Nursing, ABS

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABS) program is a three-semester, 51-credit program, that provides a specifically designed accelerated curriculum for non-nurse college graduates (U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent) who wish to study nursing in a first professional degree program. The Lienhard School of Nursing has long been a leader in second-degree education for non-nursing college graduates and has offered an accelerated nursing program in Pleasantville since 1984. Acceleration is possible for the ABS program by giving recognition to previous baccalaureate education and by recognizing that the college graduate is an able learner by virtue of previous educational and life experiences.

The ABS program is available on both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses. In New York City, students begin their study in the fall semester, while in Pleasantville, students begin in the spring.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

To be eligible for entrance to the ABS program, students must have the following:

• Completed all prerequisite courses prior to application with a minimum grade of B-. These courses include two semesters of Anatomy & Physiology, one semester of Microbiology, General Chemistry, Introduction to Psychology, and Statistics. 
• Students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Students must have achieved an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

Note: Students should apply for the ABS program through Graduate Admission.

DEGREE COMPLETION CRITERIA

ABS students must maintain the following in order to complete their degree:

• Maintain a CQPA of 2.75 or higher throughout the program
• Pass all nursing major core courses (including approved nursing electives) with a B- or higher
• Maintain required clinical compliance (health assessment, immunizations, CPR, criminal background check, drug screening, and additional requirements as advised) for clinical eligibility.

Accreditation

Prerequisites

ABS Prerequisite Courses

The prerequisite requirements may be completed at Pace or transferred in. For transfer credit to be granted, a grade of B- or better must be earned.

Major Requirments 

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABS)