Nursing—Accelerated Program (Second Degree), B.S.N.

The following is a list of general admission requirements for the Accelerated BSN program. 

Please click the other sections of our FAQs for full details on each requirement. 

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
• Applicants with a degree in progress are required to upload a graduation clearance letter to their NursingCAS application.  The degree must be conferred by May 2025
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 Scale (Preferred, but NOT required) Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 are welcome to apply
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities where BA/BS awarded and pre-requisites completed and grades posted to transcript(s)
• Two recommendations (from the professor, supervisor, or professional colleague) completed electronically via NursingCAS (please review NursingCAS submission instructions)
• Current Resume
• Admission essay (See NJCU NursingCAS custom webpage for Essay Questions)
• A cumulative score of 80% on the standardized Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) exam
• Completion of the 5 required prerequisite classes in the United States within the past 10 years. 

NursingCAS is an online, centralized application service for nursing schools. NursingCAS processes your application and transcripts on behalf of the university.  Applicants can review and confirm receipt of the admission criteria via their NursingCAS account. Applications will be reviewed at the close of the deadline.

ACCESS TO APPLY FOR ACCESS TO APPLY FOR THE NJCU ACCELERATED BSN PROGRAM WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH NURSINGCAS 3.0 DURING THE APPLICATION CYCLE. 

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO NJCU. YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE PROCESSED. ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA NURSINGCAS 3.0. 

Visit www.nursingcas.org  

1. Select “Apply” to initiate an application.
2. Select “Create Account” and complete the required fields.

Please follow the guidelines for New Jersey City University’s requirements. Your application will not be considered until ALL elements listed in Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials are completed and submitted.

Helpful Hints With NURSINGCAS 3.0 

• Do not wait until the final day to apply. The application takes time to complete.  Applicants are encouraged to submit an application a minimum of two weeks prior to the deadline.
   
• Gather information ahead of time to help with the completion of your application:
  • Name, Title, and Email addresses for Reference Writers for recommendations.
  • Official transcripts for all schools attended to complete pre-requisite courses.
    • Allow up to two weeks for receipt of official transcripts
       
• Type your essay in a Word file and copy/paste it into the “Personal Statement” section rather than typing directly in this section. There is a 5000-character limit, which is approximately 700 words. Characters include spaces, carriage returns/new lines, numbers, letters, etc.
• File formats preferred for resume is an MS Word file (.doc, .docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• If your resume is password protected, please delete this protection to upload the file. It will not be viewable if it is a password-protected file.
• Remember to review your application prior to saving and/or submission.
• NJCU Nursing department personnel is unable to provide confirmation of receipt of the admission criteria via NursingCAS.  Applicants can track the status of their application at www.nursingcas.org

Prospective Students Re-Applying to the Accelerated BSN Program
You will be required to re-apply using NursingCAS 3.0. All requirements of NursingCAS, including application fee and transcript processing, must be met. NJCU will not be able to provide any information on your behalf to NursingCAS 3.0. Applicants reapplying must re-take the HESI Admission Assessment exam. 

Information for Foreign Graduates

• WES/ECE Evaluations for foreign graduates may take longer to be completed before they can be sent to NursingCAS 3.0. Please request your evaluation as soon as possible to avoid delays.
• Please be sure the evaluation includes the U.S. degree equivalency and GPA.

To access a more detailed overview of program admission requirements, please review the department's custom homepage accessible via NursingCAS.

All pre-requisite grades must be a grade of “C” or better to be considered for admission.

Pre-requisites older than 10 years, obtained from a country other than the US, or from a non-accredited school are not accepted.

Applicants can apply with two of the five prerequisite courses pending completion.  Only one prerequisite course pending completion can be a science course and all courses must be completed by May 2025.

1. Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Lab component required)
2. Human Anatomy & Physiology II (Lab component required)
3. Microbiology (Lab component required)
4. Statistics (any discipline)
5. Developmental Psychology (General Psychology and Intro to Psychology do not meet the requirement)

Developmental Psychology MUST contain a developmental component, i.e.: Lifespan Development, Birth through Adolescence, Child Psychology & Development, Human Growth & Development.)

• Courses offered under the title of Lifespan Development, Child Psychology, or Human Growth and Development are considered appropriate alternatives.

CLEP Examination Substitution Options (Psychology Pre-Requisite): 

Applicants may choose to take a CLEP exam if they have an outdated Psychology course or have learned this content through multiple courses.
Please visit https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams/human-growth-development for information about the CLEP examination.

CLEP Examination Submission Instructions:
NursingCAS does not accept CLEP scores, therefore, an official report reflecting an ACE score of 50 or higher must be sent directly to the Nursing Department.

New Jersey City University
Nursing Department, Rossey 405
2039 John F. Kennedy Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07305

HESI Admission Assessment (A2) 

The HESI Admission Assessment Exam Registration period for the 2025 admission cycle will open on October 8, 2024. Please allow 5-10 business days for registration processing to schedule an exam test date.

The exam covers content related to Math, English, and Sciences (Anatomy & Biology); the custom admission exam does not include Chemistry or Physics. 

A score of 80% or higher is required for consideration. The admission exam can be completed a maximum of 2 times within the admission cycle. Applicants earning below the 80% minimum are automatically ineligible for the program (no exceptions will be made).  

You may submit your application before taking the HESI Admission Assessment, which is required of all applicants.

TEST DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

Applicants must follow the registration instructions specific to Jersey City or Fort Monmouth. If you are applying for both campuses, select the registration instructions for your preferred location. Questions and inquiries regarding registration issues, processing time, and follow-up must be directed to the Elsevier Customer Service Department. Registration instructions, Department ID number, and Elsevier Customer Service contact information can be retrieved from the link below.  

Applicants are encouraged to schedule an appointment to complete the admission exam several weeks before the application deadline. Extensions will not be granted for late registration, personal hardship, or weather-related delays.

Please note: Exam scores are retrieved directly from Elsevier at the close of the deadline, therefore, applicants are NOT required to send exam scores to NursingCAS or the Nursing Department. See exam instructions below for department ID. 

Jersey City HESI Exam Registration Instructions

If you experience any registration/scheduling issues, please contact Elsevier at 1-800-222-9570.

Prospective Students Re-Applying to the Accelerated BSN Program
You will be required to re-apply using NursingCAS 3.0. All requirements of NursingCAS, including application fee and transcript processing, must be met. NJCU will not be able to provide any information on your behalf to NursingCAS 3.0. Applicants reapplying must re-take the HESI Admission Assessment exam. 

To access a more detailed overview of program admission requirements, please review the department's custom homepage accessible via NursingCAS.

New Jersey City University's Accelerated BSN program hosts one cohort of 60 students every Fall (September) at our Jersey City campus. A waiting list is created only when there are more qualified applicants than seats available. If no vacancies become available, applicants on the waiting list must re-apply the following year.

Program tuition rates per semester (3 semesters total) can be found on the Office of Student Accounts (Bursars Office) webpage.

In addition to any applicable tuition and/or fees, students in the Accelerated BSN program should expect to pay approximately $2,500 for required uniforms, books, and nursing equipment.