Online RN-to-BSN Program
Pathway to Bachelor’s in Nursing from Purdue Northwest
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Online RN-to-BSN Degree Program Overview
Gain the skills, knowledge and credentials you need to keep pace in the nursing field and advance your career. Purdue University Northwest’s College of Nursing offers an online RN-to-BSN program that’s affordable, accelerated and respected. Prepare to meet the demand for BSN-educated nurses in this fast-growing field and realize your potential.
Graduate with Your BSN in as few as 10 Months for Under $10,700
- Scholarships and transfer credit reduce tuition to as low as $10,604.88.
- Earn your BSN in as few as 10 months with PowerPath or 16 months with our standard track (same credits and cost).
Enjoy Online Flexibility
- Complete courses 100% online in a flexible, five-week format.
- Study when it’s convenient for you and keep your current work schedule.
Attend a Nationally Recognized College of Nursing
- Designated as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence (2014–2028)
- For more than a decade, the College of Nursing has been an Indiana Center for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice: a JBI Affiliate Center
Accredited By ACEN
The baccalaureate, master’s and post-master’s certificate nursing programs at Purdue University Northwest at the Hammond and Westville campuses located in Hammond and Westville are accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326, 404-975-5000. The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the baccalaureate, master’s and post-master’s certificate nursing programs is continuing accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at https://www.acenursing.org/search-programs.
Why Is PNW the Right Choice for Your Career?
* See Notes and Conditions below.
Online RN-to-BSN Degree Program Highlights
Graduate with your BSN in as few as 10 months on the PowerPath track or 16 months on the standard track, all while leveraging scholarships and transfer credits to reduce your tuition to as low as $10,604.88.
You can transfer in up to 86 credits—covering 70% of your BSN requirements—and complete your courses 100% online in a flexible five-week format that fits around your work schedule.
* See Notes and Conditions below.
Online RN-to-BSN Degree Program Outcomes
By the end of the program, you’ll hold a fully-accredited BSN earned at an accelerated pace with significant cost savings.
You’ll have maximized your prior learning through transfer credit, honed your skills through rigorous coursework, and benefited from dedicated support—from faculty mentors and academic coaches to tech support and financial aid advisors—preparing you to excel in today’s evolving nursing landscape.
* See Notes and Conditions below.
Online RN-to-BSN Degree Program Curriculum
PNW’s RN-to-BSN program uses evidence-based practice, leadership development, population health, informatics and community engagement to build a cohesive, practice-driven curriculum.
Delivered entirely online through interactive five-week modules, it empowers working RNs to deepen their clinical expertise and earn a respected BSN in as few as 10 months.
The PNW RN-to-BSN nursing core consists of twelve fully-online nursing courses. Each course takes five weeks to complete.
Sample Courses
- NUR 18200 – Conceptual and Theoretical Thinking in Nursing
- NUR 48200 – Nursing Leadership and Management
- NUR 48300 – Community and Public Health Nursing
In addition to the upper-division nursing courses, students must complete the following requirements to earn their BSN degree. Students may transfer courses from other schools to fulfill these requirements.
- 30 credit hours in Lower division nursing courses*
- 17 credit hours in Math/Science
- 12 credit hours in general electives
- 6 credit hours in English Composition
- 6 credit hours in Humanities elective
- 6 credit hours in Social Science electives
- 3 credit hours in general psychology
- 3 credit hours in Statistics
- 3 credit hours in Communications electives
*In most cases, lower division nursing courses are not transfer equivalents to PNW upper division nursing classes.
PNW's Nursing Program Recognized Nationally Among Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Purdue University Northwest earned recognitions for several undergraduate programs and social mobility in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 annual Best Colleges rankings, including undergraduate nursing programs.
RN-to-BSN Frequently Asked Questions
RN-to-BSN Admission and Enrollment
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, CNEA or CCNE)
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing: ACEN (formerly NLNAC) is a national accrediting body that provides accreditation to diploma and associate’s degree programs. A list of ACEN-accredited nursing programs can be found on the ACEN website (http://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)
- Possess an active, unencumbered RN licensure in the current state of residence and/or practice
- A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.3 from an accredited associate’s degree or diploma program in nursing.
- In addition to meeting the RN-to-BSN admissions requirements stated above, 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
We hope that the flexibility of the coursework will allow you to finish the course you are currently taking. If you cannot continue and you withdraw from the course, you can retake the course you dropped when it is offered.
The last day to withdraw from a course is Friday during the fourth week of the course. Students who need to take an Interruption in the Plan of Study should consult that section of the handbook.
- Carl Sandburg College
- College of DuPage
- College of Lake County
- Elgin Community College
- Harper College
- Ivy Tech Community Colleges
- Joliet Junior College
- Kankakee Community College
- Kishwaukee College
- Lewis and Clark Community College
- Lincoln Land Community College
- Malcolm X College
- McHenry County College
- Moraine Valley Community College
- Morton College
- Northcentral Technical College
- Oakton Community College
- Parkland College
- Prairie State College
- Triton College
- Waubonsee Community College
- Wisconsin Technical College System
RN-to-BSN Cost and Payments
You could be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship if you are employed by one of the Purdue Northwest partner hospitals located in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin or are a Pathways student with one of the Purdue Northwest partner institutions.
In addition, you may be eligible for a new student scholarship for $1,000.
RN-to-BSN Coursework and Grading
The RN-to-BSN program consists of 12 required nursing courses. The RN-to-BSN program is 120 credit hours. The credit hours break down as follows:
- Nursing courses taken with PNW: 34 credits
- Non-nursing courses: 56 credits (32 credits are completed prior to admission; you can transfer in the remaining 24 credits or choose from our wide array of electives)
- Nursing transfer credit for your ASN/ADN: 30
- Total RN-to-BSN credits: 120
The RN-to-BSN degree program at Purdue University Northwest can be completed in as few as 16 months on our standard track, pending review and approval of all transfer credits. For students who apply transfer credit toward non-nursing courses, the accelerated PowerPath track offers completion in as few as 10 months. These time frames assume fulfillment of the 34 nursing credits required by PNW; any additional prerequisites, electives, or unmet transfer credits will extend the overall program length.
There is no maximum time limit for finishing the RN-to-BSN program, but students should be aware that degree completion requirements are subject to change over time, so regular consultation with an academic advisor is recommended.
Clinical requirements are satisfied in several ways. You will be assessing virtual patients in NUR 38801 – Health Assessment For The Nursing Professional with a product called Shadow Health.
Likewise, in NUR 48300 – Community and Public Health Nursing, you will use Sentinel City to virtually assess the needs of a community. Your NUR 49800 – Capstone Course in Nursing will require that you perform an evidence-based project with an identified local community need.
The purpose of this experiential learning course is to provide you with the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge from previous coursework in the development of an evidence-based practice proposal.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing with PNW's Online RN-to-BSN Degree Program
Purdue University Northwest’s flexible online RN-to-BSN pathway is designed for working nurses ready to build on their experience and take the next step. Strengthen your clinical judgment, leadership skills and evidence-based practice—all while balancing work and life.
Whether you’re aiming for leadership roles, specialized practice, or future graduate study, a BSN from PNW opens doors across the healthcare spectrum. Start your journey today!
* Program Notes and Conditions
- BSN 16-Month Completion Time: 16-month time frame based on the 34 nursing credits required at PNW when transferring 86 credits toward the degree; additional courses may increase the time required to complete the program. Diplomas are awarded in January, June and August.
- PowerPath 10-Month Track: Available for RN-to-BSN students only. All non-nursing requirements must be completed before enrollment. Students unable to continue courses on the accelerated 10-month track will switch to the standard 16-month track, but may not switch back to PowerPath. Please contact your Academic Advisor for more information.
- BSN Tuition and Scholarships: Published rates effective beginning June 17, 2024. Program tuition is based on a student transferring 86 credits toward the degree. Total tuition for the 34 nursing credits required at PNW is $13,882.88 ($408.32 per credit hour). New students who are employed by one of PNW’s hospital partners or are current students at one of PNW’s community college partners may receive scholarships to reduce tuition for the 34 nursing credits to $10,604.88 ($311.91 per credit hour). Scholarship eligibility is subject to change for students who have previously dropped out of the program. Program cost will increase for students who do not bring in maximum credit; students will be assessed $408.32 per credit hour. The University reserves the right to increase prices and/or discontinue the scholarship at any time. Tuition and fees are subject to change by the Board of Trustees. An equal access/equal opportunity university.
- RN Job Growth: Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses
- Textbook Fee: The instructional material access fee is $299 per semester. The fee is not included in total tuition. All students are automatically entered into the access program and must opt out if they do not want to participate. For more information, visit www.pnw.edu/bursar/tuition-and-fees/instructional-materials-access/.
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