Program

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is an intensive full-time undergraduate program. Drexel's undergraduate BSN program options include intensive immersion in nursing science as well as facilitated entrance into nursing practice. Our nationally recognized reputation is a result of our first time pass rate of 96-100% on the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN), expansive clinical affiliations, innovative curriculum, and faculty.

Drexel offers multiple undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing options to meet the needs of traditional and transfer students including curriculum options with built-in cooperative education.

Drexel undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing options for freshman:

The BSN-Co-op 4-year program includes one cooperative education experience in Acute and Chronic Illness resulting in a 6-month work-related experience that may be included on a resumé at the time of graduation.

The BSN-Co-op 5-year program includes three cooperative education experiences, the first as an Introduction to the Contemporary Healthcare Network; the second in Acute and Chronic Illness; and the third in a Specialty Nursing Concentration, which result in 18-months of diverse, work-related experiences that may be included on a resumé at the time of graduation.

Drexel undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing options for transfer students:

The BSN as a Non-Co-op transfer student is Drexel’s only undergraduate nursing option that does not include a built-in cooperative education experience.  It was designed for students that have completed nursing-related coursework prior to attending Drexel that are looking to reach their BSN within a 2-year progression.  It is the only program for transfer students to apply for and is available to individuals that have completed the required prerequisite courses in order to enter the program.   

Prerequisites*:

• English: 6 semester credits.
• General Chemistry with labs: 8 semester credits
• General Sociology: 3 semester credits
• General Psychology: 3 semester credits
• Developmental Psychology: 3 semester credits
• Anatomy with lab: 4 semester credits
• Physiology with lab: 4 semester credits
• Microbiology with lab: 4 semester credits
• Human Nutrition: 3 semester credits
• Statistics: 3 semester credits
• College Algebra: 3 semester credits
• Ethics: 3 semester credits
• Humanities Elective: 3 semester credits
• Social Science Elective: 3 semester credits
• General Elective: 6 semester credits 
• Language: 3-4 semester credits.

* Prerequisite courses are reviewed by Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions to determine eligibility for transfer credit. We do not waive or substitute prerequisite courses. College Algebra must be completed with a grade of "B" or better. A grade of "C" or better is required for all other prerequisite coursework.  Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology must be taken within five years prior to enrollment in Drexel's undergraduate nursing program options.

Students that graduate with a bachelor of science in nursing from any of Drexel's undergraduate BSN options are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN).

What you will learn

Drexel's nursing curriculum is built to respond to the rapidly changing health care system, as well as to student's needs. Graduates of the baccalaureate program will be prepared to:

• Utilize the growing compendium of knowledge and information sources from nursing and other disciplines to learn, teach, heal the sick, and conserve health;
• Contribute to the profession by sharing knowledge and skills with clients, peers, and other professionals in a variety of methods;
• Utilize multiple technologies that access and manage information to guide professional practice;
• Participate in culturally sensitive health promotion activities that contribute to the community’s health and wellness;
• Participate in ongoing educational activities related to personal growth, professional practice, and community service;
• Apply knowledge and skills appropriate to their selected areas of career clinical practice;
• Develop personal potential for leadership in a changing health care environment;
• Integrate ethical concepts and principles, The Code of Ethics for Nurses, and professional standards into practice within professional, academic, and community settings;
• Utilize critical-thinking skills to improve the health outcomes of patients, families, and communities across the continuum of care.

Clinical

Faculty-guided clinical experiences allow students to function in nursing care for patients across the lifespan and the health continuum. Each clinical experience is designed to integrate academic coursework with patient care in the health care environment. Our clinical groups consist of 6-8 students per faculty member rotate through nursing specialty areas including adult health, women's health, pediatrics, psychiatric and mental health, community, gerontology, and complex/critical care.

Cooperative Education (Co-op)

Co-operative education work experiences give Drexel nursing graduates a competitive edge. Co-operative education involves employment experiences in the Nursing major integrated into every student's plan of study. During co-op experiences, students are employed at major healthcare agencies and have opportunities to gain healthcare and nursing experience as paid employees.

What makes the program unique?

• Specialty courses that prepare students for the demands of current nursing practice.
• Co-op education gives graduates a competitive edge.
• You are part of the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions with access to clinical practice environments and inter-professional simulated health care scenarios.

Admissions

For Entering Freshmen

To review admission prerequisites, visit the Admission Prerequisites page. 

To find admissions deadlines, apply online, check out financial aid information, and find the current schedule for open houses, visit the Undergraduate Admissions site.

For Transferring Students

For International Students

International applicants whose first (or native) language is not English and have not completed a minimum of three full years of instruction in English must take an approved English proficiency exam and request that results be forwarded to the Admissions Office. Additionally, permanent residents whose first language is not English may be requested to submit an English proficiency exam. Drexel's TOEFL school code is 2194.

Approved English Proficiency Exams are:

1. TOEFL iBT
2. TOEFL Essentials
3. IELTS
4. Pearson PTE
5. Duolingo English Test (DET)
6. Cambridge English C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency

Exemptions may occur for the following reasons:

1. Your first (or native) language is English.
2. You have studied at a high school for a minimum of three full years where English is the primary language of instruction.
3. You have received a minimum score of 600 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section or a minimum score of 27 on the ACT English section.

Drexel encourages you to submit scores each time you take an approved English proficiency exam. The University will consider your highest section scores across all test dates submitted. Final admission decisions are made using only the highest scores. Each time you submit scores, the University updates your record with any new high scores.

TOEFL MyBest™ Score policy: For full exam results submitted, the University will consider your highest section scores on the TOEFL exam.

To review transfer instructions, visit the International Instructions page.

Technical Standards for Admission, Academic Progression, and Graduation can be found here.

Tuition and Fee Rates: 
Please visit the Tuition and Fee Rates page on Drexel Central

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. Please plan accordingly.

Visit the Compliance pages for more information.

Curriculum

• Degree Requirements
• Course Descriptions
• Plan of Study

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 culturally congruent care that addresses 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

Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2-year program

This 2-year full-time on-campus nursing program allows students to transfer in and complete their BSN in two years. Applicants do not need to have all of the following college-level prerequisites completed before applying to the nursing program, but these prerequisite courses must be completed before starting the nursing program at Drexel:

• Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs
• General Chemistry I and II with labs
• Microbiology with lab
• College Algebra
• English I and II
• Developmental Psychology
• General Psychology
• Ethics
• Nutrition
• Statistics
• Sociology (Intro to Sociology)
• Humanities Elective
• Social Science Elective
• Foreign Language
• 2 Free Electives

For more information contact enroll@drexel.edu

New Bachelor of Science in Nursing 3-year 1-co-op option

This 3-year full-time on-campus nursing program is similar to our 2-year program for transfer students. This program requires less prerequisite courses before the program starts, so you can transfer in earlier for those excited to get a jump on their Drexel education!

Applicants do not need to have all of the following college-level prerequisites completed before applying to the nursing program, but these prerequisite courses must be completed before starting the nursing program at Drexel:

• Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs
• General Chemistry I and II with labs
• Microbiology with lab
• English I and II
• General Psychology
• College Algebra
• Sociology (Intro to Sociology)
• Foreign Language

For more information contact enroll@drexel.edu

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.