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Online RN-to-BSN Admissions Requirements

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Getting Started

Each Purdue University Northwest degree program has specific requirements that you must meet in order to enroll. Please read the admissions guidelines for the RN-to-BSN program listed below. For specific questions or more details, view our admissions FAQs or the RN-to-BSN Student Handbook.

PNW Online RN-to-BSN Admissions Requirements

Only applicants from Indiana, Illinois or Wisconsin, or Purdue Northwest alumni are authorized to enroll in the online RN-to-BSN program.

Learn more about nursing in Indiana, Illinois or Wisconsin.

Applicants must have:

  • Graduated from a regionally accredited institution
  • Completed a nursing program that had national nursing accreditation at the time of attendance and graduation (ACEN, NCEA or CCNE)
    • The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN) granted continuing accreditation to the baccalaureate, master's and post-master's certificate programs with the next evaluation visit scheduled for Fall 2027 (https://www.acenursing.org/).
    • National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation: CNEA is a national accrediting body that provides accreditation to LPN/LVN, diploma, and associate's degree programs. A list of CNEA-accredited nursing programs can be found on the CNEA website (https://cnea.nln.org/accredited-programs)
  • Active licensure as a registered nurse
  • A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.3 from an accredited associate's degree or diploma program in nursing. Applicants with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.29 may submit a petition letter to the director of the online program that will be reviewed by the RN-to-BSN Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee and documents the following:
    • What circumstances caused the low GPA?
    • What is different now to control those issues?
    • What mechanisms are in place to ensure academic success?
    • A list of career/employment accomplishments

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores may apply if applicant's native/first language is not English and the applicant does not hold a bachelor's degree or higher degree.

Authorized Provider

Purdue Northwest ADN alumni residing outside of Indiana, Illinois or Wisconsin must confirm that PNW is authorized for online higher education in that particular state. Current students who, after being accepted, move to a state where PNW is not approved for online higher education must receive state Board of Nursing authorization to continue in the program. Current students and alumni can confirm their state's online education status by emailing bsn_adms@pnw.edu.

Transfer Students

In addition to meeting the RN-to-BSN admissions requirements, an applicant transferring from another college must submit:

  • A completed application for admission
  • $30 transcript evaluation fee
  • $25 application fee
  • Official college/university transcripts from each institution attended
  • Copy of RN license number

Transfer Credit and Transcripts

Transferring Credits from Another RN-to-BSN Program

At least 32 credit hours at the 300 level or higher must be completed at PNW. The 34 credit hours in the nursing core courses fulfill that requirement. Applicants wishing to transfer nursing coursework in at the 300 level may not (in most cases) be able to do so because of our residency rule. Such requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Upon admission to the University, students must submit all official transcripts from all previous schools attended. These transcripts are factored into a cumulative GPA, which must be a 2.3 or higher to gain admission to the program. Transcripts that were not presented at the time of admission will not be accepted by the College of Nursing and will not be applied toward transfer credit.

Transcripts

Please send all previous college transcripts to PNW. To do so, you will need to request to have your official transcripts sent to PNW. We accept electronic transcripts so long as they are sent to us directly by your respective college and/or university. Transcripts can be sent electronically using Parchment if your school participates in this service.

Send transcripts to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Lawshe Building, Room 259
Purdue University Northwest
2200 169th Street
Hammond, IN 46323-2094

Email: bsn_adms@pnw.edu

Upcoming Start Dates

Calendar and Enrollment Deadlines

View the Carousel of Nursing Courses.

January 9, 2023
Start Date

Application Deadline:
11/30/2022

Documents Deadline:
12/6/2022

Registration Deadline:
1/2/2023

Tuition Deadline:
1/6/2023

February 20, 2023
Start Date

Application Deadline:
1/25/2023

Documents Deadline:
1/31/2023

Registration Deadline:
2/13/2023

Tuition Deadline:
2/17/2023

April 3, 2023
Start Date

Application Deadline:
3/8/2023

Documents Deadline:
3/14/2023

Registration Deadline:
3/27/2023

Tuition Deadline:
3/31/2023

May 15, 2023
Start Date

Application Deadline:
4/19/2023

Documents Deadline:
4/25/2023

Registration Deadline:
5/8/2023

Tuition Deadline:
5/12/2023

RN-to-BSN Admissions FAQs

  • How many start dates are there each year?

    There are eight start dates each year.

  • What is the Partnership Code?

    If you are employed at a partner hospital, the Partnership Code must be entered on your application along with the name of your employer.

  • How do I know if I have been accepted into the program?

    You will receive an email from Purdue University Northwest Admissions with your student portal login information and password.

  • If I am accepted into the program, but do not immediately enroll, do I need to reapply and submit another application fee to get started?

    No. Your application is good for one calendar year. You can enroll at any start date within that period.

  • Are only full-time hospital employees eligible to enroll?

    No. You may enroll if you are a full-time or part-time employee.

  • How do I know which of my courses are going to transfer?

    Purdue University Northwest accepts transfer credit from regionally accredited institutions. After you have been admitted to the program, an audit is conducted by your academic advisor to determine which program requirements, if any, are outstanding.

    Upon admission, you can review your unofficial transcript in the PNW portal, which will display all transfer credits accepted by the University, based on your submitted transcripts.

    Please note: You may choose courses from other schools and submit them to the advisor for review to determine whether the courses you are considering will fulfill the specific requirements needed at PNW.

    For your PNW academic advisor to review and/or confirm that the course(s) would fulfill the requirements, you must submit the following information:

    • Name of the school(s)
    • Course number(s) and title(s)
    • Course description(s) from college catalog(s)

    If you have additional questions about confirmation/review of transfer credits from other schools to the PNW RN-to-BSN program, please refer your questions to your PNW academic advisor.