Nursing Associate Degree
Experience best-in-class experiential learning, built on a legacy of training Pennsylvania’s nurses.
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences was founded as a nursing school more than 100 years ago. Today, our Associate of Science in Nursing degree builds on that legacy while offering best-in-class hands-on experience for students.
Students are able to hone their clinical skills by pairing rigorous classroom learning with time in the area’s most advanced simulation lab. From the day they’re accepted, our students are guaranteed clinical placements at some of the areas leading health care organizations.
We offer several paths to earning a nursing degree, for students at every stage of their life.
Degree Paths
Two-Year Track
If you’re passionate about nursing and driven to succeed, begin your career in nursing with an ASN degree. This degree gives you a traditional two-year track to an associate degree and sets you on a course for a career providing top-of-the-line patient care.
Three-Year Track
This part-time program blends online and traditional learning to make a nursing degree work with your schedule. Whether you’re a parent, student or working professional, you can begin your career as a nurse without pausing your life.
LPN Advanced Placement
Licensed practical nurses are given an quicker path to an ASN with this advanced placement program. If you’re already practicing as an LPN, you can jump ahead to more advanced courses and earn your degree faster. Additional requirements must be met to qualify.
Curriculum
Associate in Science in Nursing Program: Two-Year Track Total Credits: 67
| Year 1, Semester 1 | ||
| BIO 175 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| ENG 100 | English Composition | 3 |
| MAT 150 | Clinical Mathematics for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| NUR 101 | Foundations of Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NUR 111 | Foundations of Nursing Practice: Clinical Laboratory | 2 |
| Total Credits | 17 | |
| Year 1, Semester 2 | ||
| BIO 176 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| NUR 102 | Families Within the Community | 7 |
| NUR 112 | Families Within the Community: Clinical Laboratory | 3 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Total Combined Credits | 34 | |
| Year 2, Semester 1 | ||
| BIO 185 | Microbiology | 3 |
| BIO 250 | Nutrition for Life | 3 |
| NUR 201 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems | 7 |
| NUR 211 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems: Clinical Laboratory | 4 |
| Total Credits | 17 | |
| Year 2, Semester 2 | ||
| NUR 202 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems | 7 |
| NUR 212 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems: Clinical Laboratory | 5 |
| PHI 210 | Ethical and Legal Dimensions in the Health Sciences | 1 |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total Combined Credits | 67 |
Associate in Science in Nursing Program: Three-Year Track Total Credits: 67
| Year 1, Prerequisites | ||
| BIO 175 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 176 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| Total credits | 8 | |
| Year 1, Semester 1 (Fall) | ||
| ENG 100 | English Composition | 3 |
| MAT 150 | Clinical Mathematics for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| NUR 101 | Foundations of Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NUR 111 | Foundations of Nursing Practice: Clinical Laboratory | 2 |
| Total credits for fall semester | 13 | |
| Year 1, Semester 2 (Spring) | ||
| NUR 102 | Families Within the Community | 7 |
| NUR 112 | Families Within the Community: Clinical Laboratory | 3 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Total credits for spring semester | 13 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 34 | |
| Year 2, Semester 1 (Fall) | ||
| BIO 185 | Microbiology | 3 |
| NUR 203 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems Part 1 | 4 |
| NUR 213 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems Part 1: Clinical Laboratory | 2 |
| Total credits for fall semester | 9 | |
| Year 2, Semester 2 (Spring) | ||
| NUR 204 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems Part 2 | 3 |
| NUR 214 | Acute and Chronic Health Problems Part 2: Clinical Laboratory | 2 |
| PHI 210 | Ethical and Legal Dimensions in the Health Sciences | 1 |
| Total credits for spring semester | 6 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 49 | |
| Year 3, Semester 1 (Fall) | ||
| BIO 250 | Nutrition for Life | 3 |
| NUR 205 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems Part 1 | 4 |
| NUR 215 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems Part 1: Clinical Laboratory | 2 |
| Total credits for fall semester | 9 | |
| Year 3, Semester 2 (Spring) | ||
| NUR 206 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems Part 2 | 3 |
| NUR 216 | Crisis and Complex Health Problems Part 2: Clinical Laboratory | 3 |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total credits for spring semester | 9 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 67 |
Associate in Science in Nursing Program: LPN Track Total Credits: XX
Licensed practical nurses who successfully complete the LPN Assessment Module (NUR 010) have the opportunity for advanced placement into the two- or three-year option. Students accepted into the program are required to complete NUR 010. Successful completion of the assessment module exempts students from NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 111 and NUR 112. Students who do not progress through the LPN Assessment Module are automatically enrolled in NUR 101 and NUR 111.
Will I Be Successful?
| Graduation Year | *150 % Graduation Rate | **Employed % | ***Passed Certification % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 98.02% | ||
| 2016-17 | 72.9% | 95.40% | 95.16% |
| 2015-16 | 75.85% | 94.20% | 87.00% |
| 2014-15 | 80.10% | 88.50% | 84.00% |
| 2013-14 | 80.79% | 81.50% | 78.60% |
| *150% or 3 year graduation rate for fall starts. | |||
| **Employment rate from Graduate Survey and personal communication with graduates. This data is self-reported from the respondents. | |||
| ***NCLEX pass rate for first time test takers from October to September | |||
Not sure if this is the right nursing program for you?
Our nursing degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. See more accreditation information.