University of New Mexico
Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Option · Albuquerque, NM · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses UNM says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01General BiologyBiology for Health Sciences Lab · BIOL 1140LThe FAQ also lists the lecture, BIO 1140: Biology for Health Sciences Lecture; the apply page lists only the lab.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“BIOL 1140L: Biology for Health Sciences Lab”
labrequired - 02Anatomy & Physiology IAnatomy and Physiology I · BIOL 2210The FAQ says: 'Lab recommended, but not required'.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“BIOL 2210: Anatomy and Physiology I”
labno - 03Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy and Physiology II Lecture/Lab · BIOL 2225 & 2225L
source · hsc.unm.edu
“BIOL 2225 & 2225L: Anatomy and Physiology II Lecture/Lab”
labrequired - 04MicrobiologyMicrobiology for Health Sciences Lecture/Lab · BIOL 2305
source · hsc.unm.edu
“BIOL 2305: Microbiology for Health Sciences Lecture/Lab”
labrequired - 05General ChemistryIntroduction to Chemistry Lecture/Lab · CHEM 1120
source · hsc.unm.edu
“CHEM 1120: Introduction to Chemistry Lecture/Lab”
labrequired - 06PathophysiologyPathophysiology I · NURS 2239
source · hsc.unm.edu
“NURS 2239: Pathophysiology I (formerly NURS 239)”
- 07PathophysiologyPathophysiology II · NURS 2240Per the FAQ, this may be incomplete at application, considered case-by-case.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“NURS 2240: Pathophysiology II (formerly NURS 240)”
- 08General PsychologyIntroduction to Psychology · PSYC 1110The apply page lists this course twice.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“PSYC 1110: Introduction to Psychology”
- 09StatisticsIntroduction to Statistics · MATH 1350The FAQ says '(or equivalent)'.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“MATH 1350: Introduction to Statistics”
- 10Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentApplications of Growth and Development to Healthcare · NURS 2224The FAQ lists PSYCH 2120: Developmental Psychology as an alternative. It is also scheduled in Semester 1 of the curriculum and may be taken there.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“NURS 2224: Applications of Growth and Development to Healthcare (formerly NURS 224)”
credits3 - 11NutritionHuman Nutrition · NUTR 2110It is also scheduled in Semester 1 of the curriculum and may be taken there.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“NUTR 2110: Human Nutrition”
credits3
Incomplete prerequisites at application
Pathophysiology II, Human Nutrition and Growth & Development may be incomplete at application, considered case-by-case
The FAQ adds that these courses may be taken during the first semester depending on course load. The apply page says prerequisites must be completed prior to starting the program.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Applicants who have not completed NURS 2240 Pathophysiology II, NUTR 2110 Human Nutrition, and/or NURS 2224 Lifespan Growth and Development, or an equivalent course prior to submitting their application may be considered on a case-by-case basis.”
Minimum prerequisite grade Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Course age limit Not published. Confirm with the school.
Attempt limits 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
A GPA of 3.0 or higher is considered competitive. The program page states the same 2.75 minimum.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is considered competitive.”
Competitive GPA
3.0 or higher
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is considered competitive.”
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. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“No entrance exam required” vs “None 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 Not published. Confirm with the school.
Pass/fail courses 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 UNM publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Fall cohortDue March 15 each yearnext Mar 15, 2027 · opens November 1No year printed. The deadlines page says applications close at 10:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on the day of the final deadline and that only verified applications received by the deadline are considered. The page also says accepted students have one week to respond to an offer.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Fall application submission period: November 1 - March 15”
Application system
NursingCAS
This is a 2-stage process: a separate application to UNM Undergraduate Admissions is also required.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Submit your completed NursingCAS application by the posted deadline .”
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 Not published. Confirm with the school.
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 or higher from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent (foreign degrees evaluated by WES)
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent. Foreign degrees must be evaluated by WES.”
Interview
No interview (interviews are for graduate programs only)
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Interviews (graduate programs only) and recommendations will also be taken into consideration.”
Essays
Three essays: time management/accountability (considering the compressed 16-month program), what being a nurse means to you, and diversity and inclusion
The 500-word limit is stated only for the Sophomore Entry option.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Three Essay Responses:”
Letters of recommendation
2 professional letters
Recommenders must upload the letters themselves and should address the College of Nursing's five core values.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“2 Professional Letters of Recommendation”
Healthcare experience
Considered in holistic review; not stated as required
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Our Faculty Admissions Committee holistically reviews academic records, experience in health care, professional and community experience, accomplishments, professional goals, and personal character istics .”
Resume
Current resume required
source · hsc.unm.edu
“A current resume”
Residency preference
New Mexico residents are given preference
source · hsc.unm.edu
“New Mexico residents will be given a preference.”
Transcripts and course entry
Official transcripts from all institutions; full NursingCAS course entry completed by the deadline
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Official Transcripts from all institutions you have attended. Full course entry must be completed by the application deadline.”
- Criminal background screening is required on admission and annually, at the student's expense; clearance from the NM Health Care Authority is needed before clinicals.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“All students admitted to the CON* are required on admission, and annually, to submit to a criminal felony screening at their own expense at a facility identified by the CON.”
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
On campus
Clinical courses take place in community, inpatient/outpatient, hospital, and lab/simulation settings.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“Coursework on campus.”
General education
No UNM general education courses required
source · hsc.unm.edu
“No, with a previous Bachelor's degree, you are not required to take any UNM General Education courses, as those are a first-degree requirement only.”
Program credits
59-65 credits
The extra 6 credits are NURS 2224 and NUTR 2110, scheduled in the first semester for those who have not already taken them.
source · hsc.unm.edu
“There are 59 credits of required nursing coursework within the program plus 6 credits of other required coursework.”
Transfer equivalency
Use UNM's Transfer Equivalency System (TES) to check prerequisite equivalency
source · hsc.unm.edu
“UNM's Transfer Equivalency System (TES) helps you determine how your coursework from other institutions may transfer and be used as part of your UNM degree and count towards your pre-requisite coursework.”
Start term Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for UNM, 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 BSN Option | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 1 · program page · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Admissions & Financial Aid | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Apply | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 14, 2026
- FAQs | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 2 · faq · checked Oct 14, 2026
- https://hsc.unm.edu/nursing/_docs/handbooks/con-undergraduate-student-handbook.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 14, 2026PDF text truncated (100 pages)
- Education & Curriculum | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 1 · catalog · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Deadlines | College of Nursing | The University of New Mexicotier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 23, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- Application deadlines and start term are not on the provided pages; the FAQ links to a separate deadlines page.
- No minimum prerequisite grade is published for the ABSN.
- The FAQ lists BIO 1140 lecture plus lab, while the apply page lists only BIOL 1140L; unclear whether the lecture is required.
- The FAQ allows PSYCH 2120 as an alternative to NURS 2224; the apply page does not mention it.
- The apply page says all prerequisites must be completed before starting, yet NURS 2224 and NUTR 2110 appear in the Semester 1 curriculum; it is unclear whether they are true prerequisites.
- Tuition and application fee for the ABSN are not stated.
- Application deadlines and the start term are not on the provided pages; the FAQ links elsewhere for deadlines.
- No minimum prerequisite grade, course age limit, or attempt limit is published for the ABSN.
- It is unclear whether the BIOL 1140 lecture is required: the FAQ lists it, but the apply page lists only the BIOL 1140L lab.
- The apply page requires all prerequisites before starting, while the FAQ and curriculum allow NURS 2224, NUTR 2110 and NURS 2240 to be taken in the first semester.
- Tuition and the application fee are not published on these pages.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on entrance_exam: No entrance exam required | None 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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