Capital University Department of Nursing

Program Length & Format

• Program start: each August
• five semesters (20 months)
• Two tracks: Accelerated Daytime Track (on-campus daytime classes, labs, clinicals; typically four days per week) and Flexible Hybrid Track (asynchronous lectures, weekly on-campus session, weekly clinical day)
• Typical semester credit load for Daytime track: 12–15 credit hours including clinicals
• Flexible Hybrid schedule specifics: weekly on-campus session Wednesdays 4:00–9:00 p.m.; clinicals typically one day per week (Thursday or Saturday); first-semester Thursday clinicals 7:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and on-campus class/lab 1:00–5:00 p.m.; clinicals generally scheduled 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; terms 4–5 may require weekday clinicals

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university
• Minimum cumulative GPA: 3.0
• Minimum average GPA for science prerequisites (microbiology, human anatomy, human physiology, organic/biochemistry or biochemistry): 2.75
• Prerequisites must be completed by the end of the semester prior to starting classes at Capital
• Four required science courses must be completed within five years of program start unless a waiver is approved by the ABSN Admissions Committee

Prerequisites

• Microbiology with lab
• Human Anatomy with lab (A&P I may be accepted)
• Human Physiology with lab (A&P II may be accepted)
• Chemistry: one semester of biological/biochemistry or two semesters of general chemistry (alternatively listed as biochemistry)
• Lifespan Development/Human Growth and Development (must cover conception through death)

Deadlines

• Priority application deadline: December 1
• Final application deadline: May 1
• Application portfolios forwarded to School of Nursing after March 15
• Recommended submission of application and required forms by June 1 to be considered for fall cohort
• Final transcript due by June 15 if baccalaureate degree graduation is pending

Application

• Required essay: 1–2 page single-spaced responding to motivation for second degree in nursing, future nursing goals, and reason for choosing Capital
• Submit three professional recommendation forms with reference letters
• Submit current résumé
• Submit all official transcripts to Capital University Admission Office, 1 College and Main, Columbus, OH 43209-2394
• Provide proof of enrollment in final prerequisite courses if applicable (must be received by March 15)

Selection Process

• Applications reviewed on a rolling basis; review and admission continue beyond stated deadlines as space permits
• Applicants who do not meet standard GPA/science criteria are reviewed case-by-case by ABSN Admissions Committee
• Cohort size limits: Daytime cohorts typically 25–50 students per year; Flexible Hybrid cohorts up to 32 students as space permits
• Notification and next steps managed by Adult and Graduate Education office; accepted students attend a day-long orientation prior to fall semester

Clinical & Simulation Lab

• Clinical experiences begin in the first semester
• Clinical sites: multiple locations across the Columbus region, including more than 80 area health care systems and major hospitals (examples listed: OhioHealth Riverside/Grant/Dublin, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James, OSU East, Nationwide Children’s, Mount Carmel St. Ann’s)
• Agency requirements prior to clinicals: Hepatitis B series (first two doses required before first clinical course; full series required for progression to spring semester), fingerprint-based criminal record checks (BCI and FBI), on-site drug urine screen
• Additional background check required by Ohio Board of Nursing prior to NCLEX-RN licensure application
• Lab sessions included in curriculum; Flexible Hybrid track schedules lab/check-in sessions Wednesdays 4:00–9:00 p.m.

Credit Transfer

• Prerequisite coursework may be completed at any U.S. accredited college or university
• A&P I and A&P II accepted in place of separate Human Anatomy and Human Physiology courses
• If prerequisite courses taken at multiple institutions, course syllabi will be reviewed to confirm required content
• Five-year recency requirement for science prerequisites may be waived for applicants currently working in health care or science fields; waiver requires documented justification and is determined by the ABSN Admissions Committee

Contacts

• Capital University Admission Office, 1 College and Main, Columbus, OH 43209-2394
• Admission office phone: 614-236-6101