Accelerated BS/MS Programs for Professional Registered Nurses

CCNE Accredited

Accelerated programs offer qualified, experienced registered nurses the opportunity to earn both the BS and MS degrees in Nursing within a shortened time frame. These programs streamline the BS aspect by eliminating specific BS nursing courses and replacing them with select courses at the MS level. Full-time study is required to proceed through the program at an accelerated pace. Part-time study is only available to students transferring in enough applicable credits to complete the baccalaureate component within one year.

Students have the option of selecting from three graduate specialty areas of concentration:

  • Nursing Education (plan of study)
  • Family Nurse Practitioner (plan of study)
  • Transformational Leadership in Nursing (plan of study)

The RN to BS/MS student will receive both BS and MS degrees upon program completion. This means there will be no BS degree conferred after year 1.

Admission Requirements to the Accelerated RN to BS/MS Program:

  • Hold an associate’s degree with a major in nursing from an accredited program, with a minimum 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for at least the last 30 hours of undergraduate course work.
  • Possess a current unrestricted, unencumbered license as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) in New York State.
  • Have completed the equivalent of one year of work experience as a registered nurse (at least 2000 hours).

Accelerated Track General Education and Liberal Arts (66)

Students enrolled in this program can expect to complete the degree requirements after three years of full-time study (12-16 credit hours per academic semester) and the completion of 2 summers.

Prior to starting the program, students must also have competed 66 lower division credits.

This includes 36 Liberal Arts credits in the following courses:

  • A&P I and II
  • Microbiology
  • English Composition
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Introduction to Sociology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cultural Anthropology
  • Statistics
  • It also includes 2 General Education courses from the following categories: Arts, Humanities, Language, American History, Western Civilization, or Other World Civilization.

Undergraduate course completion must occur in sequential semesters to maintain accelerated status.

Accelerated Track Nursing Core Coursework (56 undergraduate credits)

Nursing transfer credit (30 credits) 
SUNY Poly coursework (26 credits)

  • NUR 300 Role Transitions to Baccalaureate Nursing Education
  • NUR 314T Comprehensive Health Assessment Theory
  • NUR 314L Comprehensive Health Assessment Lab
  • NUR 475 Public Health Nursing Science
  • NUR 478 Care Coordination and Management
  • NUR 490 Culminating Seminar

Plus, graduate course credits, once completed include:

  • NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations in Nursing Practice
  • NUR 503 Advanced Nursing/Health Policy and Health System
  • NUR 560 Nursing Research Methods
  • And one of the following based on the specified track:
    • NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical (Family Nurse Practitioner) or
    • NUR 645 Culminating Internship in Nursing Education (Nursing Education), or
    • NUR 614 Nursing Leadership Practicum (Transformational Leadership)

Students who successfully complete the minimum undergraduate coursework, enter into graduate studies in their second fall semester. All accelerated students follow the graduate program of study specified for their major. Please see the graduate catalog for details on each graduate nursing program.

Degree Requirement Overview for Accelerated Programs:

  • Continued matriculation in the Accelerated RN to BS/MS programs requires maintenance of a GPA of 3.00 for all courses taken at SUNY Poly.
  • A student must also maintain a GPA of 3.00 in all graduate nursing courses.
  • Up to 12 credits in select graduate nursing courses can simultaneously apply to the BS and MS degrees. See Department of Nursing & Health Professions for selection.
  • Residence requirement for the RN to BS/MS programs is 57 hours;
  • Graduate status begins at the 2nd fall term in the student’s program of full-time study.
  • Upon completion of the accelerated program, both BS and MS degrees will be conferred.
  • Graduate students must achieve a minimum of B grade in all graduate coursework.
  • Any graduate student earning less than a B, including a W (Withdrawn) grade or an I (incomplete) grade, may repeat that course once to achieve a passing grade. Graduate students may repeat a maximum of two (2) graduate courses.
  • Students with less than a “B” (3.0) in graduate nursing courses will be placed on academic probation.
  • Students who are on academic probation for any two semesters or who have a GPA of less than 3.0 will be academically dismissed from the Accelerated BS/MS program.
  • Students who are academically dismissed or choose not to complete the Accelerated BS/MS program, and whose performance constitutes satisfactory performance in the undergraduate program, will be placed in the baccalaureate RN to BS program to complete the course requirements for the baccalaureate degree. This includes completion of all undergraduate nursing courses, liberal arts requirements and achieving a total of 124 credits to be awarded a BS with a major in nursing (see the RN-BS program section of the catalog).
State University of New York (SUNY) policy prohibits SUNY Poly admission applications from inquiring into an applicant’s prior criminal history. After acceptance, the College shall inquire if the student previously has been convicted of a felony if such individual seeks campus housing or participation in clinical or field experiences, internships or study abroad programs. The information required to be disclosed under SUNY policy regarding such felony convictions shall be reviewed by a standing campus committee consistent with the legal standards articulated in New York State Corrections Law.
Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. Students who have concerns about such matters are advised to contact the Vice President for Student Affairs Office at (315) 792-7505.