William Paterson University of New Jersey

William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public institution with both undergrad and graduate programs. It was founded in 1855, making it the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New Jersey. The university started as the Paterson City Normal School, offering training to teachers for New Jersey schools. Over the years, the university has expanded and included more programs. The university is now organized into five colleges. The College of Science and health offers nursing programs, along with a variety of medical majors. The campus is in Wayne, New Jersey, which makes it part of the New York City metropolitan area.

Five nursing programs are offered at the school. Baccalaureate options include traditional BSN, accelerated BSN, and RN to BSN programs. There is also a master’s program and a doctoral program. All programs are accredited by the CCNE. Students that are enrolled in the BSN programs receive clinical training guided by faculty at various healthcare settings throughout the region. The school also has a state-of-the-art learning center on campus that provides a large inventory of hospital equipment, supplies, and audio-visual materials. The MSN program includes four different specialty tracks, including Adult-Gerontology, Administration, Education, and Family Nurse Practitioner.

Updated on: 26 Oct, 2025

Program Length & Format

Core ABSN nursing courses begin in the summer semester (May) and continue through the fall, spring, and the following summer
Degree completion documented with BSN conferral in August following program start
Accepted students may take prerequisite courses at WPU in the spring semester if needed
WPU permits accepted ABSN students to enroll in up to 19 credits in the spring semester

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the initial baccalaureate degree
Applicants with an associate degree are not eligible for the ABSN program
Applicants graduating in December or May may apply; coordination with Undergraduate Admissions required

Prerequisites

BIO 1120 General Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits with lab)
BIO 1130 General Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits with lab)
BIO 1700 Basic Microbiology (4 credits with lab)
PSY 1100 General Psychology
PSY 2110 Life Span Development
MATH 1300 Elementary Statistics
CHEM 1330 Chemistry for the Health Sciences (4 credits with lab) or two-series general chemistry with lab (General Chemistry I & II)
NUR 3500 Nursing Research (registration at WPU restricted to nursing majors)
PBHL 2240 Therapeutic Nutrition (registration at WPU restricted to nursing majors)
BIO 3120 Advanced Anatomy & Physiology (prerequisites: A&P I & II and CHEM 1330); BIO 3120 must be taken at WPU
A&P I and A&P II cannot be taken in the same semester; both are prerequisites for BIO 3120

Academic Policy

A grade of C- or below in a nursing prerequisite course eliminates a student from acceptance into the ABSN program, even if the course has been repeated
After acceptance, a grade of C- or below in a prerequisite or nursing major course precludes progression in the ABSN program
Students who do not progress may transition into the generic nursing program and must follow the Nursing Student Academic Standards Policy

Transfer Credit

Transfer courses must be completed at an accredited institution
Courses from New Jersey community colleges are transferable if equivalent
Science courses must be less than ten years old
Initial transcript and course evaluations performed by the Transcript Evaluation Office
Upon acceptance, the nursing academic advisor may review similar courses for equivalency; students may provide course descriptions and syllabi for appeals

Application

Applications accepted online
Application period: September 1 through October 1 each year
Application is not complete until application fee is paid and all transcripts have been received by the Undergraduate Admissions Office
It is not required to have all prerequisites completed before applying

Selection Process

Selection factors include cumulative GPA and number of prerequisites completed

International Students

International transcripts must be evaluated by an international accrediting service to confirm program legitimacy and U.S. equivalency; eligibility depends on evaluation outcome