Delivered Fully Online
Nurses are able to work full time while completing the program. You will...
- Attend a mandatory online orientation at the beginning of the program.
- Take one online course at a time (two courses per semester).
- Complete 180 total practicum hours. The final 90 hours are completed during your final
semester and will require a clinical preceptor at a facility, set up by you and faculty.
Required Courses (30 Credit Hours)
To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.
Additional Credits Required for UNC Graduation
- 120 total credit hours are required for graduation from this UNC program. For full
program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Undergraduate Catalog.
- Many of these credits may come from the courses you transfer as you apply. See the
Eligibility & Transfer Credit tab for details about transferring your previous college
credit.
Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Coursework
UNC's Liberal Arts Curriculum provides students with a grounding in the liberal arts
that is infused with critical and creative inquiry, and which also satisfies the six
general education areas required for undergraduate degree programs at all public higher
education institutions in the state of Colorado.
Many of these courses will potentially be fulfilled from your transferred credit.
View the current LAC requirements and policies. Course requirements by category (with links to list of eligible courses) are available
at the bottom of the page.
Please note additional LAC recommendations for this program: certain UNC LAC courses are also prerequisite for admission to this program, so you
will have a portion of your LAC requirements fulfilled via those courses. These and
other LAC courses may transfer in if taken as part of your ADN or diploma degree program.
You can see the list of these courses in the Liberal Arts Curriculum section of the Degree Requirements.
Remaining Credits for Graduation
The remainder of your 120 total credit hours will be comprised of credits you take
at UNC or elsewhere. Please also see the additional information in the Eligibility
& Transfer Credit tab about articulation model credits and taking additional courses
online.
Admission Requirements
You must meet the UNC undergraduate admission requirements for the academic year for
which you are applying. See the UNC Catalog for current admission requirements.
Nursing Credentials and Work Experience
- Graduate of a state-accredited ADN or Diploma Nursing Program, with a minimum 2.5
GPA at graduation.
- For those without an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) or Diploma Nursing Degree,
the Program Coordinator can advise you on choosing state-approved programs and other
steps required for you to be eligible for the RN–BS program.
- Hold an active license as a registered nurse.
- Must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the adult and child/infant
(health professional) as evidenced by current CPR card.
- Recommended: 1,000 hours RN practice in last 3 years (exception for new ADN grads).
Prerequisite Courses
The following courses are required before program entry (Community College equivalents
are listed).
- BIO 245 Anatomy and Physiology I – or BIO 201 at CCCS
- BIO 246 Anatomy and Physiology II – or BIO 202 at CCCS
- BIO 251 Allied Health Microbiology – or BIO 204 at CCCS
- ENG 123 College Research Paper – or ENG 122 at CCCS
- FND 250 Principles of Nutrition – or NLN Challenge Exam
- PSY 230 Human Growth and Development – or CLEP Exam
- STAT 150 Introduction to Statistical Analysis – or MAT 135 at CCCS
Eligibility by State
At this time, UNC can serve online education to students from every state, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, we are not currently
accepting students to our online programs who reside in the CNMIs. Due to how fluid
these agreements can be at the state or federal level, we recommend checking our Eligibility by State page for details.
International Student Eligibility
International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply
to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency,
or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.
This program requires occasional visits to the United States. You will need to submit
financial documentation before you plan to arrive in the U.S. (and again each time
you travel to the U.S.). The financial documentation needs to demonstrate that you
can pay for the cost of tuition and living expenses for the days that you will be
in the U.S.
Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements, financial documentation and applying
as an international student.
International Students who will have difficulty making it to the on-campus orientation
session that is held at the beginning of the program should contact the Program Coordinator
with any questions before applying.
Transferring Credit
UNC Transfer Policies
Students are considered transfer students if they have completed any college-level
coursework after completing high school. As part of your UNC application, you will
need to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Please visit the Transfer of Credits pages on the UNC Office of the Registrar website for information about:
- How many credits can transfer
- Requirements of credits transferred, such as your earned grade and institutional accreditation
- The transfer evaluation process
- Transferology – this service allows you to view our published course equivalencies for your previous
courses. This can be done for free before you apply to UNC.
- For those students who have taken or are taking supporting courses at a Colorado public
two-year institution, see the Transfer Articulation Guides.
Colorado Articulation Model and Nursing Coursework Transfer
Credit earned in your earned in your diploma or ADN program (approximately 40 credits)
will be awarded to you upon successful completion of the first 12 credits earned at
UNC. This process is called giving credits in escrow and is in accordance with the
Colorado Articulation Model. There is no need to test out of or challenge this previous
nursing coursework.
Taking Prerequisite, LAC or Elective Courses Online
If you are missing any of this coursework:
- The UNC Course Search – use the "Go to schedule of classes" button (many LAC course offerings are during
Summer sessions; UNC does not currently have online LAC courses in the following subjects:
Math, and Science with lab).
- You can also search for online courses at Colorado Community Colleges Online or peruse options at any community college, particularly one near you (tuition is
often lower for local residents).
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
- There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
- Certain courses, such as clinical and practicum courses, may carry specific course
fees for additional services and materials
Program tuition for the 2022-23 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer
terms) is $513 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year will be determined
mid-June 2023.
Financial Aid
Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for
federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for current undergraduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic
year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).
Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you
may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has
passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration
as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may
be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority
application for the following academic year.
Bachelor's students must be enrolled in in a minimum of 6 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time
enrollment is based on 12 credits per term.
To apply for federal financial aid assistance
Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid
at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish, and Braille.
Student Health Insurance
The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended
Campus Center, or Online.
Degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in 9 or more credit hours will automatically
receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If
you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage,
you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.
Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.
