The Accelerated BSN degree is designed for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and want to switch their career to healthcare. This pathway is ideal to  leverage your prior college experience into a fast-track nursing education.

To qualify for Baker College’s ABSN, you must:

• Hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Complete all science prerequisites—Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Microbiology, General Chemistry, and HSC 1010—with a grade of B– (2.7) or higher in each course (Transfer credits are accepted within 5 years of completion.)
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (though competitive applicants often have higher GPAs)
• Submit an online application along with official transcripts demonstrating your degree and prerequisite grades
• Complete required background checks, health clearances, and immunizations before starting clinical coursework

Meeting these criteria ensures you have the academic foundation and professional readiness to succeed in the intensive, 18-month Accelerated BSN program.

Once your prerequisites are satisfied, the ABSN degree consists of 62 credits of nursing coursework delivered in a full-time, cohort format.

You’ll complete classroom lectures, high-fidelity simulation labs, and clinical rotations over 18 consecutive months at our Muskegon or Royal Oak campus. This intensive schedule is structured to prepare you efficiently for the NCLEX-RN exam and to create a seamless transition into professional nursing practice.

The Accelerated BSN program is currently offered at our Muskegon and Royal Oak campuses. Both locations feature dedicated nursing suites equipped with high-fidelity simulation labs, allowing accelerated BSN students to practice key clinical skills in a realistic, controlled environment. 

Accelerated BSN degree students move through each semester alongside a tight-knit cohort, typically ranging from 20–30 peers. Cohorts are kept small to foster close collaboration with faculty and peers, and campus advisors at each site provide tailored support to help you stay on track. Nursing faculty mentors become familiar with your group’s strengths and challenges, providing personalized coaching and feedback. 

The cohort model not only builds a built-in support network for study groups and peer mentoring but also mirrors real-world healthcare teams, preparing you for the collaborative nature of professional nursing practice.

The Accelerated BSN is a full-time, immersive experience that demands a significant time commitment and focus. You should plan on spending 40 hours per week between lectures, simulation lab practice, and clinical rotations—often scheduled during weekdays, with some evening and weekend sessions to accommodate hands-on skills training. 

Outside of scheduled nursing classes, you’ll engage in group projects, case-study discussions, and independent study to reinforce coursework and prepare for clinical scenarios. This pace is intentionally structured to develop your clinical judgment, time-management abilities, and resilience in real-world healthcare settings. 

If you thrive on collaborative learning and can balance intensive coursework with self-directed study, you’ll find the workload both challenging and rewarding.

While the total number of clinical hours in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing matches those of the Traditional BSN, they’re delivered on a much tighter timeline. 

You’ll rotate through acute care, community health, maternal-child, and mental health settings in concentrated blocks—spending no more than two days in the clinical environment each week.

Although the scope and learning objectives mirror the four-year BSN program, ABSN cohorts complete these experiences in just 18 months, which means less downtime between rotations and more frequent transitions between specialties. 

Baker College maintains the same network of partner hospitals, clinics, and community agencies for both pathways, ensuring you receive diverse, high-quality clinical instruction even within the Accelerated BSN format.

Baker College provides robust, tailored support to help students succeed in the Accelerated BSN program. From day one, you’ll be partnered with a dedicated advisor who guides you through course sequencing, clinical placement logistics, and licensure preparation. 

Our Academic Resource Center offers specialized tutoring sessions and study workshops focused on anatomy, pharmacology, and critical care skills—key areas in the accelerated curriculum. 

Yes, you can transfer applicable undergraduate coursework into the Accelerated BSN program—up to the program’s general education and prerequisite limits—provided they meet Baker’s transfer criteria. We will evaluate your previous credits in general education and science prerequisites to determine transferability. You can review the science specific course transfer requirements in the program handbook.

Any approved transfer hours count toward your 120-credit total, but all 62 nursing-specific credits still must be completed at Baker to meet accreditation and state board requirements.

Before your first day in the Accelerated BSN program, Baker provides you with a comprehensive “Boot Camp” packet packed with pre-course study guides, skills checklists, and detailed simulation-lab orientation materials so you know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. 

You’ll also have access to online refresher modules in essential science topics—like anatomy and physiology—to ensure your foundational knowledge is solid. Prior to the start of your nursing classes, you’ll be invited to a virtual orientation session where you’ll meet your faculty, learn how to navigate Baker’s learning management system, and connect with your cohort peers. 

Your dedicated advisor will also reach out to review your course schedule, confirm your clinical and lab dates, and answer any lingering questions about textbooks, uniforms, or immunization requirements. This structured onboarding process ensures you hit the ground running.