Nursing, RN to BSN
Why come back to school for your BSN? Like other highly specialized fields, nursing is varied and complex. Additional education can help position you as an advanced professional in your field. When you earn a BSN, you’re building on top of your skills as an RN. Nurses with BSNs are better trained in specialty areas and often eligible for higher salaries.
Learn how to:
- Synthesize knowledge from the humanities, natural, and behavioral sciences as a foundation for safe, client-centered nursing practice.
- Apply leadership concepts, skills and decision making in the provision of high-quality nursing care in a variety of settings.
- Demonstrate evidence-based clinical judgment in practice with individuals, families, and groups.
- Deliver quality health care through proficiency in information management and patient care technology.
- Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare policy and regulations to assist individuals, families, and groups to identify and mobilize resources to meet health care needs.
- Collaborate with consumers, members of the health care team and others to improve the delivery of health care.
- Integrate health promotion and disease prevention strategies for individuals, families, and groups to improve health outcomes for individuals, families, and groups.
- Demonstrate professional, ethical, and legal responsibility for nursing practice.
- Apply the nursing process to deliver and manage nursing care for culturally diverse individuals, families, and groups across the life span in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Use clinical reasoning strategies, communication and other affective skills, as well as psychomotor skills to provide therapeutic nursing interventions to culturally diverse individuals, families, and groups in varying health states.

750+ Course Options
The Coppin State University Academic Catalog has a wide variety of skill-building courses designed to inspire and prepare you to be in-demand professionals and transformational leaders.
Admission Requirements
Any student interested in the RN to BSN program must have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. The application process has several steps, and requires you to submit application materials to both the Office of Admissions and the College of Health Professions Academic Success Center (formerly the STAR Office). Be sure to pay attention to when and where you must submit any required documentation. .
To be considered for admission to RN to BSN undergraduate program, submit the following:
- Coppin State University online application
- Personal essay detailing your philosophy of nursing and professional goals
- Current resume
- Active unencumbered RN license in Maryland or participating state in the Nurse Multi-State Licensure Compact
- 3 letters of recommendation using the Nursing Recommendation Form. Submit to the CHP’s Academic Success Center only.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended. For students who have completed any education in a college or university outside of the U.S or related territory, be sure to submit a course-by-course evaluation by an approved evaluation agency. Submit all official transcripts to the Office of Admissions and the CHP’s Academic Success Center.
Note: RN to BSN students do not need to take the HESI A2 exam. Prospective students may also be invited to come in for an interview.
Important Dates to Remember
- December 1st is Early Decision deadline
- February 1st is Final Decision deadline
Program Requirements
To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among General Education Requirements (GERs), course prerequisites, and major courses. Each section below explains the range of course offerings.
General Education Requirements (GERs)
Students must complete 40 GER credits. Specifically for Health Information Management majors, your program plan should also include:
GER Requirement | Course options |
---|---|
Mathematics | MATH 203: Basic Statistics |
Behavioral and Social Science |
PSYC 201: General Psychology and SOCI 201: Introduction to Sociology |
Natural Sciences |
BIOL 107: Comprehensive Review of Life Sciences or BIOL 201: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and CHEM 103: General Chemistry (Prereq. MATH 110) |
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues |
SPCH 105: Introduction to Speech Communication or SPCH 202: Principles and Practices of Interviewing or SPCH 204 Critical Listening |
Additional GER Requirements
Course OPTIONS | Credits |
---|---|
HIST 201: World History I or HIST 203: U.S. History I or HIST 205: African-American History I |
3 |
HIST 202: World History II or HIST 204: U.S. History II or HIST 204: African-American History II |
3 |
WLIT 207: World Literature I or ENGL 2XX: Any 200-level Course |
3 |
ART 105: Introduction to Ceramic Sculpture or IDIS 102: Music and Dance or IDIS 103: Visual Arts and Theater or MUSC 201: Survey of Jazz Music or DANC 226: Fundamentals of Choreography or THEA 211: Fundamentals of Acting or LANG XXX: Any Foreign Language Course |
3 |
Core Courses (14 credits)
Course | Credits | Name |
---|---|---|
BIOL 203 | 4 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II |
BIOL 308 | 4 | Microbiology |
HSC 213 | 3 | Principles and Practices in Nutrition |
PSYC 335 | 3 | Developmental Psychology |
Advanced Placement in Nursing
These courses are based on RN licensure and Maryland State Articulation Agreement.
Course | Credits |
---|---|
Medical/Surgical Nursing | 6 |
Nursing Care for Children | 5 |
Pharmacology | 3 |
Mental Health Nursing | 4 |
Pathophysiology | 3 |
Advanced Medical/Surgical Nursing | 6 |
Maternity and Women's Health | 5 |
Senior Practicum | 3 |
Sample Degree Plan
Be sure to connect with your academic advisor to plan your semester courses. The plan below is just an example—your journey may have different requirements.
Fall Semester (15 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
NURS 210 | 3 | Nursing Informatics |
NURS 216 | 3 | Transitions to Professional Nursing Practice |
NURS 217 | 3 | Health Assessment |
NURS 220 | 3 | Ethics in Nursing |
NURS 315 | 3 | Nursing Research |
Spring Semester (15 credits)
Course | Credits | Name |
---|---|---|
NURS 411 | 2 | Contemporary Issues in Nursing |
NURS 421 | 3 | Leadership in Nursing |
NURS 430 | 4 | Community Health |
NURS 470 | 3 | Nursing and the Law |
XXXX xxx | 3 | Elective |
Related Nursing and Health Programs
Nursing
Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is in the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions.