Already an RN? The next step in your nursing career starts now.
A BSN from Iowa demonstrates your commitment to the field and to the future.
Augment your hands-on nursing skills with new skills in critical thinking and leadership, and gain an understanding of the issues affecting patients and impacting healthcare delivery.
If you are ready to take your nursing career to the next level, we’re here to help make it happen. Our flexible, primarily online* RN-BSN program is designed for working nurses–you can complete your BSN in three, four, or five semesters while staying in your community.
*Practicum courses are completed in your community. All other courses are online.
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Sep 1
Plans of study
Practicum courses
The RN‑BSN program includes two practicum courses that have required in‑person components. These components can be completed in your area - no travel to the UI campus is necessary.
Community and Public Health (CPH) Practicum
Option 1: Complete the CPH practicum at an Iowa agency over a 16‑week semester.
You will be placed at a practicum site within 100 miles of your home address and paired with a preceptor. Iowa residents must hold a valid Iowa nursing license during this time.
Students who live outside of Iowa must work with their faculty and/or clinical coordinator to find an acceptable placement. If one cannot be found, the student will need to complete the project at an approved site within Iowa.
Option 2: Participate in an immersion CPH practicum abroad
Ten days of the semester will be spent in Eswatini, Africa or the Netherlands. Students choosing this option are responsible for all additional travel expenses.
Quality Improvement Practicum
Most students who work in a healthcare agency located in Iowa complete the required quality improvement practicum at their place of employment.
Students employed outside Iowa must work with their faculty and/or clinical coordinator to establish an affiliation agreement between the College of Nursing and their employer. If an agreement cannot be established, the student will need to complete the project at an approved site within Iowa.
Transcript evaluation
To find out what classes you need, we recommend that you request a transcript evaluation.
Send an email with the answers to the questions below to nursing-rn-bsn@uiowa.edu and attach copies of unofficial transcripts from all colleges that you have credit from.
- Name (including maiden name if applicable)
- What month/year did you (or do you plan to) receive your nursing degree from the community college?
- Which semester would you like to start in our RN-BSN program (fall or spring and year)?
- What year did you graduate high school?
- Did you take a foreign language in high school?
- If yes, what language and how many years (i.e., Spanish II, French III)?
- List all colleges/universities you have attended
Current ADN student transfer pathways
The College of Nursing has 3+1 agreements with many partner institutions, allowing qualifying nursing graduates to seamlessly transfer and complete their BSN.
Partner colleges include:
If you don’t see your college listed, you can still apply to the RN-BSN program. Consult with the RN-BSN advisor to learn how courses from your college will transfer.
Application requirements and instructions
Application Requirements
A cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher is preferred. However, all applications are reviewed for consideration. You are still encouraged to apply if your GPA is less than 2.75. All prerequisites and an ADN Degree must be completed prior to matriculation but can still be in progress when submitting an application.
Application Instructions
Step 1: University of Iowa application
- Apply as a transfer student through the UI Admissions portal.
- In section B, choose Nursing as your college/program.
- Select Nursing (RN-BSN program for currently licensed nurses) in the drop-down box for major area of interest
- In section F, enter your RN license number. If you are not licensed yet, enter all 9’s and indicate when/where you plan to take your boards.
- Answer yes or no to the next three questions. If you answer yes to any question, you must enter an explanation. Failure to disclose or complete these questions will constitute an incomplete application and your application will not move forward to the admission committee.
Step 2: Submit OFFICIAL transcripts from all schools to:
Enrollment Management
2900 University Capitol Centre
201 S. Clinton St.
Iowa City, IA 52242
Course Transfer Equivalency
If you took, or plan to take, course work at another college or university, use this equivalency guide to determine how those courses transfer to the University of Iowa.
Financial Aid
If you anticipate applying for scholarships where financial need is an eligibility requirement, you must also file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Find the FAFSA and step-by-step instructions at the Office of Student Financial Aid.
International Students
Students on an F-1 Visa aren't eligible for online programs and therefore cannot join the RN-BSN program. Other students should reach out to the RN-BSN advisor for assistance checking their eligibility.
Fast track to a graduate degree (U2G)
Fast track to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD
Interested in going beyond a BSN? Our U2G program is like an express pass – it allows you to graduate with both your BSN and a DNP or PhD faster than completing them separately and saves you money in the process.
Degrees offered through U2G
DNP:
- Adult/Gerontology Acute Care
- Adult/Gerontology Primary Care
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Health Systems: Administration & Executive Leadership
- Pediatric Acute Care
- Pediatric Primary Care
- Psychiatric-Mental Health
PhD
Contact us for more information: nursing-rn-bsn@uiowa.edu
