Designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree, USF’s Accelerated Second Degree pathway offers a nursing degree through a four-semester/16-month program. For those who have the right balance of intellectual ability, time management skills and emotional fortitude, the Accelerated Second Degree can be the ideal entry into practice.
Like all our pre-licensure pathways, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway provides graduates with the career opportunities of a registered nurse. The degree enables graduates to take the NCLEX-RN nurse licensure examination, and graduates of our program consistently exceed state and national averages in first-attempt pass rates. Our graduates are making an impact in hospitals in the Tampa Bay region, throughout the state of Florida, and beyond.
In addition to the hospital setting, career opportunities also exist in research, education, community and public health, government service, international health, and more. The degree also opens doors for the pursuit of graduate studies in nursing – MSN, DNP and PhD.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2013), “graduates of accelerated programs are prized by nurse employers who value the many layers of skill and education these graduates bring to the workplace. Employers report that these graduates are more mature, possess strong clinical skills, and are quick studies on the job.”
Due to federal reporting regulations, international students on an I-20/F-1 visa are not eligible for the Accelerated Second Degree program at St. Petersburg or Sarasota-Manatee. Learn more about the nursing program at St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee.
Accreditations - Visit our Accreditation page to learn more.
The Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway is designed for students who have a baccalaureate degree in another field and wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This is a full-time, limited-access nursing pathway and is structured sequentially. Admission is competitive. Admissions are determined on the basis of the availability of sufficient qualified faculty, laboratory and classroom facilities, and clinical teaching resources. To view our competitive undergraduate nursing pathway statistics, please click here.
Each campus has different admission deadlines and important dates to remember. Students can only apply for one campus at a time. Students that are not selected for admission are permitted to apply again for a future cycle. Denied students interested in a future cycle are required to update their term of entry with USF Admissions within one calendar year of the original application and submit a new NursingCAS application when it becomes available. Students cannot switch campuses once admitted to the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway.
Visit the online Undergraduate Catalog, select the appropriate catalog year, choose the College of Nursing, and select Admissions Requirements for more information.
All admitted nursing students are required to complete a background check, immunization verification, drug screening, and more. Additionally, students will be required to provide proof of current health insurance. Admitted students will be provided with the steps to complete this process. It is important to note that most states require a social security number to take the NCLEX and/or to be issued a registered nurse license.
The Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway is only available to students pursuing their second bachelor’s degree. Please consider the Upper Division nursing pathway if you do not currently hold a bachelor’s degree.
Applicants who have attended, but not completed, another registered nursing program must provide a letter of good standing from the Dean of Nursing, or their appointed designee, that addresses the potential for success in a BSN program, safety in providing nursing care, interpersonal communication skills, and other information the campus director deems important. This letter should be uploaded to the NursingCAS application before submitting. Prior enrollment in another nursing program and/or nursing course failures may impact your admission decision.
Do you still have questions? Please attend an information session to learn more about the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway or sign up for a nursing admission advising session with one of our nursing admissions advisors!
The Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway is 4 consecutive semesters and admits every semester:
For information about curriculum, please consult the Undergraduate Catalog.
Please review the College of Nursing Student Handbook for details on progression, policies, and standards for admitted nursing students.
Please follow these steps to be considered for the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway. Applicants that do not meet all admission requirements and deadlines will not be considered.
Note: The Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway is a limited-access program and requires both admission to the university and an application to the College of Nursing through NursingCAS. Admission to the university is not a guaranteed admission to the College of Nursing. Applicants must meet all minimum admission criteria, be officially admitted to USF for the correct term of entry and have a “verified” NursingCAS application by the nursing application deadline to be considered for admission to the desired nursing pathway. Any deviation from the posted criteria will cause the applicant to be ineligible for admission.
The College of Nursing will evaluate prerequisite coursework after the USF Office of Admissions has determined course transferability to the university and posted the official results in DegreeWorks, which requires all official transcripts to be processed by the USF Office of Admissions. For questions regarding the status of your university application and transcript processing please call (813) 974-3350 or email at admissions@usf.edu.
DegreeWorks can be found by logging into your OASIS account and clicking the link under the “Student” tab. Access DegreeWorks using your activated USF NetID. If you do not have a NetID, you will first need to activate it. Please view the Online Tutorial for Activating Your USF Net ID.
Do you still have questions? Please attend an information session to learn more about the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway or sign up for a nursing admissions advising session with one of our nursing admissions advisors!
USF Tampa Campus - Summer Entry Only | |
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August 1 | USF application becomes available |
December 1 | USF application priority deadline |
December 1 | NursingCAS application opens |
January 10 | Official transcript submission priority deadline* |
February 1 | NursingCAS application closes |
February 1 | USF transfer application completion deadline |
February 15 | NursingCAS application “verified” status deadline |
March 1 | Bull Nurse Virtual Interview Assessment deadline |
March 1 | Admission to USF deadline |
TBA | Nursing Orientation |
USF St Petersburg Campus - Fall Entry Only | |
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August 1 | USF application becomes available |
February 1 | USF application priority deadline |
April 1 | NursingCAS application opens |
May 15 | Official transcript submission priority deadline* |
June 1 | NursingCAS application closes |
June 1 | USF transfer application completion deadline |
June 15 | NursingCAS application “verified” status deadline |
July 1 | Bull Nurse Virtual Interview Assessment deadline |
July 1 | Admission to USF deadline |
TBA | Nursing Orientation |
USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus - Spring Entry Only | |
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March 1 | USF application becomes available |
July 1 | USF application priority deadline |
July 1 | NursingCAS application opens |
August 15 | Official transcript submission priority deadline* |
September 1 | NursingCAS application closes |
September 1 | USF transfer application completion deadline |
September 15 | NursingCAS application “verified” status deadline |
October 1 | Bull Nurse Virtual Interview Assessment deadline |
October 1 | Admission to USF deadline |
TBA | Nursing Orientation |
*Transcripts submitted to USF Admissions after this date are not guaranteed to be processed before the nursing application deadline passes. This may cause ineligibility.
**Students must be fully admitted to USF as a degree-seeking, second baccalaureate students for the correct term of entry by the deadline to be considered eligible. Conferred bachelor’s degrees must be received and processed by the Office of Admissions by this deadline as well.
Nursing orientation is mandatory for all undergraduate students. Students who do not complete orientation will forfeit their seats in the program.
Note: Please read the Admission Requirements and Application Process sections carefully. Applicants will be deemed ineligible for admission to the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway if any portion of the process is not satisfied by the posted deadlines. Admission to the College of Nursing is not rolling at the undergraduate level. Once the nursing application deadline passes all eligible applicants will be evaluated. Please contact USF Undergraduate Admissions regarding your university application. USF Office of Admissions cannot expedite processing for any student for any reason.
Do you still have questions? Please attend an information session to learn more about the Accelerated Second Degree nursing pathway or sign up for a nursing admissions advising session with one of our nursing admissions advisors!
The USF College of Nursing Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program offers students unique opportunities to serve their local community while pursuing their education goals.