them for their achievements. Learn more.
Apply to Ball State
Admission to Ball State is selective, and we carefully evaluate all applications on an individual basis. Applying is easy. Use our convenient, comprehensive, and secure online application.
Apply Now
Want to Learn More?
The best way to get a true feel for Ball State is to spend some time here, so we encourage you and your family to schedule a campus visit. Take a tour, attend an information session, meet with a professor in our area, and ask plenty of questions. Or if you’d rather speak to someone directly by phone or email, please feel free to contact us.