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, you must also submit a second updated transcript to NursingCAS once Fall and Spring grades have been posted.
• 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).

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 GPA is based on the most recent 120 completed credits and includes graduate coursework.
• Completion of 3 of the 4 prerequisites with a C or higher by the end of Fall 2025. This applies to both the didactic and lab portions. The remaining 1 prerequisite must be completed during the Spring 2026 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, CFS 210, or PSYC 300.
  • 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 in the transfer table as “UD” are not equivalent to UT courses and do not meet our requirements. Courses that show up as “LD” or do not show up at all may not be equivalent and/or 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.
• 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 are expected to be sent out in September. Afterwards, decisions will be sent on a rolling basis as applications are completed. Applicants with in-progress Fall prerequisites are expected to receive a decision after Fall semester ends, likely January or February. Admission will be offered until seats are filled.

Please note that the application timeline is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. This process can take time, so you should 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
  • This applies to students who have all minimum criteria completed and no pending requirements.
• November 1 – Priority Deadline
  • Students who apply by this date may be given priority.
• Mid December – Academic Update for Fall 2025
  • You may be required to submit updated transcripts to NursingCAS.
• January 15 – Final Deadline
  • All NursingCAS and UT applications must be submitted by this date to be considered.
• February 1 – Materials Deadline
  • This applies to students who have submitted applications by the January 15 deadline and have remaining materials to send. New applications will not be accepted after January 15.
  • All NursingCAS applications must be verified by this date.
• Late May – Academic Update for Spring 2026
  • You may be required to submit updated transcripts to NursingCAS.
• 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 or PSYC 300

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