R.N. to B.S. Program
Program of Study
The R.N. to B.S. Program at Seattle Pacific University keeps on the cutting edge of nursing education with a curriculum that challenges students to strive for excellence. Yet the Program also eases students back into university study with helpful transition courses and convenient off-campus class locations and times.
Course Credit Options
The Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing requires a total of 180 credits: 77 nursing credits, 5 HSC (statistics) credits, and 98 SPU Foundations and general education credits.
Students in the R.N. to B.S. Program earn these credits through
- Advanced-placement credits (upper division) granted for prior National Boards NCLEX exam (45 credits)
- College transfer credits from other institutions (maximum of 90 credits from community college)
- SPU R.N. to B.S. Program credits from required nursing courses offered in off-campus locations (35–37 credits)
Transfer Students
SPU allows a maximum of 90 credits to be transferred from community colleges. To achieve an SPU degree, an undergraduate transfer student must
- Earn a minimum of 45 SPU credits as a matriculated student
- Complete at least 60 credits in courses numbered 3000–4999 (upper-division)
- Complete the nursing major
- Finish their final 15 credits prior to degree completion in residence* at SPU
See the SPU Transfer section of the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for complete details.
*Credits earned through the SPU R.N. to B.S. Program are considered resident credits even though the classes are held off-campus.
Coursework and Suggested Sequence
For an overview of R.N. to B.S.Program courses, visit our course description section in the SPU Undergraduate catalog.
To see what eight quarters of study could look like, review our suggested course sequence. (48 KB PDF)
Required Nursing Courses (32 credits)
| Professional Nursing Concepts: R.N. | 5 credits |
| Family and Community Nursing: R.N. | 5 credits |
| Professional Nursing Role: R.N. | 4 credits |
| Health Care Delivery Models: R.N. | 3 credits |
| Professional Synthesis Theory | 5 credits |
| Professional Synthesis Internship | 8 credits (two 4 credit courses) |
| Nursing Research: R.N. | 2 credits |
Practicum courses are project based, with hours arranged by the student and the student's advisor.
Additional Nursing Requirements and Courses
Biomedical Statistics (5 credits) is required prior to taking Nursing Research, but it is not a prerequisite to enter the Program.
Statistics may be taken at SPU or at another college or university. If a statistics course taken at another college is a lower-division course or with a prefix other than Nursing or Health Science (e.g., math, business or psychology), three additional credits in nursing are required. These credits are usually taken as independent study and arranged through the R.N. to B.S. Program director.
Required Foundation and General Education Courses
To achieve an SPU degree, student must complete SPU Foundation and general education courses (100 credits).
Required Foundation courses that must be taken through SPU are:
- Christian Scriptures (5 credits)
- Christian Theology (5 credits)
A third Foundation course is required for students who enter SPU at a freshman or sophomore standing. Select courses are available online through Taylor University to fulfill this requirement.
Visit SPU’s online undergraduate catalog for a complete review of general education program distribution requirements.