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Undergraduate Programs

Earn your BSN at UL Lafayette through the path that fits you: the traditional four-year BSN, the 15-month Accelerated BSN, or the online RN to BSN.

Every path leads to the same Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the LHC Group · Myers School of Nursing. It's an exciting time to be in health care, as nurses continue to be integral leaders and members of the interdisciplinary health care team. Choose the path that matches where you're starting.

Three Paths to Your BSN

Compare UL Lafayette's three paths to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
PathWho it's forLength and format
Traditional BSNFirst-time college students and transfer studentsFour years on campus, with clinical courses starting in your sophomore year
Accelerated BSNStudents who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field15 months of full-time, in-person nursing courses after you complete your prerequisites
RN to BSN OnlineRegistered nurses with an associate degree or diploma in nursingAccelerated 8-week courses, 100% online, in as few as 12 months

What Every Path Shares

Every path earns the same 120-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and our baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Learn about our accreditation.

Where a BSN Can Take You

A BSN prepares you for direct patient care in pediatrics, medical/surgical, women's health, newborn nursery and newborn intensive care, psychiatric/mental health, critical care, operating room and post-anesthesia care, home health, hospice, occupational health, emergency departments, and public health, and for roles such as nursing administrator, case manager, nurse educator, legal nurse consultant, and forensic nurse.

Explore nursing career opportunities

Becoming a Registered Nurse

Traditional and Accelerated BSN graduates are eligible to apply for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). After completing your degree, you must pass the NCLEX-RN and receive approval to practice as a registered nurse from the regulatory agency in the state where you plan to work. Our graduates' first-time pass rates on the NCLEX-RN consistently exceed national and state averages.

These programs prepare students for licensure or certification within the state of Louisiana. If you plan to move out of state, review the list of licensure programs for important information.

Learn by Doing

In the Traditional and Accelerated BSN, you'll practice clinical skills on patient simulators in our simulation and learning labs, care for patients in clinical rotations at health care institutions across the state, and provide free health screenings to the campus community at Wellness Wednesday.

Choose Your Path

Start your nursing education as a first-year or transfer student and earn your BSN in four years on campus. You'll combine nursing theory, clinical practice, and leadership in multiple health care settings, building the research and leadership skills that will strengthen your nursing career.

You Should Choose the Traditional BSN If...

  • You understand the vital role nurses play in health care, and you want a career that lets you work to improve people's health.
  • You're a problem solver who can think critically and quickly in constantly changing environments.
  • You enjoyed biology, chemistry, and technology classes in high school.

How the Traditional BSN Works

  1. Meet the ACT or SAT minimums required before your first nursing course, NURS 104.
  2. Complete your freshman and sophomore prerequisites, including your science courses, with a "C" or better.
  3. Apply for admission to NURS 208, your first clinical nursing course, by November 1 for the spring semester or April 1 for the fall semester.
  4. Continue through your nursing courses in order through your junior and senior years. Each nursing course is a prerequisite for the next.

You'll need a "C" or better in each major nursing course and a "Satisfactory" in each nursing lab or clinical component.

See Nursing at a Glance  |  Review Progression Requirements  |  View the Curriculum

Already a registered nurse? Build on your knowledge and professional experience. The RN to BSN is designed for registered nurses who have earned an associate degree or diploma in nursing. With accelerated 8-week courses offered 100% online, you can earn your BSN in as few as 12 months while you keep working.

There's no time limit on transfer credits applied to the RN to BSN, and you'll complete at least 30 credit hours at UL Lafayette. The College of Nursing & Health Sciences makes the final determination on which transfer credits apply to your degree.

UL Lafayette Online has everything you need to get started, including tuition, start dates, admission requirements, and how to apply. Questions about your courses? Email RN2BSNadvisor@louisiana.edu.

Explore the RN to BSN Online

Already have a bachelor's degree in another field? The UL Lafayette · Ochsner Accelerated BSN is a partnership between UL Lafayette and Ochsner Lafayette General. Earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing in an intensive, full-time, in-person program that combines didactic courses, clinical and lab experiences, and hybrid interactive learning.

You Should Choose the Accelerated BSN If...

  • You already hold a bachelor's degree with an overall GPA of 2.6 or higher and want to begin your nursing career.
  • You're looking for an accelerated option and want to complete your nursing courses in 15 months.
  • You're ready for a career change into the fulfilling profession of nursing.

How the Accelerated BSN Works

  1. Complete your prerequisites. Apply to UL Lafayette and finish 50 hours of general education prerequisites with a "C" or better. General education credits from your previous degree may transfer on a case-by-case basis, science courses expire after ten years, and many prerequisites are offered only on campus, in person.
  2. Interview for a seat. Once you're admitted to the university and your GPA is verified, the college emails you a transcript evaluation and invites you to an in-person interview. After all interviews, the college selects students from the qualified pool for this limited-enrollment program.
  3. Start nursing courses in May. Complete 70 hours of nursing courses in 15 months, beginning with a three-week May intersession and continuing in 8-week terms through the following summer, with clinical rotations at Ochsner Lafayette General.

Applications open each fall semester.

Tuition and Work Commitment

Ochsner covers tuition for your nursing courses, and your contract includes a guaranteed job with Ochsner for three years after graduation. In exchange, you commit to work for Ochsner for those three years. There are no exceptions to this commitment and no option to pay the nursing course tuition yourself. You cover the cost of your prerequisite courses.

Requirements

  • A completed non-nursing bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • An overall GPA of 2.6 or higher on all previous undergraduate, college-level coursework
  • Undergraduate admission to UL Lafayette
  • A completed in-person program interview
  • Completion of 50 hours of required general education prerequisite courses before your nursing courses begin
  • A U.S. Social Security number

Admission to the university doesn't guarantee admission to the Accelerated BSN. Once in the program, you'll need a "C" or better in all coursework and a "Satisfactory" in each nursing lab or clinical component.

See the Accelerated BSN at a Glance  |  View the Curriculum

Not Sure Which Path Is Right for You?

Nursing Student Services can help you compare paths, review your transcripts, and map out your courses.

Talk to an Advisor  |  Plan a Visit

Ready to Apply?

Every path starts with an application to UL Lafayette, and each has its own next steps.

Learn How to Apply