University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS) · Amherst, MA · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
PausedHybridlast verified Oct 2026
The school says admissions to the program are currently paused.
Prerequisites
The courses UMass Amherst says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01Anatomy & Physiology IAnatomy and Physiology I with labWithin 10 years of program start. UMass equivalent KIN 270.
source · umass.edu
“Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 02Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy and Physiology II with labWithin 10 years of program start. UMass equivalent KIN 272.
source · umass.edu
“Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 03MicrobiologyMedical Microbiology or General MicrobiologyWithin 5 years of program start (prereq list page says application deadline). Some states (e.g., CA) require lab for licensure.
source · umass.edu
“Medical Microbiology or General Microbiology (3 credits. No lab required for admission to the Accelerated program, but some states, including CA, require a microbiology lab for licensure)”
credits3labnomin gradeC - 04NutritionHuman NutritionWithin 5 years of program start (prereq list page says application deadline). 3 or 4 credits per prereq list page.
source · umass.edu
“Human Nutrition (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC - 05StatisticsStatisticsWithin 10 years of program start (prereq list page says application deadline).
source · umass.edu
“Statistics (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC - 06Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentHuman Growth and Development throughout the LifespanWithin 10 years of program start (prereq list page says application deadline). UMass PSYCH350 and PSYCH91 not approved.
source · umass.edu
“Human Growth and Development throughout the Lifespan (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC
Minimum prerequisite grade
C
source · umass.edu
“Applicants must have completed all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better in each course and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher by the application deadline.”
In-progress prerequisites
Not allowed; all prerequisites must be complete when you apply
source · umass.edu
“If you have not completed all prerequisites by the time you apply, you are ineligible to apply for the upcoming fall term.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Prerequisite recency
Nutrition and Microbiology within 5 years of program start; A&P I & II, Statistics, Lifespan Development within 10 years of program start
The pre-approved prerequisites page measures Microbiology, Nutrition, Lifespan and Statistics from the application deadline instead (A&P from program start).
source · umass.edu
“The following prerequisites must have been completed within the past five years of the program start date :”
Prerequisite attempt limits Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum GPA for admission
3.0
FAQ says "A minimum 3.0 average GPA for the six prerequisites", so the 3.0 may apply to prerequisite GPA rather than overall cumulative GPA.
source · umass.edu
“Applicants must have completed all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better in each course and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher by the application deadline.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Not required” vs “No TEAS required”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Online labs
Online courses and labs accepted
source · umass.edu
“Note that prerequisites may be completed at any accredited institution, including community colleges or online courses and labs.”
Community college courses
Accepted from any accredited institution
Sophia Learning credits are not accepted.
source · umass.edu
“Note that prerequisites may be completed at any accredited institution, including community colleges or online courses and labs.”
CLEP
CLEP not accepted for prerequisites
The pre-approved list still shows "CLEP Exam: Human Growth & Devt" and "AP Statistics : score of 4 or higher"; the admissions page's no-CLEP rule governs.
source · umass.edu
“Please note: the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing does not accept CLEPs as satisfaction of the prerequisite coursework. We require courses to be completed for all prerequisite courses.”
Pass/fail courses Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles UMass Amherst publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Fall cohort (expected Fall 2027 start)Due January 8 each yearnext Jan 8, 2027No year printed. Missing materials deadline is February 1; admissions decisions by March 15. FAQ says applications are expected to re-open Fall 2026 for a Fall 2027 program start; admissions currently paused, so this deadline may be from a prior cycle and could change.
source · umass.edu
“Applications are accepted through January 8 for fall admission. The deadline for missing materials is February 1.”
Application route
Flexible Education online application (not NursingCAS)
source · umass.edu
“ABSN applications are submitted to the Flexible Education Division and reviewed by the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Cost
Tuition and fees as the school publishes them. Living costs vary; the source link has the full table.
Tuition
$695 per credit, 58 credits; same for in-state and out-of-state
Plus $85/term registration fee and other expenses; estimated costs subject to change.
source · umass.edu
“Cost per credit = $695 (58 credits)”
Application fee Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Prior degree
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a non-nursing field
Spring graduates may apply if all prerequisites are complete when they apply.
source · umass.edu
“A completed bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field other than nursing.”
Essay
One essay required
source · umass.edu
“Along with submitting your application, you will need to submit an essay, a resume, and one recommendation, as well as transcripts from all colleges you have previously attended.”
Recommendations
One recommendation
source · umass.edu
“Along with submitting your application, you will need to submit an essay, a resume, and one recommendation, as well as transcripts from all colleges you have previously attended.”
- Essay, resume, one recommendation, and transcripts from all colleges attended.
source · umass.edu
“Along with submitting your application, you will need to submit an essay, a resume, and one recommendation, as well as transcripts from all colleges you have previously attended.”
- Official transcripts required.
source · umass.edu
“They must be official transcripts.”
- Must comply with Massachusetts DPH immunization requirements.
source · umass.edu
“Candidates must also comply with the immunization requirements specified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.”
Interview Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Good to know
What the school says about the program that is not a requirement: how it selects, how many it admits, what to expect.
Format
In person fall/spring; winter and summer session courses online
Program page describes it as full-time, in-person.
source · umass.edu
“Courses are offered in person in the fall and spring semesters. Winter and summer session courses are offered online.”
Start term
Fall
source · umass.edu
“The Accelerated BS in Nursing program starts in the fall semester.”
Immigration sponsorship
Not offered
source · umass.edu
“Note: UMass Amherst is not able to offer immigration sponsorship to this program to applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.”
Decision date
By March 15
source · umass.edu
“Admissions decisions are made by March 15.”
Working during program
Not recommended
source · umass.edu
“We do not recommend students work other jobs outside of this demanding accelerated program. This program requires full days, Monday through Friday, with some weekend days depending on clinical placements.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for UMass Amherst, with when we last checked it. Tier 1 is the program's own pages; tier 2 the nursing school's general pages; tier 3 university-wide pages.
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS) : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Accelerated B.S. in Nursing Admissions : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Previously Approved Prerequisites for Accelerated B.S. in Nursing Program : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Accelerated B.S. in Nursing Cost and Financial Aid : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions: Accelerated B.S. in Nursing Program : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 2 · faq · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Handbooks & Policies : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 3 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Site Policies : UMass Amhersttier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
- https://www.umass.edu/nursing/media/3391/download?inline=tier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 15, 2026PDF text truncated (109 pages)
- Accelerated BS in Nursing Plan of Study : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amhersttier 1 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- Admissions are paused; exact application open date and deadline for the Fall 2027 cohort not yet published (January 8 deadline is from the standing admissions page without a year).
- Is the 3.0 GPA minimum cumulative (admissions page) or prerequisite-only (FAQ)?
- Recency limits for Microbiology, Nutrition, Statistics and Lifespan are measured from program start on the admissions page but from the application deadline on the prerequisites list page.
- CLEP is stated as not accepted, yet the pre-approved list includes a CLEP Human Growth & Development exam and AP Statistics; which applies?
- Application fee and interview requirement not published.
- Admissions are paused. Will the January 8 deadline and the February 1 missing-materials date apply to the reopened Fall 2026 application cycle for the Fall 2027 start?
- Does the 3.0 'cumulative GPA' on the admissions page refer to overall GPA or to the prerequisite average? The FAQ says the latter.
- The course recency anchor conflicts. The admissions page and FAQ use the program start date, while the approved-prerequisites page uses the application deadline for Microbiology, Nutrition, Statistics and Lifespan.
- The admissions page says no CLEP is accepted, yet the approved list includes a CLEP Human Growth & Development exam and AP Statistics (score 4+).
- The curriculum is under revision, so prerequisites may change when applications reopen.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on entrance_exam: Not required | No TEAS required.
Something wrong here? Report an error
ABSNcheck summarizes requirements that schools publish on their own websites, with a link to each source and the date we last verified it. Schools change requirements, sometimes contradict themselves, and make individual decisions. Results show whether you meet published minimums; they are not an admission decision or a guarantee, and are not official advice from any school. Always confirm requirements with each program before you apply or enroll in a course.
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