What Florida Schools Offer Accelerated BSN Programs: Second Degree BSN

The JU & Baptist Health 12-Month Second Degree BSN is tailored for career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree and want a rapid entry into nursing. This intensive, lock-step program runs entirely on campus with no online or evening options, launching each fall. Through a powerful partnership with Baptist Health, a Magnet-designated hospital, students gain hands-on clinical experience alongside expert faculty from both institutions. The curriculum integrates cutting-edge immersive tools such as virtual reality labs and simulation scenarios. Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA, complete prerequisite courses, submit a one-way recorded interview, and provide a short-answer writing sample. Graduates are fully prepared for the NCLEX, with merit scholarships and financial aid available to support affordability.

• 12-Month program
• Starts fall
• Cohort-based structure
• 2.5 GPA minimum
• $86,070 median earnings
• Prerequisite courses required
• Prepares for NCLEX
• Financial aid available
• Scholarships available
• Immersive learning with VR labs

Partnering with the renowned Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville University's 12-Month Second Degree BSN offers an accelerated, summer-start pathway for individuals who hold a prior bachelor's degree. Small cohorts ensure personalized faculty support, while clinical training follows the Dedicated Education Unit model, giving students structured, mentored hospital experience across progressive care, critical care, and emergency room settings. Virtual reality simulations and robotics further enrich the hands-on curriculum. A minimum 2.5 GPA and prerequisite coursework are required for admission. Scholarships of up to $10,000 help offset costs, and the program runs entirely in person during daytime hours. Graduates emerge prepared to sit for the NCLEX and step into entry-level registered nursing roles.

• 12-Month program
• 1 start dates per year
• Starts summer
• Cohort-based structure
• 2.5 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• Financial aid available
• Scholarships available
• Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) Model
• Virtual Reality simulation and robotics

Jacksonville University's 16-Month Second Degree BSN, developed in partnership with Ascension St. Vincent's, offers career changers a structured path to becoming a registered nurse across multiple Florida clinical locations. The spring-start, lock-step curriculum meets four days per week for on-campus coursework, with clinicals on a fifth day—expanding to two clinical days during the final summer semester. All admitted students automatically receive a merit scholarship, making this one of the more financially accessible accelerated options in the state. Applicants need a 2.5 GPA, prerequisite courses, a written sample, and a virtual interview. With a strong NCLEX pass rate and comprehensive hands-on training, graduates are well-positioned to launch nursing careers in under two years.

• 16-Month program
• 1 start dates per year
• Starts spring
• 2.5 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• Prepares for NCLEX
• Financial aid available
• Scholarships available
• Clinicals at Ascension St. Vincent's
• Merit scholarship for all students

The University of Florida offers a CCNE-accredited Accelerated BSN program tailored for career-changers who already hold a bachelor's or graduate degree in a non-nursing field. Spanning four intensive semesters and launching each May, the program integrates foundational sciences—including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics—with evidence-based clinical practice and cultural competency training. Students gain hands-on experience through lab simulations and supervised clinical placements, which may extend up to 100 miles from campus. Offered at both Gainesville and Jacksonville locations, the program requires full-time enrollment, a minimum 3.0 GPA, HESI and TOEFL entrance exams, and at least two letters of recommendation. Financial aid and scholarships are available.

• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited
• Entrance exam required
• Exams: HESI, TOEFL
• 4-Semester program
• Apply by 2026-02-01
• Full-time enrollment
• 1 start dates per year
• Starts summer
• 3.0 GPA minimum
• 2 letters of recommendation (minimum)

Florida International University's Accelerated Option BSN (AO BSN) is tailored for career-changers who hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree and are ready to commit to an intensive full-time nursing curriculum. Spanning four semesters and 58 credit hours, the program is housed at FIU's Biscayne Bay Campus and accepts one cohort per year, beginning each fall. The competitive, limited-access admissions process ensures a focused peer group. Coursework builds core clinical competencies and nursing theory, culminating in preparation for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Graduates are well-positioned for RN licensure and eligible to pursue advanced graduate-level nursing education. No ACT or SAT is required for this post-baccalaureate pathway.

• 4-Semester program
• 58 total credit hours
• 1 start dates per year
• Starts fall
• Prepares for NCLEX-RN
• Classes at Biscayne Bay Campus
• Designed for second-degree students
• Eligible for RN licensure