About the Program
Minnesota State University, Mankato invites you to consider a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing at one of the nation's most respected Schools of Nursing. This 30 credit program is designed for licensed registered nurses with an associate degree, and offers flexible plans of study in a 100% online format.
The RN Baccalaureate Completion Program limits its course section enrollment to 25 students to maintain a high standard of instruction and personal attention, including a program advisor dedicated to helping students develop an individual plan of study based on their academic records, experience, personal and professional responsibilities. We offer 8 and 16 week course offerings during the fall and spring semesters, as well as 10-week courses during summer term. Our students are able to develop a plan of study to meet their unique needs. Students who enroll in this program full-time should expect to complete the degree in under 1 year, while part-time students can expect to complete the degree in 4 or 5 semesters, depending on their credit load.
Obtaining a Bachelor's degree opens up a whole new set of possibilities for your career. Our graduates not only take advantage of nursing opportunities in the traditional setting of hospitals, clinics and trauma centers; but they are also qualified for nursing opportunities in Public Health. Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in a variety of graduate programs.
RN-BS Completion Program Flyer
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Minnesota State University, Mankato is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202-887-6791.
Certification
Graduates will have met the requirements for certification as public health nurses and licensure as school nurses in Minnesota.
Curriculum
A total of 120 semester credits are necessary for the baccalaureate degree in nursing. The RN Baccalaureate Completion major is a 30 credit program. In addition to completing the Major Common Core, all graduates must fulfill the University’s General Education requirements. The Diverse Cultures and Writing Intensive requirements are built into program courses. Students are encouraged to complete their General Education requirements (Goals 1-10) prior to making application to the program. Only an official evaluation of credit will determine the requirements you have remaining. Please review the Application Procedures to start this process.
Admitted students will be granted an additional 30 RN Option Credits for obtaining their RN License. These 30 RN Option credits are used to complete the upper division level requirement for graduation.
All 7 of the program courses are offered every fall, spring and summer semester.
Sample Plans of Study
- Fall (August) Start
- Mid-Fall (October) Start
- Spring (January) Start
- Mid-Spring (March) Start
- Summer (May) Start
Online Learning
Flexible - 100% Online
The RN Baccalaurete Completion Program is a 100% online program offering flexible opportunities for the working RN. You can attend part time or full time. Take just one course at a time, up to four courses per semester, or somewhere in-between. Develop an individualized plan of study that works for you!
- 30-credit program
- Major courses offered every fall, spring and summer semester
- 8 and 16-week course offerings during fall and spring terms
- 8-week course offerings during the summer term
- Asynchronous Program- No mandatory login times!
- No campus visits
- Online orientation
Online Format
Minnesota State University, Mankato uses D2L Brightspace as the online platform for courses.
The seven major courses all include a significant amount of projects and papers, for which the professor provides instruction and individualized feedback. The course sizes are limited to 25 students to facilitate a high level of interaction. Students are assigned weekly discussion forums in which they interact with each other and the professor online. For the 16-week courses students can expect to spend 3-4 hours on coursework, per credit, per week. For example, if a student enrolls in a 4 credit course, this translates into 12-16 hours of coursework per week during fall or spring semester. This amount will increase for the 8-week course offerings.
Professors are expected to be in the online course room several times per week and most often they access the course daily. The professors are readily accessible to the students through an online question-answer area, e-mail and also telephone for more urgent or complicated needs.
Although students do not attend campus, many courses will require outside assignments to be completed within your home community, these are referred to as experiential learning activities. NURS 482W Population Health for RNs is the only course where students will need to log experiential learning hours (60 total). Students may need to take time off of work for these assignments.
There are no specific technical needs accept high speed internet. The rest of the software is all downloadable for free once you become an Minnesota State University student.
Plans of Study
Students enrolled in the RN Completion Program develop individualized plans of study to meet their unique needs. Students may take as many courses as they want each semester and are not locked into a cohort format. Students who choose to enroll in the program full-time, by taking 3 courses per term, can expect to complete the degree in 1 year. Part-time students can expect to complete the degree in 4 or 5 semesters, depending on their desired credit load.
Per University policy, students have 6 years to finish the program requirements under the catalog year they were admitted. Students may extend this period, but this could change curricular requirements.
Sample plans of study for both full time and part time enrollment can be found above.
Program Cost
Tuition & Fees
Program Cost: The total cost of the 30-credit, fully online programs can be found through the link below. All students admitted to the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program will pay the same price per credit. Students should anticipate additional costs for textbooks, liability insurance, background study and CPR.
The Credit-Level Cost Chart for Fully Online Programs
Financial Assistance
Minnesota State University, Mankato offers a variety of financial aid programs including grants, loans and scholarships. To be considered for any grants or loans, students must first submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Learn more about these options and begin your FAFSA application
All questions regarding financial aid should be referred to the Campus Hub at 507-389-1866 or Toll Free at 1-800-722-0544. Questions can also be emailed to campushub@mnsu.edu.
Scholarships
The School of Nursing provides scholarship opportunities for students currently enrolled in the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program. Program scholarships are awarded every spring semester and applications are typically due by the end of February. Students can access these opportunities by registering with Scholarship Finder. This site will identify the scholarships you are eligible to receive.
Find other scholarship opportunities
For further information, please contact:
Marie Slotemaker
RN Baccalaureate Completion Program Advisor
Marie.Slotemaker@mnsu.edu
507-389-1474
MavCONNECT
Laura Schwarz, DNP, RN, CNE, AHN-BC
RN Baccalaureate Completion Program Coordinator|Professor
Laura.Schwarz@mnsu.edu
