Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Fast-track your future in nursing
UNI’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program offers the same rigorous, high-quality curriculum as our traditional BSN — delivered in a condensed 12-month format designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree or have completed substantial undergraduate coursework (70+ credits).
The ABSN pathway builds on your prior academic experience to prepare you for licensure and professional practice as a registered nurse. Through hands-on learning in state-of-the-art facilities, clinical placements across Iowa and close mentorship from experienced faculty, you’ll gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to excel in today’s fast-paced health care environment.
Whether you’re changing careers or advancing your education, UNI’s accelerated plan of study allows you to earn your BSN and enter the workforce in just one year.
The program will officially launch in fall 2026, pending ACEN approval. Please continue to check this page for application details.
Focus on Patients
412.5 hours of clinicals in settings such as acute, long-term, hospice, chronic, rehabilitative, and critical/trauma care, obstetrics, pediatrics, mental health, community and public health, and more.
Care Competency
87.5 hours in nursing labs to develop care competencies such as administering medications and assessing patientsʼ conditions through simulations and standardized patient examinations.
In-Field Experience
150-hour residency in an acute or critical care unit setting, mentored by RN.
Interested in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing?
Contact us directly at:
Department of Nursing & Public Health
Phone: 319-273-2828
Email: nursing@uni.edu
Nursing Admissions
Email: admissions@uni.edu
Nursing Advising
Phone: 319-273-3406
Email: colleen.sullivan@uni.edu
Why Choose UNI’s Accelerated BSN?
Same degree, faster path.
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program offers the exact same curriculum, clinical experiences, and graduation outcomes as UNI’s traditional BSN — condensed into a focused 12-month format. You’ll receive the same quality education, guided by the same expert faculty, while progressing through courses year-round to reach your goals sooner.
Hands-on learning in state-of-the-art facilities.
Your education will take place in UNI’s newly renovated Innovative Teaching and Technology Center (ITTC), featuring advanced simulation labs and interactive classrooms that replicate real clinical environments. Here, you’ll practice essential nursing skills, refine clinical judgment, and build confidence before stepping into patient care settings.
Expert faculty and strong clinical connections.
UNI’s nursing faculty bring extensive experience from across the health care field and are deeply invested in student success. Through their guidance and UNI’s strong partnerships with regional health care providers, you’ll gain diverse, hands-on experience in a variety of clinical settings — preparing you to provide safe, evidence-based care from day one.
High-demand career outcomes.
Iowa, like much of the nation, faces an ongoing need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses. UNI’s ABSN program is designed to help meet that demand by preparing practice-ready nurses who are equipped to provide exceptional, evidence-based care in diverse health settings.
- Students will apply clinical judgment in the delivery of care by synthesizing knowledge, skills and technology from the established and evolving art and science of nursing, as well as from the biological, social and behavioral sciences.
- Students will employ person-centered care in partnership with the client, identified support persons and the healthcare team
- Students will evaluate social determinants of health at the population level to promote improved health outcomes.
- Students will integrate the best scholarly evidence into nursing practice.
- Students will apply principles of safety and quality improvement into the delivery of care.
- Students will apply collaborative practice to optimize patient care.
- Students will apply knowledge of systems to work effectively across the continuum of care.
- Students will apply principles of professional nursing ethics in the care of individuals across the lifespan.
- Students will utilize information technologies to deliver evidence-based care.
- Students will create a personal and professional plan for long-term resilience.
Facilities
Welcome to the Department of Nursing & Public Health!
Newly renovated spaces within UNI's Innovative Teaching & Technology Center (ITTC) were uniquely designed for practice-based education within an environment that models clinical settings. The innovative learning environments combine lecture, skills laboratories, simulation experience and standardized patient examinations to help students develop care competencies such as administering medications and assessing conditions.
Faculty
“I believe one of the most important things you can do as a nurse educator is to be a role model for your students — holding them to high standards while recognizing their individuality. My students learn from me, but I also learn from them: how they learn best, where their strengths lie and where they need support. Some of my proudest moments are when former students tell me they apply what they learned in my class to real-world practice every day.”
– Allison Heit, MSN, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor
Nursing Student Resources
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
Effective June 26, 2024, the baccalaureate nursing program at the University of Northern Iowa is a candidate for initial accreditation with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The date for the Initial Accreditation Site Visit is scheduled for March 3-5, 2026. The Department of Nursing and Public Health has submitted a substantive change request to ACEN for approval to add an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program option, and this approval is pending. This candidacy status expires on June 26, 2026. Candidacy status does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
