Michigan State University
Accelerated second-degree BSN (ABSN) · East Lansing, MI · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Michigan State 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 (standalone)Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionals · ANTR 350Must be completed within 5 years of program start. Minimum grade is 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“ANTR 350: Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionals”
min gradeC - 02Physiology (standalone)Introductory Physiology · PSL 250 or PSL 310Must be completed within 5 years of program start.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“PSL 250 or PSL 310: Introductory Physiology”
min gradeC - 03General ChemistryGeneral Chemistry · CEM 141
source · nursing.msu.edu
“CEM 141: General Chemistry”
min gradeC - 04MicrobiologyFundamentals of Microbiology · MMG/MGI 201
source · nursing.msu.edu
“MMG/MGI 201: Fundamentals of Microbiology”
min gradeC - 05Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentLifespan Human Development / Developmental Psychology · HDFS 225 or PSY 238
source · nursing.msu.edu
“HDFS 225 or PSY 238: Lifespan Human Development / Developmental Psychology”
min gradeC - 06NutritionIntroduction to Human Nutrition · HNF 150
source · nursing.msu.edu
“HNF 150: Introduction to Human Nutrition”
min gradeC - 07General PsychologyIntroductory Psychology · PSY 101
source · nursing.msu.edu
“PSY 101: Introductory Psychology”
min gradeC - 08StatisticsStatistical Methods · STT 200
source · nursing.msu.edu
“STT 200: Statistical Methods”
min gradeC
Minimum prerequisite grade
2.0 on a 4.0 scale (about a C)
source · nursing.msu.edu
“All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of 2.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) by the end of the spring semester preceding the start of the program.”
In-progress coursework
Can apply with the degree and prerequisites in progress; all must be finished by the end of the spring semester before the start
Applicants with in-progress coursework must submit updated final transcripts at the end of the spring semester.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Note: If you are currently completing your bachelor’s degree, you may apply, but your degree must be conferred in the spring semester before the program starts.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Course age limit
Anatomy (ANTR 350) and Physiology (PSL 250/310) must be within 5 years of program start
No time limit is stated for the other prerequisites.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Must be completed within 5 years of program start”
Retakes Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum cumulative GPA for admission
2.75
Includes all undergraduate coursework from every institution attended.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher, including all undergraduate coursework from every institution attended.”
Science GPA Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Online coursework
Online institutions accepted if accredited and the courses are approved
Online labs are not specifically addressed.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Coursework completed at online institutions is accepted as long as the institution is properly accredited and the courses have been approved to satisfy the ABSN admissions prerequisite requirements.”
Community college credit Not published. Confirm with the school.
Pass/fail Not published. Confirm with the school.
Credit by exam Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles Michigan State publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Fall cohortDue February 1 each yearnext Feb 1, 2027No year printed with the deadline. The program starts in fall. Prerequisites and the degree must be finished by the end of the spring semester before the start.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“ABSN Deadline: February 1”
Fall 2026 startDeadline not publishedMay 15, 2026 is the due date for final transcripts showing a completed degree and prerequisites. No application deadline year is printed for the Fall 2026 cycle.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Final transcripts due May 15, 2026, for Fall 2026 admission.”
Fall 2027 startDeadline not publishedThe Apply Now page also says 'Applications will reopen in April 2027'. No day is given, and this seems inconsistent with a February 1 deadline and May 2027 decisions for Fall 2027. Applicants should confirm the actual open date and deadline year.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Decisions for Fall 2027 will be released in May 2027.”
Application route
No NursingCAS. Apply through the MSU university application plus the College of Nursing supplemental ABSN application
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Submit the College of Nursing Supplemental ABSN Application”
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
$898 per credit (resident, as of February 2026); 61 credits, about $54,800 total
Fees and taxes are extra. The Controller's page lists no figures in the provided text.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“As of February 2026, the resident tuition rate is $898 per credit. The ABSN program consists of 61 credit hours, totaling approximately $54,800 for tuition across all four semesters.”
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 a regionally accredited institution, completed by the end of the spring semester before the start
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, completed by the end of the spring semester before the program begins.”
Personal reflection
Three short-answer prompts, 1500 characters or less each
Personal reflection responses count for 25% of the admission score.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Applicants will be asked to respond to three short-answer (1500 characters or less) personal reflection prompts and provide a list of relevant experiences”
Experience
A list of professional and life experiences is scored (25%); no healthcare experience is stated as required
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Professional and Life Experiences: 25%”
- Submit an MSU university application: the transfer application if new to MSU, or the readmission application if a former MSU student.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“If you are a former MSU undergraduate student, submit the MSU readmission application. MSU students graduating in the spring must wait to submit their readmission application after graduation.”
- Official transcripts must be sent from every institution directly to the MSU Office of Admissions.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“To be official, transcripts must be sent directly from each institution to the MSU Office of Admissions.”
- Applicants with in-progress coursework must send final transcripts at the end of the spring semester.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Note: Applicants who submit transcripts showing in-progress coursework must submit updated, final transcripts at the end of the spring semester.”
- Attending an ABSN information session is listed as an application step; the page does not say whether it is required.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Virtual information sessions are available. Dates and times are listed on our Events page.”
Interview Not published. Confirm with the school.
Recommendations Not published. Confirm with the school.
CNA 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, typically 4-5 days a week
Students begin clinical courses in their first semester. Working while enrolled is strongly discouraged.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“In person, the schedule can vary but is typically 4-5 days a week.”
Start term
Fall
source · nursing.msu.edu
“If you have never attended MSU at the undergraduate level, submit the MSU undergraduate transfer application for fall admission under the "Nursing - Accelerated Second Degree Program" major preference.”
Admission scoring
Prerequisite GPA 50%, personal reflection 25%, experiences 25%
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Prerequisite GPA: 50%”
Waitlist
Each cycle has a waitlist, which is dissolved 30 days before classes begin
Applicants still on the waitlist are encouraged to reapply.
source · nursing.msu.edu
“Thirty days before classes begin, the waitlist is dissolved.”
Employment
Working while enrolled is strongly discouraged; expect 40-70 hours per week
source · nursing.msu.edu
“We strongly recommend that students do not work while enrolled.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Michigan State, 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 BSNtier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Apply Nowtier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Student Affairs | College of Nursing | Michigan State Universitytier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Handbooks | College of Nursing | Michigan State Universitytier 3 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Policy | Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance | Michigan State Universitytier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Tuition Rates By Semestertier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- The application deadline is printed as 'February 1' with no year. The Apply Now page says applications reopen in April 2027 while Fall 2027 decisions come out in May 2027, so the actual open date and deadline year for the next cycle are unclear.
- Whether attending an ABSN information session is mandatory or optional.
- Whether community college prerequisites are accepted (presumably yes if approved through Transfer MSU) and whether online labs are accepted.
- Credit-hour minimums and lab requirements for the prerequisites are not stated.
- The February 1 ABSN deadline is printed without a year. Which cohort it applies to (Fall 2027?) is not stated.
- The Apply Now page says 'Applications will reopen in April 2027' while also referencing the Fall 2027 cycle. Does the reopening apply to the Fall 2028 cohort?
- Is attending an ABSN information session required or optional?
- No application fee, entrance exam, recommendation, pass/fail, or credit-by-exam policy is published.
- The Controller tuition page shown contains no actual rates.
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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