Mission
Overview
Admissions Requirements
Health Requirements and Liability Insurance
Curriculum
Course Descriptions
Information for Current Students

 

Curriculum
In order to obtain a BSN from Fitchburg State College you are required to take 121 credits. The RN curriculum provides the opportunity for educational mobility for U.S. licensed registered nurses through the acceptance of transfer credits, CLEP testing and challenge examinations.

All RN to BSN students are required to take a 1 credit Portfolio Preparation course. This course is designed to help you prepare a portfolio that will be submitted to the faculty to determine the amount of clinical hours you will be required to complete.

Liberal Arts and Science Credits
A total of 59 Liberal Arts & Science credits must be fulfilled as part of the RN to BSN program. Most Associate Degree RNs are able to use transfer credits to fulfill many of these credits. Additionally, some of these requirements may be fulfilled through CLEP (College Level Examination Program) testing, which can be arranged through Career Services at Fitchburg State College.
Art
(5 courses; a minimum of 15 cr.) One of these courses must have a global diversity non-western designation.
ENGL1100 Writing I
3 S.H.
ENGL1200 Writing II
3 S.H.
  Art or Music
3 S.H.
  Literature
3 S.H.
  Elective
3 S.H.
 
Citizenship
(3 courses; a minimum of 9 cr.) Introduction to Sociology fulfills the global diversity designation for this cluster.
  History
3 S.H.
PSY1100 General Psychology
3 S.H.
SOC1100 Introduction to Sociology
3 S.H.
 
Science, Math, Technology
(4 courses; a minimum of 12 cr.)
MATH1700 Applied Statistics
3 S.H.
BIOL 1200 Anatomy & Physiology I
4 S.H.
BIOL1300 Anatomy & Physiology II
4 S.H.
BIOL2700 Survey of Microorganisms
3 S.H.
 
Option C
(4 courses chosen by the student, in consultation with their advisor; a minimum of 12 cr with a minimum of 6 cr. at or above the 2000 level.)
PSY2200 Human Growth & Development
3 S.H.
  Elective
3 S.H.
  Elective
3 S.H.
  Elective
3 S.H.
 
Free Electives
(2 or 3 courses; a minimum of 8 cr.)
  Elective
3 S.H.
  Elective
3 S.H.
  Elective
2 S.H.
 
 
Nursing Credits
A total of 62 nursing credits must be fulfilled as part of the RN to BSN program. Associate degree RN’s may transfer a maximum of 31 nursing credits from their associate degree institution; diploma RN’s may be awarded 31 nursing credits through the successful completion of the National League for Nursing’s (NLN) Acceleration Challenge Exam (ACE) II. The NLN ACE II exams are scheduled and administered through the Department of Nursing. The examinations are given in the areas of Care of the Adult Client, Care of the Client during Childbearing/Care of the Child, and Care of the Client with a Mental Disorder. A minimum score of 90 is required on each examination. If a score of 90 is not achieved in a specific area, the diploma RN student will be required to take the appropriate FSC nursing course from the list below:
NURS 2910 Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family
NURS 3910 Nursing Care of the Mentally Ill Client
NURS 3920 Nursing Care of the Child
NURS 3930 Nursing Care of the Adult
Further information about scheduling the NLN ACE II exams for diploma RN’s can be obtained by contacting the Department of Nursing at 978-665-3221 or by email at cmcgrath@fsc.edu.
 
Nursing Credits Taken at Fitchburg State
All RN to BSN students are required to earn the remaining 31 credits of nursing courses through Fitchburg State College. These courses are:
NURS 3500 Nursing Concepts I
3 S.H.
NURS 3600 Nursing Concepts II
3 S.H.
NURS 3650 Portfolio Preparation
1 S.H.
NURS 4000 Nursing Research
2 S.H.
NURS 4400 Community Health Nursing
5 S.H.
NURS 4500 Nursing Care of Diverse Populations
2 S.H.
NURS 4510 End of Life Care
3 S.H.
NURS 4520 or Introduction to Forensic Nursing
NURS 4800 Selected Practicum
10 S.H.
NURS 4850 Nursing Leadership & Management
2 S.H.
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