Accelerated Second Degree in Nursing

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is closely monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation. At this time, we anticipate that summer courses and programs will proceed as scheduled. We will stay in close communication with incoming summer students in the event of any changes. Any updates will be provided via email and posted on our New Student Orientation website. We encourage you to visit our TTUHSC Coronavirus resource website throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accelerated Nursing Program Overview
TTUHSC School of Nursing offers a Second Degree BSN accelerated program for the student with a previous college bachelor's degree. This opportunity provides students with the readiness to meet the challenges of a complex and changing healthcare environment in the 21st century as a BSN. An accelerated 12-month process, this nursing program has online classes with clinical instruction guided by assigned clinical coaches and nursing clinical faculty. Oversight of clinical hours is done by coaches and nurse-educator oversight in the students' own communities of Abilene, Amarillo, the Austin-Hill Country area, Dallas, Lubbock and Permian Basin.
Upon completion of prerequisite courses, the Second Degree BSN program can be completed in 12 months (61 semester credit hours).
Current tuition information can be found here or by contacting Student Business Services from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST at (806) 743-7867.
Due to the intensity of the Second Degree BSN program, it is strongly recommended that students do not seek employment for the duration of enrollment in the program. Click here for more information. Financial aid is available for those who qualify (see below).
Applicants interested in applying for financial aid—including student loans, grants, and scholarships—must complete a Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA) upon admittance to the accelerated nursing program. This FAFSA can be found at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. The School of Nursing requires a FAFSA on file to be eligible for scholarships offered by the school.
Financial aid is made available upon admittance to the School of Nursing. Additional information may be found at the Financial Aid Office website.
For those interested in nursing scholarships, information can be found here.
As Texas Tech has an expansive number of medical schools, students have a wide variety of locations all across Texas to choose from. Educational sites are available in Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Lubbock, Odessa, and San Antonio.
Admission Requirements
- All applicants for the Accelerated Nursing Program will be reviewed in an individual and holistic manner. No single factor will determine a student's admission.
- Although academic criteria (cumulative GPA, grades earned in science courses, failed/repeated courses) is an important factor in admission consideration, additional non-academic information is also important.
- Applications not meeting the minimum admission requirements will not be reviewed.
- In compliance with TTUHSC policy, all applicants who have received offers of admission are required to consent to a criminal background check before being allowed to matriculate. A history of criminal conduct or convictions may result in withdrawal of the admission offer. See the “Criminal Background Checks” section of the SON Student Handbook for the SON policy. The Health Sciences Center policy may be found at HSC OP 10.20. No student will be allowed to matriculate into the program without completing and receiving clearance from the Texas Board of Nursing with either a BON Blue Card or a Declaratory Order with No Stipulations. The cost of criminal background check(s) is the responsibility of the student.
- Note: International students with F1 and F2 status are not eligible to apply to an online program.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR APPLICANTS WHO ATTENDED A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN SPRING 2020
An explanation of how TTUHSC School of Nursing considers courses in which a student earns grades of Pass (P), Fail(F), Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC) is outlined below:
- Official transcripts with courses awarded with P or CR during the SPRING 2020 semester can be used to meet prerequisite course requirements and will not be used in calculating either the cumulative or science GPA for admissions.
- TTUHSC SON reserves the right to determine how, and if, courses awarded with P or CR during any semester, outside of spring 2020, will be calculated into a GPA and/or considered for transfer credit.
- Official transcripts with courses awarded with a Fail (F) or No Credit (NC) during any semester cannot be used to meet prerequisite course requirements
- Cumulative and Science GPA minimums must be met at the time of application and maintained once all required nursing prerequisite courses have been completed.
- A Bachelor’s degree in Science or Arts from an accredited college or university (BA or BS).
- Applicants must complete 55 credit hours (SCH) of general education courses as outlined in the School of Nursing Catalog and posted on the SON Second Degree BSN website. At the time of application, students must have completed at least 40 SCH of the non-nursing prerequisites with proof of enrollment for the remaining prerequisites.
- Applicants must have completed at least three of the five required science prerequisite classes prior to application close date. These classes include Pathophysiology, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, and Chemistry. All prerequisites must be completed prior to the first day of class, with a passing grade of 'C' or better.
- Minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.5; preference for overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- Minimum science GPA of 2.5; preference for science GPA of 3.0 or higher in required science courses including Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Microbiology, and Pathophysiology;
- All general education requirements (core curriculum) and prerequisites must be documented on official transcript prior to the first day of class
- TEAS or most current version (Test of Essential Academic Skills) requirements:
- No minimum required score on any section of the TEAS V or overall
- Proficient level or higher preferred
- Score for the TEAS exam older than one year prior to application submission deadline will not be accepted; and
- Students applying can take the TEAS V no more than two (2) times per year (both attempts must occur within the one year period prior to application submission deadline). If two sets of scores are submitted the scores will be averaged.
- Applicants must complete a medical terminology course (can be for credit or certificate of completion). Preference is given to those who have completed this course at time of admission consideration.
- Students must complete certified nursing assistant training. Preference given for those certified at time of admission consideration.
- American Heart Association BLS certification is required prior to the first day of class. Preference is given to those certified at the time of admission consideration.
Admissions Criteria for Spring 2022
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation, the following information pertains to all applicants seeking admission into the Spring 2022 semester:
TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
TEAS is NOT a requirement for the spring 2022 applicant.
CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
Applicants must complete certified nursing assistant training prior to the first day of class.
- A logical, driven interest in nursing as a professional career choice
- Work history and experience will be considered.
- Students who are permanent residents of the TTUHSC service area county of interest
- First-generation college students
- A one page resume
- Prior enrollment at Texas Tech University
- Diversity of experience considered—including proficiency in other languages, knowledge of other cultures, and/or study abroad
- Military service and/or training
- A face-to-face interview is mandatory. Applicants must appear for the interview in professional attire. For those invited for an interview, a written essay will also be required.
The TEAS measures basic essential skills in the academic content areas for Reading, Mathematics, Science and English and Language Usage. The objectives assessed are those which nurse educators deemed most appropriate and relevant to measure entry-level academic readiness of nursing program applicants.
TEAS or most current version (Test of Essential Academic Skills) requirements:
- No minimum required score on any section of the TEAS V or overall
- Proficient level or higher preferred
- Score for the TEAS exam older than one year prior to application submission deadline will not be accepted; and
- Students applying can take the TEAS V no more than two (2) times per year (both attempts must occur within the one year period prior to application submission deadline). If two sets of scores are submitted the scores will be averaged.
For information on testing locations and availability to schedule an exam, you may do one of the following:
- Visit the ATI website at ATItesting.com
- Contact ATI at (800) 667-7531
- Search online for "TEAS test sites"
Applicants in the Lubbock area may contact the TTU Academic Testing Center on the Texas Tech Campus to schedule an exam time.
Creating an account
All individuals preparing to take the TEAS test must first create an ATI account:
- Visit atitesting.com
- Click "Create an Account" and follow the screen prompts. You will only need to register once—this will be the account used throughout your nursing program.
- Your ATI username and password is required to take an online test, and your ATI paper/pencil ID is required to take a paper/pencil test.
- When searching for your institution, it will show as: Tx Tech U 2nd Degree
For more information about required TEAS scores, Click Here
TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
TEAS is NOT a requirement for the spring 2022 applicant.
Application
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that their application is complete. Read here about how a criminal history could affect occupational licensing.
Semester | Application Open | Application Deadline |
---|---|---|
Spring Admission Only | May 1 | July 15 |
- All applicants will be reviewed in an individual and holistic manner—no single factor will determine a student's admission.
- Although academic criteria (cumulative GPA, grades earned in science courses, failed/repeated courses) is an important factor in admission consideration, additional non-academic information is also important.
- All application materials must be submitted and completed by the indicated application close date.
- Every student who meets the required deadline will have the same chance of being reviewed, regardless of whether the application was received at the beginning or end of the review period.
- You must have all prerequisites completed prior to first class date.
Although the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is part of the Texas Tech University System, legally it is a separate institution from Texas Tech University. Therefore, students applying to the TTUHSC School of Nursing must submit all documents required for admission consideration directly to the TTUHSC School of Nursing.
Admissions Criteria for Spring 2022
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation, the following information pertains to all applicants seeking admission into the Spring 2022 semester:
TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
TEAS is NOT a requirement for the spring 2022 applicant.
CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
Applicants must complete certified nursing assistant training prior to the first day of class.
- Once you have submitted your application, official transcripts can be mailed or sent
electronically directly (from all colleges or universities attended) to:
TTUHSC School of Nursing
Office of Admissions
3601 4th St. STOP 8212
Lubbock, TX 79430-8212
Or
Applicants interested in applying for financial aid—including student loans, grants, and scholarships—must complete a Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA) upon admittance to the accelerated nursing program. This FAFSA can be found at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. The School of Nursing requires a FAFSA on file to be eligible for scholarships offered by the school.
Additional information: