Cleveland State University
Online Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) / Accelerated BSN Program · Cleveland, OH · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
Activelast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Cleveland 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 & Physiology IAnatomy & Physiology I w/lab · BIO 266/267B or better per the program page. The 4-credit minimum comes from the 2014 equivalency chart.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Anatomy & Physiology I w/lab (BIO 266/267)”
labrequiredmin gradeB - 02Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy & Physiology II w/lab · BIO 268/269B or better. The 4-credit minimum comes from the 2014 equivalency chart.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Anatomy & Physiology II w/lab (BIO 268/269)”
labrequiredmin gradeB - 03General ChemistryChemistry I w/lab · CHM 251/256The equivalency chart says Chemistry I and II must be the same sequence.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Chemistry I w/lab (CHM 251/256)”
labrequiredmin gradeC - 04General ChemistryChemistry II w/lab · CHM 252/257Must be the same sequence as Chemistry I.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Chemistry II w/lab (CHM 251/256 & 252/257)”
labrequiredmin gradeC - 05MicrobiologyMicrobiology w/lab · BIO 264/265B or better.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Microbiology w/lab (BIO 264/265)”
labrequiredmin gradeB - 06General PsychologyIntroduction or General Psychology · PSY 101
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Psychology (PSY 101)”
labnomin gradeC - 07StatisticsStatistics · MTH 147
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Statistics (MTH 147)”
labnomin gradeC - 08EthicsHealth Care Ethics or General Ethics · PHL 240The online page accepts 'Health Care Ethics or General Ethics'.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Health Care Ethics (PHL 240)”
labnomin gradeC
Minimum prerequisite grades
B or better in Anatomy & Physiology I & II and Microbiology; C or better in Chemistry, Psychology, Ethics and Statistics
The 2014 application packet listed 'A grade of at least "C" in each class.' The FAQ says a failing grade is a C- or lower.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Anatomy & Physiology I & II (must obtain a B or better)”
Prerequisites in progress Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“You may apply with prerequisites in progress if 2 of the 5 science courses are complete; all prerequisites must be complete before the program starts” vs “2 of the 5 science courses completed at application; all prerequisites completed before the program starts”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Science course age limit
Science prerequisites may be no more than 10 years old at the application deadline
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Effective Fall 2012, science prerequisite courses may be no more than 10 years old at the application deadline.”
Repeat policy
Each prerequisite may be repeated up to two times; withdrawals do not count
The older 2014 packet was stricter: 'Only one science course may be repeated one time to improve a grade' and 'Two or more failing prerequisite courses are not permitted.'
source · health.csuohio.edu
“You may repeat all prerequisite courses up to two (2) times. Withdrawals are not included in this.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum cumulative GPA for admission
2.50
The FAQ states this is the cumulative GPA of the baccalaureate degree.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“2.50 Cumulative GPA, 3.0 Prerequisites GPA”
Minimum prerequisite GPA
3.0
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“2.50 Cumulative GPA, 3.0 Prerequisites GPA”
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?
Community college courses
The packet lists equivalent courses at Cuyahoga, Lakeland and Lorain County Community Colleges
This comes from the 2014 packet.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Nursing Prerequisite Course Equivalents For Cleveland-area Community Colleges”
Online labs 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 Cleveland State publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
May 2027 start (online ABSN) · OnlineDeadline Jan 9, 2027starts May 15, 2027Online track. The online page lists intakes as Fall and Summer; the School of Nursing pages say the online track starts Fall and Spring.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“Application deadline: January 9, 2027 Start date: May 15, 2027”
January (Spring) start, in-person track · Cleveland (in-person)Due June 1 each yearnext Jun 1, 2027The deadline is printed as June 1 with no year, so no date is given. The page says 'The in person program begins in January and students graduate in May of the following year.' The FAQ strongly encourages submitting materials at least 2 weeks before the deadline.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“The application deadline is June 1. You must have successfully completed two of the science prerequisites at the time of application submission.”
Online Spring and Fall starts (brochure) · OnlineDeadline not publishedDates are printed without a year in a July 2024 brochure and may be stale. The current online page lists a January 9, 2027 deadline for a May 15, 2027 start.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Accelerated program, online: Sept. 1 (Spring start) or April 1 (Fall start)”
NursingCAS Not published. Confirm with the school.
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 (online ABSN)
In-state: $22,334.40 total + $8,460 fees. Out-of-state: $31,860 total + $8,460 fees.
Rates are as of 7/2/2026 and are subject to change.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“$310.20 - $348.98* per credit ($22,334.40 total* in-state tuition ) + $8,460 in fees*”
Application fee
$25 (2014 packet)
The admissions page says: 'A nonrefundable $40 application fee. *CSU is currently waiving application fees through Fall 2026!' The current program page says only that a fee is required.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“$25 School of Nursing Application Fee, Payable to Cleveland State University by check or money order”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Bachelor's degree
A non-nursing bachelor's (or master's) degree, completed before the program starts
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Yes, you may apply while you are still in the process of completing your baccalaureate degree. However, you must complete the baccalaureate degree before starting the nursing program.”
Essay
An essay is written at the time of the interview
source · health.csuohio.edu
“an essay (written at the time of the interview)”
Recommendations
Two recommendations, on School of Nursing forms
The FAQ says: 'Letters of reference will not be considered by the Committee.' The 2014 packet says recommenders should be professors, supervisors, or employers, not colleagues, coworkers, friends, or family.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“Two letters of recommendation”
Healthcare experience
Encouraged, through volunteer work or a job
Identified related health care experience is listed as a selection criterion.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“All applicants are encouraged to have some kind of health care related experience, either through volunteer work or job experience.”
- Apply to Cleveland State University (as a post-baccalaureate, pre-nursing student) 4-6 weeks before the School of Nursing deadline.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Apply for admission to CSU four to six weeks prior to the School of Nursing application deadline.”
- School of Nursing application packet: application, fee, transcripts from all institutions, two recommendations, and a resume.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“School of Nursing application materials include: SON application, fee, transcripts, two recommendations, and resume.”
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Proficiency in the current version of Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint”
- Applicants who attended another nursing program need a good-standing letter from that program's director.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“You must be able to provide a letter from the director of your previous nursing program verifying that you have left the program in good academic standing in order to be eligible to apply for Cleveland State University’s School of Nursing.”
- ESL applicants need an English language assessment, which may require additional coursework before admission.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“English as a Second Language (ESL) students are required to contact the English as a Second Language Department to arrange an assessment of their English language skills.”
Interview Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“An interview is listed among the admission requirements” vs “Interview required (the FAQ says for selected applicants)”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
CNA Not published. Confirm with the school.
Prior nursing course failure Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Not eligible for admission” vs “Applicants who have failed a prior nursing course are ineligible”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
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
Two tracks: in-person, and online coursework with two on-campus residencies plus in-person clinicals near home
The FAQ says the online track is a combination of synchronous and asynchronous coursework, with two mandatory in-person residencies.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“Online coursework with two residencies”
Start terms
Online: Fall and Summer; in-person: January (Spring) only
The School of Nursing pages say 'The online program begins in the Fall and Spring of each year' and that the in-person track begins in January.
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“Two Intakes per year (Fall and Summer)”
State authorization (online)
Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky residents only
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“The online ABSN program is approved for students residing in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.”
Cohort size
80 seats in-person; 30 seats online
There is no ongoing waiting list.
source · health.csuohio.edu
“The number of spaces in the program is limited to 80 students for the in person track and 30 students for the online track.”
Late applications
Considered case by case
source · health.csuohio.edu
“Late applications will be considered on a case by case basis.”
Working during program
Not advised; expect 50-60 hours per week
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“Due to the accelerated and rigorous nature of the ABSN program, students should not plan to work while enrolled.”
State authorization (online track)
Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky residents only
source · onlinelearning.csuohio.edu
“The online ABSN program is approved for students residing in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Cleveland 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.
- Online Accelerated BSN Program | Cleveland State Universitytier 1 · program page · checked Oct 13, 2026
- Accelerated BSN Program | Cleveland State Universitytier 1 · program page · checked Oct 13, 2026
- Office of Admissions | Cleveland State Universitytier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 13, 2026
- Post-Baccalaureate Students | Cleveland State Universitytier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 13, 2026
- https://health.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/traditional_accelerated_nursing_marketing-july-2024-red.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 13, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Accelerated BSN Program | Cleveland State Universitytier 2 · faq · checked Oct 13, 2026
- https://health.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/ABSN%20Application%20Packet%202014_0_1.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 13, 2026
- Tuition and Fees | Cleveland State Universitytier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 13, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- Online start terms conflict: the online page says Fall and Summer intakes, while the School of Nursing pages say Fall and Spring.
- The current online deadlines for a Fall start are not shown; the brochure's Sept. 1 and April 1 dates have no year and may be stale.
- The current School of Nursing application fee amount is not published on current pages; $25 comes from the 2014 packet.
- The repeat policy conflicts between the FAQ (two repeats per course) and the 2014 packet (one science repeat; no more than one failing prerequisite).
- No application portal URL is given for the School of Nursing application.
- Online track start terms conflict: the online page says Fall and Summer intakes, while the School of Nursing pages say Fall and Spring.
- The in-person June 1 deadline and January start are printed without a year.
- Online Fall and Spring deadlines appear only in a July 2024 brochure (Sept. 1 / April 1, no year); the current page shows January 9, 2027 for a May 15, 2027 start.
- The current School of Nursing application fee amount is not published; $25 comes from a 2014 packet.
- It is unclear whether the interview is required of all applicants or only selected ones.
- The current FAQ repeat policy (up to two repeats) differs from the stricter 2014 packet rules.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on partial_completion: You may apply with prerequisites in progress if 2 of the 5 science courses are complete; all prerequisites must be complete before the program starts | 2 of the 5 science courses completed at application; all prerequisites completed before the program starts.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on interview: An interview is listed among the admission requirements | Interview required (the FAQ says for selected applicants).
- Two readings of the page disagreed on other: Not eligible for admission | Applicants who have failed a prior nursing course are ineligible.
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.
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within 72 hours.