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UF Health University of Florida
College of Nursing UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA
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Deadline February 1, 2026

Summer 2026: Application deadline extended!

Completed, eligible applications submitted by December 1 will be reviewed while we will continue to accept and review applications through February 1, 2026.

ABSN students during their first week of clinicals

About the Accelerated BSN Program

The College of Nursing offers an accelerated course of study for students with a baccalaureate degree or higher in another field to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The Accelerated BSN program is offered at the Gainesville and UF Health Jacksonville campuses.

campuses

The University of Florida College of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is offered at both the UF main campus in Gainesville, FL and at the UF Health Jacksonville campus in Jacksonville, FL.

UF College of Nursing

Gainesville, FL

Offered at University of Florida main campus.

UFCON Building

Care. Lead. Inspire. Boldly.

Our college motto underpins the BSN curriculum’s three overarching concepts: Care. Lead. and Inspire. Boldly.

Care.

Care is the understanding and capability to provide what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of patients and patient/family/population systems and is the basis for personalized nursing care and nurses’ clinical judgment.

employment

Lead.

Lead embodies the actions, skills, and competencies the professional nurse employs to deliver care in the increasingly complex healthcare system.

lead

Inspire.

Inspire encompasses the nurses’ creative energy toward innovations that transform practice by using self and others.

ID Medicine Fordham Parker

ABSN Track Description

The UF College of Nursing’s Accelerated BSN track offers a fast, focused route into the nursing profession for people who already hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree in another field. Building on your prior academic background, this rigorous program delivers the same high-quality curriculum as the traditional BSN but in an accelerated format designed to launch your nursing career sooner. Students begin each May and move through four intensive semesters of full-time coursework and clinical training, completing the program the following August fully prepared to step into professional nursing roles.

Why Gator Nursing?

Asa Cooley

ABSN student Asa Cooley shares how she continued a Gator Nursing legacy and discovered her passion for the profession.

Asa Cooley Play Video

 

ABSN Curriculum and Coursework

Nursing courses encompass a combination of classroom and laboratory activities, as well as supervised clinical practice experiences. Students can analyze various issues in professional nursing practice and health care. They are introduced to a basic understanding of how evidence is developed, the research process, and clinical reasoning. Students will develop skills in managing patients from various backgrounds and cultures. The program moves through the continuum of care and the spectrum of complexity in the clinical setting.

Students may be required to travel up to 100 miles from their campus location to assigned clinical sites as part of their clinical education. These experiences are essential for gaining hands-on training in various healthcare settings, ensuring that students are well-prepared for professional nursing practice. Students should plan accordingly for transportation and scheduling to meet clinical requirements.

Accelerated BSN

Sample Curriculum Plan

View an example accelerated BSN curriculum plan here.

ABSN Tuition and Costs

Estimated Student Expenses

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Scholarship Opportunities

Learn More

ABSN Admission Criteria

All applicants must meet admissions requirements by the end of the spring semester before the summer term they intend to apply to be considered for admission.

The Admissions Committee uses a holistic assessment process that considers many factors, including student experiences, attributes, and academic metrics. Due to classroom and clinical space limitations, not all qualified applicants are admitted.

To be eligible for the ABSN program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Degree & GPA Requirements

To be eligible for our program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

– A bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in a field other than nursing. If you attended an international institution, all documents must be accompanied by certified, literal (exact) English translations for documents not originally issued in English, along with a credential evaluation for a course-by-course evaluation with a grade point average calculation.

– A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, calculated using the most recent 60 credits taken toward the bachelor’s degree, or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale on a master’s or doctoral degree. OR a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for a master’s or doctoral degree.

Prerequisites

The following six prerequisite courses must have been completed with a C or better grade. These courses may have been completed at the university or community college level. Any questions regarding course equivalency for use toward any prerequisites will require a detailed course syllabus to determine content. These courses should meet the following guidelines:

– 4 credits of Anatomy & Physiology 1 (including a lab component)
– 4 credits of Anatomy & Physiology 2 (including a lab component)
– 4 credits of Microbiology (including a lab component)
– 3 credits in Statistics
– 3 credits of Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology
– 3 credits of Human Nutrition
– State of Florida Civic Literacy Requirement

Language Requirements

The University of Florida requires proficiency in spoken and written English. This helps ensure that students who speak English as a second language can participate fully in university life, both in and out of class. Applicants from locations, including Puerto Rico, where English is not the official language, must submit language testing scores that are compliant with university expectations.

International students whose primary language is not English will have to demonstrate a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 80 on the web-based version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Ready to Apply?

Update: The Summer 2026 Accelerated BSN application deadline has been extended!

Completed, eligible applications submitted by December 1 will be reviewed and we will continue to accept and review applications on a through February 1, 2026.

Complete the Following

To be eligible for admission consideration, all applicants must complete the following:

Submit the University of Florida Post Baccalaureate Application

Submit a NursingCAS Application

  • Link to Form: NursingCAS application
    • An essay that responds to questions specified on the NursingCAS site, one academic letter of reference and one personal letter of reference, a CV, or a resume must be submitted with the NursingCAS application.
    • Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, and any necessary test scores.
    • Please refer to the NursingCAS website for more information.

Complete the HESI A2 Examination

  • Link to: HESI Test-Taker Portal
    • HESI A2 exam registration instructions are available here: ProctorU Portal | Elsevier – HESI.
    • All applicants must complete the HESI A2 by the application deadline.
    • Applicants may only complete the HESI A2 for the University of Florida once.
    • The HESI AS Entrance Exam is used by nursing programs nationwide as a tool to screen applicants.
    • The HESI A2 consists of both an academic portion and a personality portion. The required examination areas for the University of Florida College of Nursing include Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Grammar, Math, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Learning, and Personality Style.
    • The HESI A2 exam must be completed in a single session. Please ensure that you have adequate time to complete the exam before starting.
    • We do not have a minimum required or recommended score for the HESI A2exam; however, a competitive score would be a cumulative score of 85 and a critical thinking score of 800 or higher.

Elsevier Support

For questions related to setting up an Elsevier account (800) 222-9570

ProctorU General Questions

Please direct questions about ProctorU to (855) 772-8678

Important Notification

All applicants must disclose any arrests or criminal charges in their UF Program application. Upon disclosure, further information may be requested. All students must undergo a new background check, fingerprinting, and a drug test. Disclosure of arrest or conviction information may impact your admission to the Nursing Program.

All admitted nursing students, regardless of campus status, must complete a background check, mandatory immunization verification (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, Varicella, Influenza, Tetanus, Tuberculosis), fingerprinting, and drug screening. The College of Nursing follows CDC guidelines and adheres to the safety regulations of our clinical partners. Additionally, all students must provide proof of current health insurance. Upon admission into the program, students will be given the steps to complete this process.

Questions? Contact us
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The baccalaureate program at the University of Florida College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.