Accelerated BSN Program

Fall Start: Priority deadline is January 5th. Applications will be considered until July 15th based on availability.

1) Complete prerequisites with sufficient grades. 

2) Apply via NursingCAS.

• • NursingCAS Portal 

3) Complete Clinical Compliance Tracking

• • The College of Nursing utilizes Complio. All applicants must order and complete an Application Package from Complio, which includes a background check and urine drug screen, prior to the application deadline. Only Complio background check and urine drug screen reports are acceptable, no other organizations results will be utilized.
  • When you enter the portal, select the $63.95 Application Package.  
  • Portal link: Complio MSU Compliance 

1. All students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing prior to the beginning of the program in August.
2. You must have a calculated GPA of 3.0 or higher in prerequisite courses
3. You must be on track to complete all prerequisites prior to placement start date, with a grade of C- or better (prerequisites must have been completed within the last 15 years). In addition, you may have no more than two retakes of prerequisite coursework (a grade of “W” counts as a repeat). If you are interested in appealing this policy, please contact an advisor.

4. You must complete at least 3 of the 5 required natural science courses with a grade of C- or better to apply to the nursing program. Those courses are: Anatomy and Physiology I with a lab (BIOH 201), Anatomy and Physiology II with a lab (BIOH 211), Microbiology for Health Sciences with a lab (BIOM 250), Introduction to General Chemistry with a lab (CHMY 121), and Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Principles with a lab (CHMY 123).  

5. Anatomy and Physiology I with a lab (BIOH 201) MUST be one of the three completed science courses in order to apply.

Below is a list of the required prerequisite courses for the Accelerated BSN program. These courses need to be completed prior to the beginning of the nursing curriculum. Applicants who already possess a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing do not have to complete the WRIT 101 requirement listed below. 

• BIOH 201- Anatomy and Physiology I with a lab 
• BIOH 211- Anatomy and Physiology II with a lab 
• BIOM 250/251- Microbiology for Health Sciences with a lab 
• CHMY 121IN/122IN- Introduction to General Chemistry with a lab 
• CHMY 123/124- Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Principles with a lab 
• COMX 111US- Introduction to Public Speaking
• HDFS 101IS-Individual and Family Development & Well-Being –Across the Lifespan - OR - PSYX 230 Developmental Psychology 
• M 121Q- College Algebra - OR -M 140 - College Math for Health Care 
• NRSG 116- Introduction to Professional Nursing (can be taken in the first semester of upper-division coursework)
• NUTR 221CS- Human Nutrition
• PSYX 100IS- Introduction to Psychology - OR - SOCI 101IS- Introduction to Sociology  
• STAT 216Q- Introduction to Statistics
• WRIT 101W– College Writing I *Not required for students who already have a bachelor’s degree
• WRIT 201- College Writing II

Once accepted and placed into the program, students will complete the following courses over three semesters, graduating at the end of summer semester. A full breakdown of class is available on the MSU Catalog.

93.8%

First-time NCLEX pass rates for Nursing student graduates at MSU in 2023.

$86,070

The median annual wage for registered nurses as of May 2023. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

You could work in a variety of nursing settings once you graduate: 

• Acute Care 
• Flight Nurse 
• Travel Nurse
• School Nurse 
• Military Nurse 
• Community Organizations

The ABSN program is a great way to transition from your current career to Nursing. 

The Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing operates five campus locations across the state of Montana to accommodate more students with clinical placements.  While completing the Nursing CAS application, students are asked to rank the campuses in order of their preference. Campus locations are Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, & Missoula. Preferences are honored in descending order by holistic rank and students selecting. 

Campus cohort placements will be based on your campus ranking in the application. If you are not offered your 1st campus choice, you may decline your guaranteed placement and request placement on the wait list for the desired campus. If you are not offered initial placement, you may also request a spot on the waitlist. If you are not placed from the waitlist, you may re-apply during the next application period.

Placement decisions for students who submitted prior to the Priority Deadline will go out via email on March 15th. 

In 2021 Mark and Robyn Jones made a $101 million philanthropic investment to MSU’s nursing college, which now bears their name. This gift has allowed us to begin construction on new building on each of our five campus locations in 2024. Each building will be two stories and house multiple classrooms and simulation laboratories, as well as break and study areas for students. The buildings will also allow for us to accommodate for more students in coming years. 

 

Please refer to Student Accounts at MSU for information on current ABSN tuition/fees.

• On the left-hand side of the webpage, click on “Tuition & Fee Charts – Current” or "Tuition & Fee Charts - Future".
• Choose the appropriate term.
• Then click on “Accelerated Nursing” for the links to Tuition and Fees.

Please note that future Tuition and Fees are subject to change and may be adjusted by the Montana Board of Regents.