Nursing, RN to B.S.N., Completion, Online

Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.)
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About this program

Reach for new opportunities by pursuing your bachelor’s degree in nursing. Endorsed by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, this 100% online program is designed with flexible scheduling for the working professional. Courses are delivered by master’s- and doctoral-prepared nurses with the same rigor as on-campus options and can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Acceptance in this major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission.

Next steps...

You're on your way to becoming a tomorrow maker.

Full or Part-Time Options Available

Designed for Working Professionals

100%

Online Program

Nursing Careers

  • Hospital acute care settings
  • Home health agencies
  • State and federal facilities
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Physician/surgeon/dentist offices
Courses

At Penn College, we believe your educational experience should go beyond specialized skills. Real-world ready means taking a broader approach that builds communication skills, inspires collaboration, and encourages exploration of arts, history, and science.

​​Specialization requires in-depth knowledge and high-level proficiency. Students learn and apply major-specific concepts, skills, and methods.

  • Credentials Proven by License (NUR304)
  • Transition to the BSN Program (NUR321)
  • The Philosophy of Professional Nursing (NUR311)
  • Teaching & Learning Concepts & Strategies (NUR353)
  • Nursing in an Aging Society (NUR315)
  • Community Health Nursing for the Practicing RN (NUR329)
  • Evaluating Professional Nursing Practice (NUR414)
  • Research & Theory for the Practicing RN (NUR493)
  • Directed Nursing Elective (NUR)
  • Fundamentals of Nutrition (NUR250)
  • Leadership & Management for the Practicing RN (NUR466)

​Perspectives are points of view, offering a variety of ways of understanding, interacting, and influencing the world. Students identify, explain, and utilize the approaches used by academics and professionals to study, analyze, or understand problems, and offer solutions.

  • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO115)
  • General Psychology (PSY111)
  • Core Historical Perspective (HIP)
  • Science Elective with lab (SCL)
  • Developmental Psychology (PSY203)
  • Introduction to Sociology (SOC111)
  • Information, Technology & Society (CSC124) or
  • Cybersecurity for Non-IT Majors (CSC229)
  • Core Arts Perspective (ARP)

​​Foundations are the practical, intellectual, and social skills: communication, collaboration, critical and ethical thinking, quantitative thinking, and technological literacy that are crucial to every student at every stage of education and at every stage of life.

  • English Composition I (ENL111)
  • Math Elective (MTH123 or Higher) (MNA)
  • English Composition II (ENL121) or
  • Technical & Professional Communication (ENL201)
  • Information, Technology & Society (CSC124) or
  • Cybersecurity for Non-IT Majors (CSC229)
  • Statistics for Health & Behavioral Sciences (MTH159)
  • Fundamentals of Speech (SPC101) or
  • Fundamentals of Small Group Communication (SPC102) or
  • Interpersonal Communication (SPC201)

Online-Friendly Minors

Customize your path by pairing an online-friendly minor with your bachelor's degree.

Already have professional credentials or current licensure in a healthcare field?

Check out the credential/licensure chart to see if your credential or licensure qualifies for college credit.

View Chart
Maker Profiles
Online Degrees

Learning that fits your lifestyle

Convenience

  • Accessible online anywhere in the world
  • Flexible scheduling – take as many or as few classes you want each semester
  • Continue to work and be at home with your family

Value

  • In-state tuition rate for all students, regardless of residency
  • Same rigor as on-campus programs
  • Many employers offer tuition reimbursement - check with yours to see if you qualify
  • Transfer-friendly programs shorten time to complete your degree

Service

  • One-on-one interaction with faculty
  • 24/7 online tutoring
  • Textbooks and course materials available for purchase online through The College Store
  • Graduates can participate in Commencement

Class Delivery

  • Classes delivered asynchronously through P.L.A.T.O., Penn College's Platform for Learning And Teaching Online
  • 100% online - no required campus visits
Military Tuition Assistance

Military Tuition Assistance

Thanks to the Military Tuition Assistance Program, more tomorrow makers can find their futures at Penn College. Through this special offering, qualified active military personnel are eligible to pursue college credits tuition free.

Learn More

Industry Partners

Work with experts to become an expert

Penn College's strong partnerships impact every step of your journey – from your first day in the classroom and labs, to career placement (oftentimes before graduation) and beyond. Check our Partnerships & Discounts page to see if you may be eligible for a discount through your employer.

View Partnerships & Discounts
UPMC Susquehanna
Geisinger
Evangelical Community Hospital
Daisy Foundation logo
Penn College News
02.22.2024

PTK pitches in on monkey movement for kids' comfort

Students in Penn College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter recently convened to prepare 144 plush monkey toys for children experiencing scary or difficult situations. The monkeys are provided by Aly’s Monkey Movement, a local nonprofit started by the then 10-year-old daughter of nursing student Kristy L. Creasy, who introduced the project to PTK members and provided instruction.

Nursing student makes difference in life of UPMC heart patient
01.08.2024

Nursing student makes difference in life of UPMC heart patient

Jordyn G. Nichols, a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing, was featured in a Jan. 6 Williamsport Sun-Gazette story for the care she provided to a patient’s pup. When Chad Losell learned the arrangements he’d made for his dachshund to be cared for while he had heart surgery had fallen through, he considered postponing the life-saving procedure. “It obviously was causing tremendous stress on him, and I just wanted to take care of that completely,” Nichols told the Sun-Gazette’s Pat Crossley.

12.07.2023

Nursing students wrap up clinicals ... and holiday gifts for patients

On their last clinical day at Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville, students in Penn College's LPN to RN program shared the spirit of giving with pediatric patients and their families, gifting them with new toys, books and activities for the holiday season.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate nursing program at Pennsylvania College of Technology located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the baccalaureate nursing program is continuing accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at https://www.acenursing.org/search-programs/

View Nursing, RN to B.S.N., Completion (B.S.) Accreditation & Outcomes Information

More Information

The baccalaureate nursing program at Pennsylvania College of Technology located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania is accredited by the:  

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
(404) 975-5000 

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the baccalaureate nursing program is continuing accreditation. 

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm

Accreditation & Outcomes Information

Registered nurses seeking entrance must (1) be a graduate of an accredited associate degree and/or diploma nursing program, (2) submit a copy of their current, active, unencumbered RN license in any state with eligibility for licensure in Pennsylvania to the Admissions office. Alternatively, students currently enrolled in an accredited associate degree nursing program at another institution may be eligible for concurrent enrollment; eligibility will be based on additional requirements beyond College admission. Questions about the concurrent enrollment option may be directed to the Nursing, RN to BSN, Completion program director. All students entering the major will be treated as transfer students, including students who have graduated with Penn College's associate-degree major.

All students in this major are required to maintain a cumulative (GPA) of 2.0 or greater to remain in the nursing major. In addition, all students must earn a "C" (2.0) or higher in all NUR, BIO, and CHM courses; if a lower grade is earned in any of these courses, the course must be repeated.

The following grading system applied to all nursing courses in this major. There is no rounding of grades: 
A = 90-100
B = 80-89.99
C = 75-79.99
F = 74.99 and below

Child abuse clearances and criminal background checks are required by some agencies involved in clinical practice experiences. Agencies can prohibit students from participating in clinical experiences at their sites if a criminal record exists or a positive drug test is noted. By virtue of contract for Pennsylvania College of Technology, when students are at a clinical site, agencies have the right to ask for random drug testing. Inability to complete clinical, fieldwork, or intern educational experiences will result in the inability to meet course and program outcomes. For additional clarification, students can speak with their program director.

The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing advises that a drug-related conviction and/or conviction of a felonious act or two misdemeanors might result in denial and/or revocation of a license to practice nursing. In accordance with the professional Nurse Law, Act of 1951, P.L. 317, No. 69, as amended, the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing shall not issue a license to an applicant who has been convicted of a felonious act prohibited by the Act known as “The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and cosmetic Act” or convicted of a felony relating to a controlled substance in a court of law of the United States or any other state, territory or country unless a least 10 years have elapsed from the date of the conviction.

Penn College complies with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Pursuant to this Act, all forms of marijuana, including medical marijuana, are classified as prohibited controlled substances. Additionally, alcohol, illegal drugs, and legal drugs obtained without a prescription, or which may impair a student’s ability to perform his/her educational responsibilities are strictly prohibited. Students are subject to drug screening at various phases of the program. Please note that a positive drug screening for marijuana will be deemed a positive test and will result in a student being dismissed from the program, even if the student has been lawfully certified to use medical marijuana and/or possesses a valid medical marijuana identification card issued in accordance with applicable state law.

Students who have studied previously at the college level are required to submit all transcripts to the Admissions Office. All general education/liberal arts courses that meet core College requirements for baccalaureate degrees will be eligible for transfer according to College policy. The transfer of nursing credits is evaluated on an individual basis according to the nursing program's policy. Students must have a minimum grade of 'C' (2.0) in courses transferred into the major. All Pennsylvania College of Technology associate-degree requirements will apply toward the bachelor-degree requirements. A block of 38 nursing credits will be transferred from an accredited associate-degree or diploma nursing curricula. Students must complete at least 36 credits at Pennsylvania College of Technology for course work prescribed in the final four semesters of a student's profile including required summer courses within or following the final four semesters.

International health credentials/licensure, sciences courses, and most math courses will not be accepted to satisfy requirements of this major. Please see additional information for international students applying to the School of Nursing & Health Science Majors.

View general transfer information

Alternative Credit refers to academic credits earned through means other than traditional college course completion, including: credit by exam, articulation, proof of competency gained in high school, work/life experience, and advanced placement.

Visit the Alternative Credit Options page for requirements and procedures and for information on credit through Advanced Placement.

This is an online major. Therefore, students must have access to a reliable computer and internet.

Technical Requirements

  • Laptop Computer Required
  • Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher (recommended)
  • Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended)
  • 8+ GB RAM (recommended)
  • 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended)
  • Laptop must include a webcam and microphone (required)
  • Laptop must include a wireless network card (required)
  • Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required)
  • Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services - Service Desk available for assistance)
    • Chromebooks and other devices running ChromeOS are prohibited

Operating Systems:
P.L.A.T.O. (Platform for Learning and Teaching Online) is Penn College's implementation of Desire2Learn/Brightspace LMS. It is a Web-based course management system that allows instructors to post course materials online, facilitate course communication, gauge student progress, and extend learning beyond the classroom. 

Browsers:
The fully supported browsers for PLATO are: Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari

Some items are available for purchase through The College Store.

International students who are studying in the United States on an F-1 visa must be enrolled in a full course of study in-person. Students are not permitted to enroll in an entirely online degree. Online degrees are available to international students pursuing the degree from their home country. Students must still meet all admissions criteria for admission to the college and any special admissions requirements that govern pursuit of their chosen major.

  • Ms. Sharon Adams, RN, BSN, Manager, Patient Care ED & M/S Unit, UPMC Susquehanna
  • Ms. Wendy Batschelet, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Geisinger
  • Ms. Cinde L Bower-Stout, RN, '94, Level 1 Heart Attack Nurse Coordinator, Geisinger Medical Center
  • Mr. David Brundage, Pediatric Clinical Educator, Bayada Pediatrics Home Health Care
  • Danielle Forker, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, PHRN, '98, Director of Nursing, Geisinger Medical Center Muncy
  • Ms. Kathy Harris, RN, BSN, MHA, '00, '13, Manager of Compliance/Quality Outcomes, UPMC Susquehanna
  • Ms. Jill Meredith, RN Infection Preventionist and Wound Care Certified Nurse, The Williamsport Home
  • Mr. Jonah Milliken, Associate Director, Bayada Pediatrics
  • Ms. Tamara F Persing, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, VP Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer, Evangelical Community Hospital
  • Chelsea Reichard, '10, Director of Nursing/Campus Administrator, Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital
  • Ms. Dawn Shaffer, Health Careers Instructor, Lycoming Career and Technology Center
  • Ms. Katelyn Sheesley, Critical Care and Intermediate Care Nurse Educator, Evangelical Community Hospital
  • Ms. Heather Stafford, MHA, BSN, CIC, Clinical Director of Nursing Education & Infection Prev. & Control, UPMC Susquehanna
  • Ms. Katherine Vastine, '91, CARES Leadership Coordinator, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit
  • Career Fair Connections

    Career Fair Connections

    Penn College graduates are in high demand. Employer participation at the Career Fair is proof. Attracting 400+ organizations, this popular event is hosted twice per year and introduces students to all types of businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies. 

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