NDSU School of Nursing announces new accelerated degree program

Three NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health Bismarck students walking in a group outside their school


NDSU School of Nursing announced a new Accelerated Nursing (Post-Baccalaureate) degree program to help fill the need for nurses across the state and region.

The program available through NDSU School of Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck, North Dakota offers an opportunity to quickly build a path to a nursing degree and includes incentives to assist students with education costs.

“As a land grant university, we are committed to providing access to education and serving the needs of North Dakota,” said NDSU President David Cook. “This new nursing education option underscores our commitment to supporting the healthcare workforce needs of the state.”

The program, which is currently enrolling students for Fall 2023 semester, provides a new educational option for individuals who have completed a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, or have completed a graduate degree and seek an in-demand healthcare career.

The NDSU Accelerated Nursing program provides an opportunity to pursue a BSN degree in approximately 14 consecutive months. Applications are being accepted through July 20, 2023 for Fall 2023 semester.

Education incentives available

Students who pursue this path to an in-demand and flexible career in nursing are eligible to apply for two incentive payments of $13,000 OR a $25,000 signing bonus from Sanford Health – Bismarck for enrolled students who meet criteria. These incentives help support cost of tuition and qualified education expenses for students in the Accelerated BSN program at NDSU and include a 3-year commitment to joining the Sanford Medical Center – Bismarck nursing team.

“This post-baccalaureate program provides a career path for those who want to use their current degree to help make a career change and prepare to become a licensed Registered Nurse,” said Charys Kunkel, director of NDSU School of Nursing at Sanford Health.

The program includes in-person classes, with some online classes available. Students are expected to attend all lab and clinical experiences in person.

In the past year, there were more than 1,100 unique job postings for registered nurses in North Dakota, based on data from Lightcast, illustrating continued workforce needs.

Acceptance into the NDSU Accelerated (Post-Baccalaureate) BSN Program provides no guarantee of qualification for the financial resources option from Sanford Health Medical Center - Bismarck. Students must apply directly to Sanford Health Medical Center - Bismarck and must meet eligibility criteria for the nursing education incentive financial resources.

More information about the new program is available at this link https://www.ndsu.edu/nursing/degrees/accelerated_bsn/ and by calling NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health at 701-224-3800.

NDSU School of Nursing offers multiple in-person and online paths for those who want to pursue or advance their nursing careers through programs that include:  Pre-Licensure BSN, Accelerated BSN, online RN to BSN, online blended LPN to BSN, and DNP/Family Nurse Practitioner degrees.

As a student focused, land grant, research institution, we serve our citizens.

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