Nursing Associate Degree
Experience learner-centered collaborative education, built on a legacy of preparing Pennsylvania’s nurses.
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences was founded as a nursing school more than 100 years ago. Today, our Associate in 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
The evening/weekend track makes a nursing degree work with your schedule, with a full-time schedule in the first year followed by a reduced course load in the second and third years. Whether you’re a parent, student or working professional, you can begin your career as a nurse without pausing your life.
ASN+BSN
Nursing programs don’t have to put your life on hold. Get a head start on the general education requirements needed for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while working on your Associate of Science in Nursing. This streamlined approach helps you get two degrees, in less time.
Once you have your ASN, you can take a break to work as a registered nurse before continuing on to your BSN. You’ll be able to earn your BSN faster and advance your career.
See the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook.
Applicants for the ASN to BSN Nursing program must meet general admissions requirements.
LPN Advanced Placement
While PA College doesn’t offer an LPN program, there is an LPN to RN assessment module. This is an accelerated enrollment option designed for licensed practical nurses who are looking to continue their education. PA College offers two options for the module: daytime and evening/weekend. The daytime module is six weeks in length, beginning in mid-May and ending at the end of June, with class and clinical work being held Wednesdays through Fridays during the daytime hours. The evening/weekend option is held in January-February as well as May-June. Classes are Tuesday and Thursday 5:00-8:00 PM and clinicals are every other weekend on Saturday and Sunday over the course of four consecutive weekends. You must also complete all of the general education requirements before these semesters begin (which can be done with us).
Successful completion of the module exempts students from NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 111 and NUR 112. The module is offered as a Pass/Fail grade. Those students who do not pass the assessment at the end of the module have the option of enrolling into the first year of the ASN program.
Curriculum
Associate in Science in Nursing Program: Two-Year Track Total Credits: 67
Associate of Science in Nursing Program
| 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 |
RN to BSN
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| CSS 101 | College Studies Seminar | 3 |
| IPC 302 | Introduction to Capstone | 1 |
| NUR 301 | Conceptual Foundations of Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUR 310 or NUR 311 | Human Diversity and Health Care or Cultural Care in Nursing | 3 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| ENG 300 | Advanced Composition for Health Care | 3 |
| IPC 322 | Teaching and Learning for the Nursing Professional | 3 |
| NUR 340 | Comprehensive Health Assessment | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| ECO 310 | American Health Care System | 3 |
| PHI 330 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| MAT 260 | Statistics | 3 |
| IPC 401 | Research in Health Care | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 410 | Issues and Trends in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 420 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NUR 430 | Nursing in a Global Society | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 450 | Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| 300- or 400-level Elective | 3 | |
| Other Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| Total RN to BSN Credits | 55 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 120 |
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 |
ASN to BSN
Associate of Science in Nursing Program
| 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 |
RN to BSN
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| CSS 101 | College Studies Seminar | 3 |
| IPC 302 | Introduction to Capstone | 1 |
| NUR 301 | Conceptual Foundations of Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUR 310 or NUR 311 | Human Diversity and Health Care or Cultural Care in Nursing | 3 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| ENG 300 | Advanced Composition for Health Care | 3 |
| IPC 322 | Teaching and Learning for the Nursing Professional | 3 |
| NUR 340 | Comprehensive Health Assessment | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| ECO 310 | American Health Care System | 3 |
| PHI 330 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| MAT 260 | Statistics | 3 |
| IPC 401 | Research in Health Care | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 410 | Issues and Trends in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 420 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NUR 430 | Nursing in a Global Society | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 450 | Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| 300- or 400-level Elective | 3 | |
| Other Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| Total RN to BSN Credits | 55 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 120 |
Associate in Science in Nursing Program: LPN Track
Licensed practical nurses who successfully complete the January or May LPN Assessment module (NUR 010) have the opportunity for advanced placement in the final year of the ASN two-year program or the final two years of the ASN three-year program. Additional requirements must be met to qualify.
Will I Be Successful?
| Graduation Year | *150 % Graduation Rate | **Employed % | ***Passed Licensure Exam % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 65.9% | 100% | 95.02% |
| 2017-18 | 76.4% | 100% | 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% |
| *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-RN pass rate for first time test takers from October to September | |||
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Our nursing degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. See more accreditation information.