Nursing
Online Bachelor of Science Degree Completion

What Can I Do With a B.S. in Nursing from NIU?

You’ll have the skills and knowledge of current best practices in nursing to provide excellent care to your patients. With thousands of graduates in Illinois and beyond, you’ll be part of the School of Nursing’s well-respected and supportive alumni network.

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How to Apply

You can apply if you meet one of the following criteria:

• Graduated from an associate degree or diploma nursing program within the past five years
• Practiced as a registered nurse within the past five years
• Satisfactorily completed an approved refresher course within the past five years
• Active and unencumbered RN license (or pass NCLEX during your first semester at NIU)

You’ll apply to NIU as a transfer student. Your application materials will include:

• Official transcripts
• RN license, if applicable

If you completed your associate degree in nursing five or more years ago, you’ll also need to send your current resume to Krista Schaade, online student success specialist, at kschaade@niu.edu.

The School of Nursing will review your application after you’re admitted to NIU. Admission to NIU does not guarantee admission to the RN to B.S. program.

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Will My Credits Transfer?

In order to graduate from NIU, you must complete 120 credit hours. You can transfer in courses toward this total:

• Nursing courses: You can apply 33 credits from your previous nursing education toward your B.S. degree. Only 28 credits must be taken at NIU. You must complete 12 hours of nursing credit at NIU with a grade of C or better in order to transfer the credits.
• General education courses: You may transfer up to 66 hours of theory coursework and four hours of physical education from a community college toward pre-nursing and general education requirements. An unlimited number of hours may be transferred from a four-year institution.

Learn About Transfer Credit >>

If you have not completed an associate’s degree in nursing, our in-person BS in Nursing prelicensure program might be a better fit.

My students continue to inspire me to be better, to learn more knowledge to pass on to them in the classroom and to model the type of nurse I hope they become, compassionate and accepting of others.