Western Governors University RN to BSN Online Program

WGU Nursing Degree Overview

Our online RN to BSN program will enhance your personal status, boost your salary, and increase your job security while helping your hospital achieve “magnet” status. The B.S. in Nursing expands your knowledge and skills beyond the clinical aspects of nursing to give you background in patient education, health promotion, and technology integration, as well as healthcare systems and policies. You will become a more accomplished nurse ready to ascend the ranks.

Who the program is for:

• Registered nurses (RNs) who possess an associate’s degree or diploma in nursing, have a current, unencumbered RN license, and wish to advance their careers with a bachelor’s degree.

Your program will be flexible and largely self-paced. Click here to learn how your program works.

What You’ll Learn — Areas of Study:

In this online RN to BSN degree program, you’ll learn all the essential skills and knowledge needed. This program includes six domains of study and completion of a capstone project.

• Nursing Science
• Nursing Theory and Practice
• Nursing-Related Science
• Nursing Distribution (Social Science and Humanities)
• Language and Communication Skills
• Quantitative Literacy

The curriculum of WGU’s RN to BSN online program incorporates the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice established by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Total Program: 70 Competency Units (credit equivalents)
Less: any competency units waived through transfer of prior college credits.

Accredited and Credible

Accreditation is a key indicator of a university’s credibility among both academia and employers. WGU is:

• CCNE accreditation — by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education.
• Nationally accredited — by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
• Regionally accredited — by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The Northwest Commission is also responsible for the accreditation of other major universities such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, and the University of Utah, to name a few.
• Founded by 19 governors and supported by hospital partners — WGU was founded by the governors of 19 U.S. states. WGU and this BSN program are also supported by hospital partners across the nation, including Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Tenet Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and Catholic Healthcare West.

BS in Nursing, Courses of Study/Assessments

WGU offers degrees, not classes. As a competency-based online university, progress through your degree program is determined by demonstrating your competence through carefully designed assessments and completion of a professional portfolio, capstone, or both. As a student in this program, you will complete the assessments (courses) listed below in order to graduate. These assessments are required, though you may be able to clear some of these requirements through a course-by-course transcript analysis. (Learn more about transferring credits.)

Each assessment has a course of study, which contains a study guide and recommended learning resources for you to use while completing said assessment. Your assigned mentor will help guide you through this process.

For ease of understanding, WGU has assigned competency units to each of its assessments as indicated below. A competency unit is equivalent to a semester credit hour of learning. WGU terms are six months in length. During a typical term, students will be expected to complete at least 12 to 13 competency units. Grades are assigned on a Pass/Fail basis; a “Pass” at WGU is equivalent to a letter grade of “B” or better.

Speak to an Enrollment Counselor for more information about these assessments and their courses of study.