A Doorway to Opportunities
If you are a registered nurse with an associate degree or diploma in nursing seeking a bachelor’s degree, BSN@Home could be your answer. Designed for working adults, all required coursework is online, so you can earn your degree without relocating. Students complete the program in as little as a year and a half.
While an associate degree in nursing provides much of the technical and scientific knowledge necessary for safe and effective patient care, the BSN@Home program builds on those skills in a way that stimulates critical thinking and provides the professional perspective necessary for performing in a leadership role.
A BSN can open doors to teaching, management, and professional specialization. Many hospitals seeking Magnet designation look for BSN-trained nurses. A BSN is also a prerequisite for admission into graduate nursing programs, including those offered through the School of Nursing.
Program Information (pdf)
Program basics
Delivery: Online
Credits: 24-30, if general education and other requirements are already met
Time Frame: 1½-2½ years
Tuition: $452 per credit for all BSN@Home Nursing courses
Audience: Licensed RNs who want to earn a bachelor’s degree without relocating
Application opens: August 1
Application Deadline: Oct 1 (for Jan. start); March 1 (for Sept. start)
Application instructions
“My two-year degree program was outstanding—I can’t say enough good things about it, but I’ve always wanted a bachelor’s degree. I love to learn, and I felt the four-year degree would make me a more well-rounded person.”
JoAnn Brink ’18
RN to BSN Online | BSN@Home Request for Information
Steps to Admission
You can begin the program in either spring or fall.
- Application opens: August 1 (spring), December 1 (fall).
- Deadlines: Your application is due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on the noted deadline dates.
Review of Applications
Your application will be reviewed by the UW–Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment. You will be evaluated on both high school and college records.
To Apply
- Complete the UW System Application for Admission:
- Intended campus: UW–Madison
- Intended major: BSN@Home/Nursing Collaborative Program
- Send in official transcript from both high school and college directly to the UW-Madison Office of Undergraduate Admissions
- Send in one letter of recommendation
*For this program, there is no additional application needed for the School of Nursing.
UW–Madison Reentry Admission
If you have previously attended UW–Madison as a degree-seeking student, you are eligible to apply to the BSN@Home program by submitting a Reentry Application at any time. If you have been a UW–Madison student, but not previously earned an undergraduate degree, you will be re-admitted to your previous classification (example: Letters & Science). If readmitted to your previous classification, email the School of Nursing indicating that you’d like to be considered for admission to the BSN@Home program. If you are a second-degree candidate you need to follow the admissions requirements and deadlines above and apply as a second degree student.
- Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing from an accredited nursing program complete before you begin the BSN@Home Program. Students with an ADN (or equivalent degree) through an international institution are eligible for admission consideration if they have completed the following required coursework. International Nurse Admission Requirements can be downloaded here.
- Overall GPA of 2.5 on 4.0 scale
- RN license (earned within the first semester of the program)
- Meets university transfer admission requirements at UW–Madison.
Factors considered in admission decisions include:
Cumulative grade point average (GPA): While the average GPA of admitted transfers is a 3.4, UW–Madison will consider prospective BSN@Home you if you have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 with steady grade trends and patterns. GPA calculations will include all grades received for repeated courses; the initial grade, as well as grades received in second and subsequent attempts will be included in the GPA calculation.
College-Level Course Preparation: You must have completed at least 24 transferable (college-level) non-nursing credits in addition to the nursing classes you completed in your ADN or Nursing Diploma program.
High School Record: Regardless of the number of college credits earned, your high school transcript is required and must show proof of graduation.
Required Courses: You must have completed one year each of high school algebra, plane geometry, and college-preparatory math, and two high school years or two college semesters of a single foreign language. Requirements may vary if you graduated high school 1991 or prior. Contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment with specific questions about your academic background.
Students in the Associate’s Degree in Nursing are eligible to sign a transfer contract which guarantees admissions to the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s BSN@Home program as long as all parts of the contract are met.
You can view the contract on the Undergraduate Admissions page.
In order to sign the transfer contract Madison College students must schedule an appointment with their assigned academic advisor and they will go over all eligibility requirements and submit the contract during that meeting.
Current Madison College students working on completing BSN@Home Degree requirements can use this guide to help them choose courses that meet general education requirements for this program. View the equivalencies guide.
Begin working on your BSN while still finishing your ADN! Students in the 3rd and 4th semesters of their Associate’s Degree in Nursing program are eligible to take BSN@Home nursing classes as a special student. If you are interested in doing so, you should email us and apply as a special student.
BSN Students at the School of Nursing & Beyond
A Journey of Perseverance
UW–Madison School of Nursing Alumna, Riley Hilliard '20, talks about her dedication, struggles, and journey to becoming a Badger nurse.
Q&A with Laura Garcia '21
A conversation with Laura Garcia '21, who currently works as a local travel nurse on a med-surg unit at Mercy Walworth in Lake Geneva, WI.
BSN@Home Leadership and Careers
Q&A with Zalei Lewis ’21
A conversation with with Zalei Lewis ’21, who works in regulation and investigation for the State of Minnesota.
Q&A with Laura Garcia ’21
A conversation with Laura Garcia '21, who currently works as a local travel nurse on a med-surg unit at Mercy Walworth in Lake Geneva, WI.
Transfer Agreement will Help Address Nursing Workforce Needs
A transfer agreement between Madison College and the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing will help address nursing workforce needs by creating greater access to nursing education.
Honoring a Nurse | Florence Grossberg
The Florence Grossberg Nursing Scholarship was created in Florence’s memory to provide support to students at the School of Nursing who come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and diverse environments. The fund will provide tuition assistance and mentorship opportunities for students enrolled in the BSN@Home program, the School’s first such scholarship.
- More Stories
Curriculum
BSN@Home builds on the foundation of an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Diploma in Nursing. If you have previously completed University General Education and other degree requirements, it is possible to complete the 24-30 credits of required BSN@Home coursework in 1½-2½ years while studying part-time (6 credits per semester, 3 credits per optional summer).
The program runs on a traditional fall/spring semester system—summer is optional. All core nursing classes are offered in both seven week sessions as well as the traditional 14 weeks. The first class requires one half-day orientation either on campus or via video. One required clinical requires students to complete approximately 60 hours of clinical work, plus class assignments. This clinical is arranged by the student and can be close to where students live.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at the UW–Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Degree Information
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Program Learning Outcomes
Each academic program at UW-Madison has student learning outcomes that describe what students are expected to know or be able to do upon completion of the program. The BSN program’s learning outcomes are listed in The Guide.
School Nursing Certificate
Undergraduates interested in careers as school nurses can enroll in the 18-credit School Nurse Certification Program and become eligible to apply for licensure through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. BSN@Home students may complete some requirements concurrently with their degree work and the remainder after graduation by re-enrolling as University Special students.
24
BSN@Home credits for the degree
60+
Students
85%
5-year average admission rate
Contacts
To make an appointment, call 608-263-5202. Current UW–Madison students can schedule online using Starfish. Visit the Student Site for additional advising information.
Admissions
Ann Larget, MEd
Position title: Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator
Email:
alarget
Phone: 608-263-5261
Advising
Leigh Arora
Position title: Academic Advising Manager
Email:
leigh.arora
Phone: 608-264-6402