Accelerated Nursing Degree in Philadelphia: Drexel University's ACE BSN Program
Earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in just 11 months through Drexel University's Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) BSN program, located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designed for career changers and motivated students, this full-time, fast-track nursing program prepares you to enter the nursing profession with confidence and clinical expertise.
Why Choose Drexel’s ACE BSN Program?
- Accelerated Format: Complete your BSN in under a year through four consecutive 10-week terms.
- High NCLEX Pass Rates: 97–100% success rate among first-time test takers.
- Expert Faculty: Learn from nationally recognized nursing educators with current clinical practice.
- Clinical Excellence: Train in Drexel’s advanced simulation labs and partner hospitals across Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware and surrounding counties.
- NCLEX Prep Included: Students receive integrated NCLEX preparation throughout the program, culminating in an advanced, comprehensive three-day live review course to ensure readiness and confidence for exam day.
Program Overview
- Location: On-campus in Philadelphia, with limited online components.
- Schedule: Students follow a full-time schedule with classes and clinical rotations.
- Commitment: Full-time, immersive learning experience.
Unique Opportunities for ACE Students
TAP: Transition to Advanced Practice Nursing
Continue your education seamlessly with Drexel’s graduate nursing programs:
- Apply within two years of graduation— experience, licensure or letters of recommendation are waived.
- 30% tuition discount for Drexel BSN alumni.
- Customize your plan of study tailored to your career path.
- Personalized mentorship and flexible online graduate programs designed for working nurses.
Specialty Certifications and Immersions
- Perioperative Nursing Immersion: One-week intensive at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. (application required)
- Nephrology Nursing Immersion: One-week experience in dialysis and kidney care with DaVita. (application required)
Skills You’ll Build
Graduates of Drexel’s ACE BSN program are ready to:
- Deliver culturally competent, patient-centered care.
- Use healthcare technology to improve outcomes.
- Lead in diverse clinical environments.
- Apply ethical decision-making and critical thinking.
- Engage in lifelong learning and community service.
Clinical Rotations Across the Region
Gain hands-on experience in:
- Philadelphia regional hospitals, outpatient centers and community clinics.
- New Jersey and Delaware healthcare systems.
- Major academic medical centers and smaller community hospitals.
This regional exposure prepares you to adapt to various healthcare settings and enhances your career readiness.
Career Outcomes That Speak for Themselves
90% of our graduates are employed full-time, and of those, 97% are working as registered nurses.
Most ACE graduates begin their careers in hospital settings, including:
- Medical-Surgical
- Critical Care and Emergency Departments
- Obstetrics and Pediatrics
- Oncology and Psychiatric Nursing
- Gerontological Care
Ready to Fast-Track Your Nursing Career?
Join Drexel University’s ACE BSN program and become a nurse in less than a year. Whether you're in Philadelphia, South Jersey, Delaware or the greater Mid-Atlantic region, Drexel’s accelerated nursing degree offers unmatched speed, quality and clinical preparation.
Apply Now
Upcoming Events
For Prospective Students
- Nursing Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Information Session - Prospective Students
Saturday, October 25 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EST
Drexel University Health Sciences Building
60 N 36th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Register
For Admitted Students
- Nursing Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Admitted Student Reception
Saturday, November 8 • 11 a.m.–1 p.m. EST
Drexel University Health Sciences Building
60 N 36th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Register in Discover Drexel
Learn more about our campus in Philadelphia, PA
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Admissions
Application Deadline
Fall admissions: July 15
Spring admissions: January 15
The most competitive applications have at least an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 from the applicant's bachelor's degree, a strong GPA over their last 60 credits (3.0 or better), and prerequisite grades (B or better, especially in science courses). Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and receive a passing score (scores are only valid for up to two years from the test date).
We will waive the TOEFL/IELTS for the following students:
- Those that have completed English Composition I and II earning a grade of C or better from a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
- Those that have studied at, for a minimum of four years, and subsequently graduated from a high school or university where English is the primary language of instruction.
- Those that are U.S. Citizens/permanent residents.
Additionally, students must take prerequisite courses before matriculating in the Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) program by the deadlines specified.
Prerequisites
We do not waive or substitute prerequisite courses.
The prerequisite courses below must be completed by August 1 for fall entrance and January 15 for spring entrance. No exceptions will be made. Applicants with a greater number of prerequisites completed will be considered more competitive. Transcripts are not evaluated until you are admitted into the program.
- Bachelor's degree
- English Composition: 3 semester credits
- Developmental Psychology (lifespan): 3 semester credits
- Human Nutrition: 3 semester credits
- Statistics: 3 semester credits
- General Chemistry I with Lab: 4 semester credits (General or Allied Health Majors)
- Anatomy with lab OR Anatomy and Physiology I with lab: 4 semester credits
- Physiology with lab OR Anatomy and Physiology II with lab: 4 semester credits
- Microbiology with lab: 4 semester credits
Three of the four science prerequisites need to be completed at the time of application, with the Anatomy/Physiology sequence courses being two of them. Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology must be taken within five years prior to enrollment in the ACE Program. Chemistry, Human Nutrition and Statistics must be taken within 10 years prior to enrollment.
Note: Prerequisites are based on semester-based institutions. For example, if the Anatomy/Physiology courses are taken at a quarter-based institution, Anatomy/Physiology I, II, and III must be taken to meet the requirement.
Prerequisite Course Equivalencies
You may take prerequisite courses at any regionally accredited university or community college and you must earn a grade of "C" or higher for credits to transfer. Online courses can be accepted if they were taken at a regionally accredited college or university. View course equivalencies from schools near us. [PDF]
View the College of Nursing and Health Professions' Technical Standards for Admission, Academic Progression, and Graduation for more information.
Compliance
The College of Nursing and Health Professions has a compliance process that may be required for every student. Some of these steps may take significant time to complete, so please plan accordingly. (Please note that certain requirements, including background checks and clearances, can only be completed post-confirmation.)
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Drexel University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202.887-6791.
Program Level Outcomes
- Apply concepts from liberal arts to nursing practice
- Demonstrate leadership behaviors that enhance patient safety and quality care
- Utilize multiple technologies to access and manage information to guide professional practice
- Apply research-based evidence to nursing practice
- Integrate technology to support clinical decision making in patient-centered care
- Examine health care policy and financial/regulatory environments that influence the delivery of health care
- Foster caring and collaborative relationships with self, patient, and the health care community that provide positive outcome
- Practice care that supports health promotion and disease prevention
- Assimilate ethical principles and professional standards into practice using evidence based clinical judgment
- Apply age-specific knowledge to provide safe, competent care across the life span
- Pursue life-long learning as a means to enhance practice
Nursing Program Mission and Values
The Nursing program faculty and staff are committed to educating nurses to embrace both the art and science of nursing, to integrate caring into practice, to think critically and practice competently, compassionately and safely in complex rapidly changing practice environments. The Nursing program supports administrators, faculty, staff and students in developing holistic evidence-based programs, which create healing and caring environments at all levels that reflect innovative education, interdisciplinary practice and research.
The highest goals of the program include demonstrating efficacy, quality and cost-effectiveness of evidence-based nursing interventions in promoting health, preventing disease, preserving human dignity, reducing health disparities and caring for the sick and injured.
All efforts in the Nursing program are designed to build nursing knowledge, enhance nursing practice, foster professional integrity, promote innovation, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and ultimately improve the health outcomes of patients and families from diverse communities across the continuum of care.
The Nursing program is committed to excellence in nursing education through educational programs that are:
- Authentic: We value a deep connection to others, appreciation of diverse opinions and respect for the other’s frame of reference. We value going beyond objective assessment to understand the context of the other, creative use of self and engagement in the artistry of the caring-healing process—the essence of Nursing.
- Complex: We value complexity science by recognizing that our Nursing program is a complex, dynamic, unpredictable, emerging, self-organizing and adaptive system that cannot be reduced to the sum of its members. As such, we seek that administrators, faculty, staff and students develop skills to improvise, build on the innovations of others, develop positive interpersonal interactions, appreciate the reciprocity that our actions have on the larger system and ourselves and embrace surprise as an opportunity to learn, make sense of our dynamic reality and make a positive impact on the health of our clients.
- Rigorous: We continuously review and redesign programs, courses, technology-infused learning systems and educational products for depth and quality with the learner's experience and background in mind.
- Relevant: We continuously examine changing market forces, the progression of nursing knowledge and the best practices in health care and education to redesign educational programs. There is a strong commitment to population-focused care practice in diverse communities; therefore, we strive to ensure clinically relevant education and simulation experiences. Our faculty serves as excellent role models for developing clinicians.
- State of the Art: We value the use of technological innovation and patient simulation scenarios which foster advanced and evidence-based interdisciplinary communication and teamwork, multiple patient management and crisis resource management skills, provision of culturally relevant care, decreased prevalence of errors and adverse events and a higher intellectual standard in both undergraduate and graduate nursing education.
- Learner-Friendly: In consideration of the demanding, fast-paced lives of our students and nurse consumers, we offer high-quality educational programs in convenient and contemporary formats, including access to academic online courses with attention to user-friendly interfaces as well as resources to enhance academic success. In addition, the College of Nursing and Health Professions is committed to being a challenging and rewarding work environment for faculty, staff and administrators. Information and data on all aspects of the college’s operations are widely shared with faculty, staff and students and all are encouraged to participate in its decisions and activities.