Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)

Application Process:

Students applying to the Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program must:

• Apply to the College of Nursing through NursingCAS for the Accelerated BSN program. NursingCAS is a centralized application service for nursing programs. The application will open in August for entry into the Summer ABSN program. Applications must be in the “Verified” status in NursingCAS by the application deadline. Applicants who fail to submit their application by the deadline will be ineligible for consideration.
• Request Transcripts from all previous institutions. Applicants still enrolled should send their current institutions’ transcripts to NursingCAS as early as possible. If you are taking courses in the Fall and/or Spring semesters, we will request updated transcripts once grades are earned.
• Submit high school transcript if you completed your required one (1) year/unit US history at that time.
• Complete UT application:
  • Transfer Application (if you have never attended UT). Select Accelerated BSN for your first major choice.
  • Readmit Application (previous UT student). Current UTK students who will be enrolled during the Spring term do not need to complete a Readmit application; they only need to complete a NursingCAS application.

Admission Criteria:

Admission to the Accelerated BSN program of the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee is highly competitive and is based on the following criteria:

• A conferred, non-Nursing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university prior to the Summer admit term
• A minimum combined GPA of 3.0 or higher. This includes all coursework from all institutions attended. Please note that meeting the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee acceptance.
• Completion of 3 of the 4 prerequisites with a C or higher by the end of Fall 2026. This applies to both the didactic and lab portions. The remaining 1 prerequisite must be completed during the Spring 2027 term.
• Prerequisites
  • Human Anatomy equivalent to EEB 250+251, ANTH 250+251, or NURS 250+251.
  • Human Physiology must be equivalent to BCMB 230.
  • Microbiology must be equivalent to MICR 210 or BIOL 220+229.
  • Human Development must be equivalent to HDFS 210 or CFS 210.
  • For year-long Anatomy & Physiology courses (e.g., “Anatomy & Physiology I” and “Anatomy & Physiology II”), both must be completed to meet requirements and both must be completed at the same university. These combined courses cannot be mixed with standalone “Anatomy” or “Physiology” courses (e.g. “Anatomy & Physiology I” + “BCMB 230 Physiology” does NOT meet our requirements). Please use the transfer equivalency table to check how your courses transfer.
• Courses that show up as “LD” or do not show up at all in the transfer table may not be equivalent and may need to be evaluated. Transfer coursework is typically evaluated several weeks after a student is admitted to the university. For more information, please visit the Transfer Credit Policy page. Courses that show up in the transfer table as “UD” are not equivalent to UTK courses and are not guaranteed to meet our requirements. Please submit UD course syllabi to NursingCAS for a case-by-case review ONLY if your course is upper division (i.e. 300-level or higher).
• Applications are evaluated based on coursework indicated in the application. Please list all in-progress and planned courses that are relevant to your application. We cannot admit students based on planned coursework that is not indicated in the application. Admission decisions assume that all in-progress or planned coursework will be passed with a C or higher.
• Students graduating after July 1, 1978 must have completed 1 unit of U.S. history in high school or 6 semester hours of collegiate U.S. history, as required by Tennessee law. UT’s HIUS 221+222 courses fulfill this requirement if not completed in high school.

Other Considerations:

Health requirements, drug screening, and background check

• Admission to the program is based on the availability of space and contingent upon:
  • Admission to UT
  • Successful completion of any remaining prerequisites with a grade of “C” or higher
  • Submission of updated transcript

NursingCAS Student Guide

Admission Checklist

Expected Application Timeline:

Applications for the ABSN program are continuously reviewed as they are completed. The first round of decisions is expected to be sent out in September.

Please note that the application timeline is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. This process can take time, so please apply as early as possible. We recommend starting your application at least two months before the application deadline.

• Early August – Application opens
• Early September – First round decisions sent
  • Please note that applying by this date does not guarantee a decision on this date. Some decisions may remain pending until the second round of decisions.
• November 1 – Priority Deadline
  • Students who apply by this date may be given priority.
  • Applications must be verified in NursingCAS and have a completed UTK application to be considered for priority.
• December 1 – Final Deadline
  • Applications must be verified in NursingCAS and have a completed UTK application to be considered.
• December 15 – Second round decisions sent
• Late May- ABSN program begins

• The accelerated BSN program consists of 47 credit hours over 12 months.
• Excellent clinical experiences at major hospitals, community clinics, health departments, schools, and other health care facilities in the region
• Highly qualified faculty who are experienced teachers, researchers, and leaders in nursing and health care
• Technology-enhanced classrooms and accredited simulation laboratory facilities
• Outstanding preparation for the NCLEX, the national licensing exam for RNs—UT College of Nursing graduates consistently exceed both the state and national pass rates

• Three of the four prerequisites must be completed with a C or higher by the end of Fall term. The final prerequisite must be completed during the Spring term prior to the Summer start.
• It is not possible to complete any prerequisites concurrently with the ABSN program curriculum.
• There is no time limit on prerequisite course completion date. However, if you have science prerequisites that date back more than seven years, it may be beneficial to repeat these courses for preparation for the accelerated curriculum.
• Contact the College of Nursing Student Services Office if you have questions regarding course equivalency. Use the transfer equivalency tables to find equivalent courses at other colleges/universities.
• For year-long Anatomy & Physiology courses (e.g., “Anatomy & Physiology I” and “Anatomy & Physiology II”), both must be completed to meet requirements. These cannot be mixed with standalone “Anatomy” or “Physiology” courses (e.g., “Anatomy & Physiology I” + “BCMB 230 Physiology” does NOT qualify). Use the transfer equivalency guide to check how your courses transfer. Note: Some courses will only transfer if the full sequence is completed (e.g., “Anatomy & Physiology I” and “II”).

Prerequisite Requirements

• Human Anatomy (4 Semester hours with lab)
  • Equivalent to EEB 250/251 or NURS 250/251 or ANTH 250/251
• Human Physiology (4 Semester hours with lab)
  • Equivalent to BCMB 230
• Microbiology (Minimum 3 Semester hours with lab)
  • Equivalent to MICR 210 or BIOL 220/229
• Human Development (3 Semester hours)
  • Equivalent to HDFS 210 or CFS 210

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing and The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) have partnered to provide the UTMC ABSN Scholarship. Each student selected will receive $12,776 in scholarships from UT and UTMC.

The scholarship will be awarded through a competitive process to students who will then commit to work for UTMC for three years. Applicants must be currently enrolled at or admitted to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, ABSN Program. Only applicants with a desire to work at UTMC after graduation are eligible. Financial need may also be considered. Eight nursing scholars will be admitted each year into the program. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 1st!

If you choose to accept this scholarship, you are required to attend a reception that will be held during the fall semester. You will receive further information regarding attendance at the Scholarship Reception. Funds will only be dispersed in the fall and spring semester if the appropriate “thank you” letter has been received.

For more information on this program, please email Holly Hauck at [email protected].

FAQs

The accelerated BSN program consists of 47 credit hours over 12 months.

The summer term begins the Tuesday after Memorial Day and goes until mid-August.

ABSN Curriculum

Undergraduate Catalog