Duquesne University
Second Degree BSN · Pittsburgh, PA · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Duquesne 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 the last 5 years.
source · duq.edu
“Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 02Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy and Physiology II with labWithin the last 5 years.
source · duq.edu
“Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 03General BiologyBiology or Chemistry with labEither biology or chemistry satisfies this. Within the last 10 years.
source · duq.edu
“Biology or Chemistry with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 04Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentHuman Growth and Development (across the lifespan)Within 10 years. A similar course covering development from conception through death is accepted; a syllabus is required for courses with another title.
source · duq.edu
“Human Growth and Development (across the lifespan)* (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC - 05MicrobiologyMicrobiology with labWithin the last 10 years.
source · duq.edu
“Microbiology with lab (4 credits)”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeC - 06NutritionNutritionWithin 10 years. Courses focused primarily on weight loss, dieting, or weight management are not accepted.
source · duq.edu
“Nutrition** (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC - 07StatisticsStatisticsWithin the last 10 years.
source · duq.edu
“Statistics (3 credits)”
credits3min gradeC
Minimum prerequisite grade
C or higher; C- not accepted
source · duq.edu
“but it must be completed prior to start of program with a grade of "C" or higher (a "C-" will not be accepted.)”
Applying with prerequisites in progress
Allowed; all prerequisites must be complete before the program starts
It is recommended to complete as many science prerequisites as possible before applying. Admission is contingent on completion.
source · duq.edu
“You may apply to the Second Degree BSN program prior to completing prerequisite coursework, but it must be completed prior to start of program with a grade of "C" or higher (a "C-" will not be accepted.)”
Outstanding prerequisite transcripts due
August 16, 2027
'No exceptions will be made.'
source · duq.edu
“The official transcripts for these are due on August 16, 2027.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Prerequisite recency
Anatomy & Physiology I and II within 5 years; all other prerequisites within 10 years
Reference date not stated.
source · duq.edu
“Completed within the last 5 years: Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (4 credits) Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (4 credits) Completed within the last 10 years:”
Course repeat limits Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum undergraduate GPA for admission
3.0
The Admissions Committee may consider recent courses as evidence of academic ability. International page says only 'A demonstrated record of acceptable academic success.'
source · duq.edu
“Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher”
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 coursework accepted from most platforms, including Portage Learning; Sophia Learning not accepted
Lab courses are not addressed separately; Portage is said to offer all prerequisites.
source · duq.edu
“Online coursework is acceptable from most platforms. For example, we do accept courses from Portage Learning, which offers all prerequisite courses required for the Second Degree program, but do not accept credit from Sophia Learning.”
Where prerequisites may be taken
Any accredited college or university
source · duq.edu
“The coursework may be completed at any accredited college or university.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles Duquesne publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Fall 2027 startDeadline not publishedopens August 1 · prerequisites done by Aug 16, 2027The page does not print the year for the Aug 1 opening (presumably the year before the Fall 2027 start; not stated). The FAQ gives the application deadline as June 1 (no year), and all pathways begin each year in August. Official transcripts for outstanding prerequisites are due August 16, 2027 per the Application Resources section.
source · duq.edu
“Applications for Fall 2027 open Aug 1.”
Fall start (August) – domestic application deadlineDue June 1 each yearnext Jun 1, 2027FAQ prints no year. Program start is August each year ('All pathways begin each year in August.').
source · duq.edu
“The application deadline is June 1.”
Fall start – international applicantsDeadline not publishedInternational page only mentions 12- and 16-month tracks, so it may be partly out of date relative to the program page (which lists a 20-month track).
source · duq.edu
“The application and all supporting documents must be submitted to the School of Nursing by May 15 to start the program in the fall.”
Application route
Duquesne's own online Second Degree application (no NursingCAS)
source · duq.edu
“Complete the online Application for Second Degree Admission”
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 award
Up to 50% off tuition for Fall 2027 12- or 16-month track students, based on prior academic performance
Awarded during the admission process; the 20-month track is not mentioned.
source · duq.edu
“Through the Duquesne University Second Degree BSN Tuition Award, Fall 2027 Second Degree BSN students enrolled in either the 12 or 16 month track may receive as much as 50% off of tuition in the form of scholarships, depending upon prior academic performance.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Prior degree
Non-nursing associate's or bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; may be in progress if conferred before program start
The international page and catalog refer to a BS/BA (baccalaureate) degree.
source · duq.edu
“Associate's or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university”
English proficiency (international)
TOEFL 90 iBT, IELTS 7, Duolingo 125, or PTE 68; plus WES evaluation
Minimum subscores: TOEFL writing 27/speaking 23; IELTS 7.0 each; Duolingo 125 each.
source · duq.edu
“A score of 575 or higher (90 iBT) on TOEFL, a score of 7 or higher on IELTS, or a score of 125 or higher on Duolingo, or a PTE score of 68 or higher.”
- Official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate work.
source · duq.edu
“Request official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate work to be sent directly to the School of Nursing via Escript”
- International applicants: WES credential evaluation and English proficiency scores.
source · duq.edu
“A credential evaluation from the World Education Services (WES) for coursework is required. The results must be sent directly to the School of Nursing.”
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.
Enrollment status
Full-time only; mostly daytime
Working during the program is strongly discouraged.
source · duq.edu
“The program is full-time only, with the majority of class and clinical experiences taking place during the daytime.”
Working during the program
Strongly discouraged
source · duq.edu
“It is strongly recommended that you do not work due to the time and effort necessary to excel in this program.”
Format Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“In-person / onsite” vs “In-person, full-time only”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Start term Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“August (fall) only” vs “August (fall) each year”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Duquesne, 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.
- 2nd Degree BSN Program - Duquesne Universitytier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Second Degree Admissions | Duquesne University School of Nursingtier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- https://www.duq.edu/documents/academics/colleges-and-schools/nursing/nursing-undergraduate-handbook-2026-27.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 15, 2026PDF text truncated (110 pages)
- Second Degree BSN International Admissions | School of Nursingtier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- 404 Page not Foundtier 2 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Second Degree BSN Tuition and Financial Aid | School of Nursingtier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 15, 2026
- 2025-2026 Second Degree BSNtier 3 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Accessibility and Legaltier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- The year for the Aug 1 application opening for Fall 2027 is not printed (presumably 2026).
- The domestic deadline (June 1, FAQ) and international deadline (May 15) are printed without years.
- The international page lists only 12- and 16-month tracks and a BS/BA requirement, while the program page offers a 20-month track and accepts associate's degrees. The international page may be outdated.
- Tuition rates and application fee are not printed on the provided pages.
- It is not stated whether online lab components (other than Portage Learning) are accepted for lab science prerequisites.
- Year of the 'Aug 1' application opening and the 'June 1' deadline for the Fall 2027 cohort is not printed.
- Whether online labs specifically are accepted is not stated separately from 'online coursework is acceptable'.
- Application fee, interview, essays, and recommendations are not addressed.
- International page lists only 12- and 16-month tracks and a May 15 deadline; domestic pages list 12/16/20-month tracks and June 1.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on format: In-person / onsite | In-person, full-time only.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on start_terms: August (fall) only | August (fall) each year.
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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