Accelerated Second-Degree Nursing Program (A2D)

The Accelerated Second-Degree (A2D) program is a post-baccalaureate program for qualified students who have earned a non-nursing baccalaureate degree and wish to obtain a bachelor of science (BS) degree in nursing. The 51-credit program is based on the existing generic baccalaureate program but organized to be completed by adult learners over 18 months of full-time study. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. The undergraduate program also provides a strong foundation for graduate study at the master’s and doctoral levels, of which programs are offered at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing.

Students with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing who have successfully completed prerequisite courses in the sciences and liberal arts (see list below) can apply to the Accelerated Second-Degree Nursing Program.

Please read the following criteria carefully. You must meet all requirements below:

• Earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college by June 1
• 3.2 or higher cumulative GPA (all undergraduate courses from all schools)

• Prerequisite courses (or higher equivalent) taken for credit with a minimum grade of ‘B’ or higher. Prerequisite courses offered by Hunter College are shown in parentheses; see Hunter College Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions.
  • General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 100/101) or higher equivalent (CHEM 102/103, CHEM 102/106, or CHEM 111)
  • Organic Chemistry with lab (CHEM 120/121) or higher equivalent (CHEM 222/223)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II (BIOL 120 & BIOL 122) – 2 courses
  • Introduction to Statistics (STAT 113) or higher equivalent (STAT 213)
  • Microbiology with lab (BIOL 230)
  • English Composition (ENGL 120)
  • General Psychology (PSYCH 100)
  • Human Development (PSYCH 150: Developmental Psychology of the Life Span) – 1 course
  • Nutrition (NFS 141)
  • A genetics course (e.g., BIOL 105: Genome Biology or BIOL 107: The Human Barcode)

• Prerequisite courses must be taken for credit. All prerequisite courses taken at other institutions must be evaluated and transferred to your Hunter transcript with the appropriate Hunter course equivalencies prior to applying to the nursing program. Generally, only math and science courses designed for math and science majors, or pre-medical/pre-health majors, are accepted as equivalencies.
• Students may not take prerequisite courses during the summer immediately preceding the fall entry into the program. All prerequisite courses must be completed by June 1, no exceptions.
• The School of Nursing no longer accepts repeated prerequisite courses.

U.S. Citizenship or Residency Status

In order to advance into nursing clinicals, students must provide documentation of U.S. citizenship or residency status via one of the following categories:

1. U.S. Citizenship
2. Permanent Residency
3. International Student with F1 Status
4. Granted Asylum, Refugee Status, Temporary Protected Status, Withholding of Removal, Deferred Enforced Departure*; or Deferred Action Status by the U.S. government

The application and admission process involves three phases:

Apply to Hunter College

Applicants with a degree from an institution other than Hunter College must file a CUNY transfer admission application:

• https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply/cuny-application/
• CUNY curriculum code: Nursing
• Fall application deadline: February 1
• Spring application deadline (for general admission to Hunter): September 15

Once admitted to Hunter College, students must attend a mandatory transfer orientation. Transfer credits will be evaluated at the orientation to ensure accurate course transfer and registration.

Apply to Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

• Apply online through NursingCAS at www.nursingcas.org from November 30 through February 1. Applications are due no later than February 1 to NursingCAS and CUNY. Please note that the deadline for the application is subject to change.
• Make sure to submit all transcripts to NursingCAS and the CUNY University Application Processing Center (UAPC), including your Hunter College transcript.
• A career goal statement is required with the NursingCAS application, submitted on the “Personal Statement” tab of the application.

Take the Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX)

• Register in advance for the National League for Nursing’s Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX). Registration is open from early December to January. The exam should be taken by the end of February to be considered for Fall admission.
  • The exam may be taken remotely or in person at the Hunter College Testing Center (68th St Campus, Rm. 150N). View Registration Details

Admittance to the program is based on an acceptance composite score, determined as follows:

• Cumulative GPA (50%)
• NEX score (50%)

Composite scores of all applications received in an academic year are rank-ordered from highest to lowest. Applicants are offered admission based on this ranked composite score and their satisfaction of all other admission requirements. Applications that do not meet all admission requirements will not be reviewed.

Since admission decisions are made before the spring semester is completed, applicants with grades pending may be conditionally accepted until receipt of final grades (due no later than June 1). Once accepted, students must attend a mandatory A2D orientation session in June in order to maintain their accepted status.

The program is designed for students to obtain a second baccalaureate degree in nursing on a full time basis, earning 51 credits over a period of 18 months. The program currently has a fall semester start date (start and end dates of the program are subject to change). Course descriptions are available in the undergraduate course catalog.

Fall Semester

• NURS 200: Introduction to Nursing (2 cr)
• NURS 210: Nursing Fundamentals and Health Assessment (4 cr)
• NURS 220: Adult Health and Illness (4 cr)
• NURS 331: Pharmacology I (3 cr)

Winter Session

• NURS 380: Nursing Research and Theory (3 cr)

Spring Semester

• NURS 339: Pharmacology II (3 cr)
• NURS 343: Pathophysiology and Nursing Care (3 cr)
• NURS 352: Nursing Care of Women and Childbearing Families (4 cr)
• NURS 360: Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4 cr)

Summer Session

• NURS 455: Public Health Nursing (4 cr)
• NURS 460: Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing (4 cr)

Fall Semester

• NURS 420: Nursing Leadership and Ethics (3 cr)
• NURS 470: Adult Acute Illness/Immersion Clinical (4 cr)
• NURS 490: Gerontological Nursing (4 cr)
• NURS 492: Advanced Synthesis of Nursing Knowledge (2 cr)

Prior to beginning any course work in the nursing major, students are required to submit documentation for health and clinical clearance. Please review due dates on the form. Clearance documentation must be kept up to date in Castlebranch (expiration dates for each requirement will be noted in Castlebranch).

Clinical course schedules are determined by the School of Nursing based on resources and clinical facility availability. Clinical schedules may include day and/or evening hours on any of the 7 days of the week. Criminal background checks may be required by clinical sites. A student who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor will have to undergo investigation by the Office of Professional Discipline, which might result in denial of RN licensure.

As a tax-supported public institution, Hunter College can keep tuition rates and fees relatively low. See current tuition and fees.

Nursing student fees may include tuition, lab fees, textbooks, standardized exam fees, health and liability insurance, criminal background checks, uniforms, and medical equipment.

The program prepares graduates to:

1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and the arts and sciences to provide a theoretical framework for a humanistic, caring, and comprehensive approach to promotion of wellness, prevention of illness, and holistic management of health problems across the life span.
2. Use the nursing process as a guide in providing the range of health promotion, maintenance, and restoration activities needed to assist clients in achieving optimal wellness.
3. Use appropriate teaching strategies in educating clients for knowing participation in their own health and wellness.
4. Demonstrate computer and information literacy, beginning proficiency in the use of electronic health records.
5. Use nursing research as a basis for improving nursing care and advocating for changes in health policy.
6. Participate in inter-disciplinary activities to plan, implement, and evaluate health care for all client systems.
7. Demonstrate personal and professional accountability in providing global health care to people from diverse backgrounds.
8. Evaluate management and leadership processes with individuals, families, groups, and communities in a comprehensive approach to health promotion and holistic management of health problems (across the life span).
9. Demonstrate activism and advocacy in health care and health care policy on behalf of human and environmental health.
10. Continually demonstrate commitment to personal growth and lifelong learning through the active pursuit of knowledge and diverse life experiences.