Nursing Degree (RN to BSN)

Earn the BSN you need to stay competitive in a changing workplace.

You’re a busy nurse who is balancing your professional and personal life. You’ve thought about earning your BSN to stay competitive at work, but have struggled to find a respected online nursing degree program that fits your life rather than forcing you to change your life for the degree. 

Until now. The competency-based, UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing RN to BSN degree—offered in the UW Flexible Option format—is designed to help you achieve your goals on your schedule, on your budget, while building on your existing nursing skills. 

The features of this award-winning, CCNE accredited, online nursing degree-completion program put you in control of your education:

• 100% online coursework, no need to come to campus
• Generous transfer credit policy – ADN holders can expect a minimum of 60 transfer credits
• Self-paced learning where you move as fast or as slow as you need 
• No live class times – you’ll complete your coursework whenever it’s convenient 
• Personalized advising by academic success coaches and supportive faculty who understand nursing practice
• An affordable flat rate tuition, with no segregated fees 
• Get started any month of the year

You’ll study an evidence-based curriculum that focuses on how you can improve patient outcomes – like our graduate Tiffany. She was able to reduce C.diff infections on her unit by 86% during her final capstone project. 

Who Should Apply?

The UW Flexible Option has helped many nurses—like you—achieve their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree. The innovative features of our competency-based learning honor your existing experience, while giving you the tools you need to master the content that’s new to you.

The learning environment in the UW Flexible Option is unlike anything you’ve experienced in prior education. This online RN to BSN degree is a great fit for students who: 

• Are motivated, self-directed learners
• Prefer independent learning (there’s no group work in this program!)
• Can create, and manage, their own deadlines for coursework

Sound like a good fit for you? Check out the coursework, tuition, and admissions above.

Apply Now

About UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing

The UWM School of Nursing is in the top 15% of nursing programs in the nation (according to U.S. News & World Report graduate rankings). UWM faculty lead the nation in cutting-edge research in areas including self-management, geriatric health, global health, healthcare delivery and development and community-engaged health research. The School of Nursing is the largest nursing program in Wisconsin, and is exceptionally proud of its more than 9,000 alumni.  These alumni provide quality evidence-based care, inspiring education, exceptional research, and administrative leadership to improve healthcare nationally and across the globe.

Accreditation

This online nursing degree program at UW-Milwaukee is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The State of Wisconsin Board of Nursing has approved this program as well.

This online nursing degree builds on the skills and knowledge of your ADN curriculum, focusing on developing leadership, reflective and evidence-based practice. In this competency-based program, everything you learn and master is tied directly to program outcomes. 

The courses you will take are developed and taught by UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing faculty. Our faculty are all experienced nurses who understand the clinical practice you face every day. 

You will be given a minimum of 60 credits for your general education and nursing courses earned in your ADN (or nursing diploma program). Plus, we’ll review your transcripts for all additional transfer credit from coursework you may have done outside your ADN. 

To earn this 120-credit RN to BSN degree, you’ll need to complete 60 credits. Your own dedicated Success Coach will work with you throughout the program to create a personalized learning plan.

BSN Courses

You will need to complete a minimum of 30 nursing credits (21 core credits + 9 advanced nursing elective credits) to earn your BSN. All BSN courses are 3 credits.

This program is aligned with the AACN professional standards & competencies. Each course in the curriculum is connected with one or more of the following core competencies of the field:

Nursing Core Courses

Nursing Electives (Choose at least three)

General Education & Elective Courses

All bachelor’s degree seeking students at UW-Milwaukee must satisfy these general education and residency requirements. Many of these courses may also be satisfied by transfer credit, placement tests, or credit-by-exam (such as CLEP or AP). 

“I need a lot of flexibility. As the director of nursing, I could get called in at 5 a.m. or 10 p.m. That’s what I like about the UW Flexible Option: the ability to further my education at four in the morning or 11 at night, whenever it’s convenient for me. I can study when I feel ready.” – Ken W., ’18 Graduate 

The UW Flexible Option offers working adults – like you – a more affordable way to finish a degree. Your coursework in this online nursing degree takes place in subscription periods – rather than semesters. These subscription periods start every single month, and are approximately 12 weeks long.

Instead of paying based on your course or credit load, you choose between two flat rate tuition plans. Our unique subscription period structure and flat-rate tuition model means you are in control of both your schedule and your cost. Financial Aid and the Aspire Scholarship are available for this program. We also encourage speaking with your employer about workplace tuition assistance.

• All-You-Can-Learn Option: Choosing this option allows you to enroll in as many courses as you have time for within the subscription period for a flat tuition rate of $2,250. You can add additional courses in your subscription period if you finish others early.
• Single Course Option: You may also decide you would like to focus on just one course at a time. The tuition for this option is $1,125.  In this option, you are not eligible to add additional courses during your subscription period if you finish the first one early. In this case, you must wait until your next subscription period to add additional courses.

You can switch back and forth between these tuition options when you start a new subscription period. For example, perhaps over the summer you do the Single Course option because your family is home on summer break, but once the kids go back to school in the fall you switch to the All-You-Can-Learn option.

Are there any additional fees? There are no segregated fees with this program, which saves you hundreds of dollars per credit hour. However, your tuition does not include the cost of textbooks or other special materials that may be required for individual courses.

Advocate Aurora Health

The UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing is proud to be a “preferred partner” with Advocate Aurora Health and EdAssist to offer quality educational programs at an affordable tuition rate. Students enrolled in Advocate Aurora’s “preferred partner” education programs receive a higher tuition reimbursement rate than those enrolled in other education programs. If you are an employee of Advocate Aurora Health and are interested in learning more about your educational assistance package, please speak with your employee benefits contact. 

Finishing your online nursing degree is closer than you think! Schedule an advising call at 608-800-6762 or contact us at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program may apply while licensed or pre-licensure.

Licensed applicants must possess:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or undergraduate nursing diploma*
• Active, unencumbered state RN license
• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from prior coursework*
• Work experience as a nurse

Prelicensure Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students may enroll as a Special Student and request permission to take selected courses to satisfy requirements for BSN completion. Enrollment in nursing courses as a Special requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher AND enrollment in the final year of an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program or an undergraduate nursing diploma

*Prior college transcripts from which you may transfer credit must be accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation).

While there are no on-campus requirements in this program, students must find their own clinical project and a qualified preceptor in their own workplace or another setting in their community for their capstone course.

How to Apply

• You may apply up to five months in advance of your desired start date. See Steps to Apply.
  • Check out our academic calendar to learn when our upcoming start dates are. There are new start dates every month, so you can get started when it’s convenient for you!
• If previously enrolled in Flex, please review our returning student admissions process.
• If you are applying pre-licensure, you will apply as a Special Student. Instructions are available through this link.

Transfer Credit Evaluations

Transfer credit will be awarded from degree-granting colleges or universities with institutional accreditation from an accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Non-CHEA approved institutional accreditors recognized by the Department of Education will be considered on a case-by-case basis and transfer credit allowed if appropriate based on the quality, comparability, and applicability of the coursework.  Schools with programmatic accreditation may be evaluated for transfer if the accreditor is recognized by CHEA and the relevant coursework falls within the accreditor’s area of specialization.

• Transfer credit is awarded for college-level coursework completed at regionally accredited institutions. See Transfer Credit Evaluations for more information.
• Learn more about how credit-by-exam and military coursework may apply towards your degree.

Still have questions? Call our advisers at 608-800-6762, and check out our Admission FAQ page.