Accelerated BSN FAQs

The program has three start dates each year: one in the winter, which starts in January; one in the spring, which starts the end of April/beginning of May; and one in the fall which starts the end of August/beginning of September. The program takes 15 months to complete and is offered in eight 8-week Accelerated BSN Units.

No. Thomas Edison State University does not participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Therefore, the University does not sponsor foreign national students for F-1 or J-1 visas.

Due to the rigorous and accelerated nature of this program, students are strongly discouraged from working or maintaining any employment while completing this program.

The program is divided into three educational components:

• Class: online synchronous interactive courses
• Clinical/Simulation and Lab Experiences:
  • Clinical experiences are held one to two days a week (depending on the Accelerated BSN Unit) for up to 12 hours. These may be held on evenings, nights or weekends.
  • Simulation and lab experiences take place on campus in our high-fidelity lab; throughout the program, scheduled simulation and lab time is built into each hybrid course.
• Online Coursework: students are responsible for completing online coursework (readings, videos, class preparation, discussion forum posts, assignments) on their own time

Step 1: Submit Your Application

The first step in the application process consists of submitting your online application (with nonrefundable application fee) through the TESU Online App and the following supporting documents:

• All official transcripts (GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred) from every higher education institution you have attended (including Advanced Placement Tests).
• A personal statement (approximately 500-800 words) addressing the following:
  • Education and work background.
  • Life experiences that influenced your interest in nursing.
  • Experiences working with a diverse population of people.
  • Elements of the TESU Accelerated BSN Program that made you decide to apply.
  • Anything else you believe the Admissions Committee should know: life experiences, explanation of any previous experience in a nursing program, challenges, successes, or obstacles you encountered that may strengthen your application or showcase your ability to be successful in this accelerated program.

Submit your official transcripts to the Office of the Registrar.

Submit your resume (optional), personal statement online.

Step 2: Completing Requirements

After your preliminary application is complete, your transcripts will be evaluated, and you will be welcomed to TESU as a student in the Bachelor of Science with an Area of Study in Health Studies (BS.HLTSTD) degree program. Please note, your offer of university admission does not ensure future entrance into your intended academic major. Nursing maintains supplemental requirements for entry into the program. To be eligible for admission to the prelicensure program, applicants must have completed all prerequisite coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The BS.HLTSTD degree program can be used as a pathway to help you complete the Accelerated BSN application process. At this step in the process, you will need to:

• Schedule an appointment with your School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor to review potential prerequisite or general education courses.
• If you do not have a previous bachelor’s degree, you will need to schedule and take the ATI TEAS Exam and submit your official ATI TEAS Exam Score Report. Students should achieve an overall score of 70% or better and scores of 70% or better for all subcategories.
• Monitor your progress in the Accelerated BSN application process.
• Schedule appointments as needed until your application is complete and ready for review by the Admissions Committee.

Step 3: Application Review

When all requirements are complete, your file will be reviewed by the Accelerated BSN Program Admissions Committee, and you may be invited for an interview.

Please note: a completed application does not guarantee an interview invitation. Additionally, an interview does not guarantee admission to the program.

Applications are reviewed and interviews are scheduled all year. Acceptance into a program cohort is on a first come, first serve basis. Applicants who are accepted into the program after the maximum number of cohort seats has been filled will be invited to join the next available program cohort.

All application requirements described in Step 1 and Step 2, including prerequisite courses, must be completed by the following application deadlines:

• Winter cohort: November 1st
• Spring cohort: March 1st
• Fall cohort: May 1st*
  *Students completing their degree and/or prerequisite coursework in May will still be considered for the September start date.

You may call the Office of Admissions to check on your documents/application status at (609) 777-5680.

• Complete 60 college credits (general education requirements and nursing prerequisite courses) at a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Completion of all general education requirements and nursing prerequisite courses prior to acceptance.
  • Minimum grade of C (73) or better in each science prerequisite course as well as statistics
• If you do not have a previous bachelor’s degree, complete the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS®) Exam. The ATI TEAS Exam measures basic essential skills in the academic content areas of reading, mathematics, science, English, and language usage. A score of 70% or better for all content area scores and overall scores is preferred. Official score reports expire one year after the date of the exam.
• Submit an online application, with the required supporting documents, and a nonrefundable application fee. All requirements, including the online application, supporting documents, prerequisite courses, and nonrefundable application fee, must be received by TESU by the application deadline:
  • Winter cohorts: November 1st
  • Spring cohorts: March 1st
  • Fall cohorts: July 1st
• Attend an interview if invited (we will schedule this for you).

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred, but you can still apply and your application materials will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

All applicants without a prior bachelor's degree are required to take the ATI TEAS Exam. We recommend speaking with the School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor about the ATI TEAS Exam prior to registering for and scheduling the exam. On ATI’s website, you can register for and schedule the exam at a time/location convenient for you. You can take the exam online with TESU as your exam proctor. Select Thomas Edison State University on ATI’s website.

A score of 70% or better is preferred for all content area scores and overall scores. You are allowed to take the exam two times. We recommend studying/preparing for the exam. Study materials are provided by ATI and can be purchased on their website. Official score reports expire one year after the date of the exam.

The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions has the discretion to require a nursing applicant to take the TOEFL, regardless of the applicant’s native language, if there is a concern about a student’s ability to communicate in English.

Yes, you can take prerequisite courses at TESU. Make sure to contact our Program Advisor at nursing@tesu.edu before doing so.

Before taking any courses, make sure a Nursing Advisor at nursing@tesu.edu. There are no time limits on prerequisite courses. All prerequisite course and general education requirement credits must be completed prior to acceptance into the program.

If you have a prior bachelor’s degree, the following courses must be completed to start nursing courses. Please meet with an advisor before taking any of these courses.

If you do not have a prior bachelor’s degree, the following courses must be completed to start nursing courses. Please meet with an advisor before taking any of these courses.

*Please check with the School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor at nursing@tesu.edu for more information on test for credit and accepted exams.

• Statistics: HPS-2000 (Statistics for the Health Professional)
• Anatomy and Physiology 1 (with Lab): BIO-2110
• Anatomy and Physiology 2 (with Lab): BIO-2120
• Microbiology (with Lab): BIO-2510 (Introduction to Microbiology)
• Chemistry: CHE-1110 (General Chemistry I), or CHE-1120 (General Chemistry II)
• Nutrition: BIO-2080 (The Science of Nutrition)
• Ethics: PHI-2860 (Contemporary Ethics) or PHI-3840 (Ethics and the Business Professional) or ETH-2200 (Leading the Way: A Path Towards Ethical Learning)
• Introduction to Sociology: SOC-1010 (Introduction to Sociology)
• Introduction to Psychology: PSY-1010 (Introduction to Psychology)
• Developmental Psychology/Lifespan: PSY-2110 (Developmental Psychology)

Yes, the credit by examination option is available for the following prerequisite courses:

• Nutrition
• Ethics
• Introduction to Sociology
• Introduction to Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Please check with the School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor at nursing@tesu.edu for more information on credit by examination and accepted exams.

The credit by examination option is not available for the following prerequisite courses:

• Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
• Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab
• Chemistry
• Microbiology with Lab
• Statistics

These must be taken as classes and have grades from regionally accredited institutions.

Please check with the School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor at nursing@tesu.edu for more information on test for credit and accepted exams.

TESU prefers to receive transcripts electronically through one of the many secure services with which we participate. If transcripts must be sent by mail, please send to:

Office of the Registrar - Accelerated BSN
Thomas Edison State University
111 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608

You can find more information about sending transcripts to TESU here. Please do not send your transcripts to the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions.

An initial Transcript Evaluator from the Office of the Registrar within 10 business days of receipt of the application and all official transcripts. Once the review is complete, the Office of the Registrar will send you an email notification. At this point, you can make an appointment with the School of Nursing and Health Professions Advisor to discuss the results and the next steps in the application process.

TESU will not evaluate transcripts from other countries. We will accept credit recommendations from one of the following agencies when the recommendations are based on a course by course evaluation and sent on an official transcript to TESU.

• Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.
• Center for Applied Research Evaluations & Education, Inc.
• Education Credential Evaluators, Inc.
• World Educational Services, Inc.
• SDR Educational Consultants
• TEC The Evaluation Company
• Transcript Research

• Application Fee: $50.00 (TESU)
• Tuition: $41,316.00 is paid in increments by units (subject to change)
• A $500.00 nonrefundable deposit is required within seven (7) days of acceptance into the program in order to secure your place in the cohort. This will be applied to your first tuition payment.
• Additional fees throughout program.
• Your tuition bill due 2 weeks before classes begin.

A $500.00 nonrefundable deposit is required within 7 days of acceptance into the program in order to secure your place in the cohort. This will be applied to your first tuition payment.

Yes, you can get financial aid, but please be advised that if you have a previous bachelor’s degree, you may not qualify for Pell Grant funding. You must submit your FAFSA in order to be considered for financial aid. It is advisable to do this as soon as possible. Furthermore, do not rely on federal and state financial aid to cover your entire tuition, living expenses, books, equipment, uniforms, or other expenses. You may have to seek private, credit-based sources of funding, scholarships, etc. For questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (609) 633-9658 or email at finaid@tesu.edu.

Here is a helpful video explaining how to accept financial aid:

Financial aid and any private loans must be in place and accepted prior to the start of your first term. If you plan to pay all or a portion of their tuition out of pocket, that payment must be made prior to the first day of class. Students with outstanding balances on their accounts will not be permitted to attend class or clinical.

Scholarships are available. View scholarship information or visit Johnson & Johnson Nursing for outside scholarship information.

Yes, students are required to purchase books, uniforms, supplies, etc. Estimated associated costs are below:

• Hybrid Course Fee: $500 per hybrid course
• Required Course Materials: $2,000.00
• Uniform and Other Supplies: $300.00
• Clinical Compliance: $400.00
• Major Medical Health Insurance: costs vary by plan
• Professional Liability Insurance: $30.00 (costs vary by plan)
• New Jersey Nursing Student Convention: $90.00-$125.00
• Graduation Audit Fee: $298.00
• New Jersey Board of Nursing Application Fee: $200.00
• NCLEX-RN Application/Exam Fee: $200.00

Current Students:

• Phone: (609) 633-6460
• Email: nursing@tesu.edu

Prospective Students:

• Phone: 609-777-5680 (Admissions)
• Email: admissions@tesu.edu

You can also attend one of our information sessions. Check our calendar for dates.