Overview

St. John Fisher College admits registered nurses who graduated from diploma or associate degree programs and who wish to pursue baccalaureate degrees. This program seeks to meet the community need for baccalaureate education of registered nurses. The R.N./B.S. curriculum attracts adult learners by offering a sound and rigorous professional education that is delivered in a convenient modular hybrid (blended online and in-class) learning format that is accessible to nurses with many demands on their time. Beginning in Fall 2012, the entire R.N./B.S. program will be offered on-line.

The R.N. student must meet all the general College requirements for admission, including a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or above and a valid R.N. license from New York State. The R.N. who graduated from an accredited school of nursing with an associate’s degree and achieved a grade of “C” or higher in each nursing course will be awarded at least 26 credits in nursing for previous coursework. An R.N. who graduated from a hospital-based diploma program and has active R.N. licensure will also be awarded 26 credits in nursing for previous coursework. Students may transfer previously earned liberal arts and sciences courses with a grade of “C” or higher. Credit for courses in liberal arts and sciences may be obtained by taking the College-Level Proficiency Exams (CLEP) or Excelsior College Exams (ECE) as long as students stay within the 66-credit total transfer limit for two-year schools and/or outside credit-by-examination sources and do not violate the residency requirements. Students may also transfer in baccalaureate credits that can be applied to liberal arts courses as appropriate.

R.N./B.S. Credit Distribution

Nursing: 56

The 56 credits in the Nursing major include 30 credits in Nursing at St. John Fisher and the minimum of 26 credits for nursing coursework transferred from an associate’s degree or hospital-based diploma nursing program.

Liberal arts/elective credits: 64*

A total of 64 additional credits, at least 60 of which must be in liberal arts, are required. These courses include:

• St. John Fisher College Core requirements
• A college-level course in introductory statistics (a prerequisite course for NURS 333)
• A college-level course in introductory ethics or bioethics
• Additional liberal arts, sciences, general elective courses

Total degree requirements: 120 credits*

*Students who elect to earn a minor in another discipline may be required to take more than 64 elective/liberal arts credits.

Credits from accredited four-year schools may also be transferred (grade of “C” or higher); however, College policy requires that all students complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence at St. John Fisher College and that 30 of the last 36 credit hours of the degree program be taken in residence. Successful completion of College-Level Proficiency Exams (CLEP) and Excelsior College Exams (ECE) earn transfer credit but are not credits in residence.

Program Requirements

R.N./B.S. Program: Required Courses for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing

Students must satisfy 60 hours of liberal arts which include the College Core, plus additional general elective hours to reach a total of 64 non-nursing credits.

Note: Students must achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all courses required for the Nursing major.

Accelerated Program Opportunity:
R.N./B.S. to M.S. Fast Track Program

Current St. John Fisher R.N. to B.S. nursing students may petition to complete graduate-level coursework during their undergraduate study. This offers an accelerated approach to R.N. baccalaureate students who wish to pursue the Master of Science degree in Advanced Practice Nursing. The program allows specific graduate-level courses to fulfill designated undergraduate requirements. This shortens graduate degree requirements without compromising didactic and clinical learning experiences.

Note: Approval to take graduate courses does not guarantee admission to the M.S. program in Advanced Practice Nursing. Students who wish to pursue their graduate studies at Fisher must complete the application process for graduate admissions. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for more information.

Students follow the curriculum of the R.N./B.S. program and substitute two graduate courses for undergraduate nursing courses. Students may petition to take graduate courses after completing four undergraduate R.N./B.S. courses, by submitting the Petition for Graduate Courses [pdf] form. Students interested in an accelerated program should consult with their academic advisor and the Graduate Program Director as early as possible during their studies at St. John Fisher College. Approved students take:

• GNUR 512 Health Care, Economics, and Policy (4)
  in place of NURS 458 Contemporary Professional Issues

–AND–

• GNUR 518 Advanced Practice in the Care of Families (3)
  in place of NURS 459 Capstone Professional Portfolio

Enrollment Status

Both GNUR 512 Health Care, Economics and Policy (4) and GNUR 518 Advanced Practice in the Care of Families (3) are posted as undergraduate credit on the student’s academic record, and there is no additional charge for these courses for students in the undergraduate R.N./B.S. nursing program. The graduate courses are added to the student’s graduate transcript at the end of the first semester of graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing.

Required Courses for R.N./B.S. to M.S. Fast Track Program

Students must satisfy 60 hours of liberal arts which include the College Core, plus additional general elective hours to reach a total of 64 non-nursing credits.

Note: Students must achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all courses required for the Nursing major.