ABSN Admissions Overview

Whether you apply to Marian University’s 16-month Accelerated BSN program in Indiana or Tennessee, you must meet our admissions requirements and follow the application process. Regardless of whether you are a traditional ABSN student or a transfer student, you will receive the same high level of personalized support from our admissions team.

While many nursing schools lack seating and clinical placement capacity, our Leighton School of Nursing can put your education in motion as soon as possible courtesy of:

  • Two ABSN program site locations (Indianapolis and Nashville).
  • Three ABSN program start dates a year (January, May, and August).
  • Clinical partnerships (Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis and Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville).
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Admissions Advisors

While applying to nursing school can seem overwhelming, your assigned admissions advisor will be there for you every step, championing your entry into the ABSN program. Our admissions advisors are always ready and willing to:

  • Review your academic qualifications to confirm your enrollment eligibility.
  • Help you determine if our program is the right education fit for you.
  • Develop a prerequisite completion plan that targets your desired program start date.
  • Keep you on track during the admissions and application processes.

Four Key Steps of ABSN Admissions

1. Talk to Admissions

Schedule an appointment with an admissions advisor to do a preliminary review of your qualifications to confirm your ABSN program eligibility, as well as ensure the accelerated path to nursing is right for you.

2. Complete the Preliminary Review

During your preliminary review, your admissions advisor will review your unofficial transcripts from the college or university you previously attended. They will also determine what ABSN prerequisites you still need to complete and the best way to get them done. Additionally, your admissions advisor will ask schedule-related questions to ensure you have the time and energy to commit to professional nursing study.

3. Apply to Marian University and Leighton School of Nursing

Following your preliminary review, you’ll need to apply to our university, which includes submitting your official transcripts from the college or university you previously attended. If accepted into our university, you’ll have a post-advising session with your admissions advisor. Please be aware that if you are admitted into Marian and the Leighton School of Nursing, you’re required to pay for a drug test, background check, immunizations, and other related health screenings before entering the ABSN program.

4. Complete the Prerequisites

Before you can begin our ABSN program as a student with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you must complete a series of prerequisite courses within the specified grade and GPA requirements. Through Marian Adult Programs (MAP), you can complete these prerequisites online and in an accelerated format.

If you are a transfer student looking for admission into the ABSN program, you must first take courses through Marian to earn an Associate of Science in Health Sciences (ASHS) degree. Completion of this degree satisfies our prerequisite requirements for transfer students.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications do I need to get into accelerated nursing school?

Second-degree students must have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.8. Transfer path students must have earned a required amount of non-nursing college credits while meeting the same requirements as our second-degree admissions path students. You must also fulfill prerequisite requirements, which entail completing prerequisite courses for traditional ABSN students and earning an ASHS degree for transfer students.

Why are NCLEX pass rates important?

Every nursing school graduate must take and pass the NCLEX exam to earn RN licensure, which is one of the requirements for joining the nursing workforce. BSN programs with high NCLEX pass rates demonstrate a commitment to student success and the nursing profession. Our Leighton School of Nursing consistently yields high BSN NCLEX pass rates for first-time test takers.

Contact us to schedule your preliminary review or to learn more about our ABSN admissions process.