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Pre-Nursing Track

You see yourself nurturing and uplifting others. In medical settings, registered nurses embody this role, tirelessly striving to improve patient care and outcomes. Demand for such professionals continues to grow. Based on figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals, medical offices and other practices will need 9% more registered nurses between 2020 and 2030. If you’re ready to step up to the challenge, enroll in Abilene Christian University’s online Pre-Nursing program, a sequence of classes preparing you to fulfill Bachelor of Science in Nursing prerequisites.

You see yourself nurturing and uplifting others. In medical settings, registered nurses embody this role, tirelessly striving to improve patient care and outcomes. Demand for such professionals continues to grow. Based on figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals, medical offices and other practices will need 9% more registered nurses between 2020 and 2030. If you’re ready to step up to the challenge, enroll in Abilene Christian University’s online Pre-Nursing program, a sequence of classes preparing you to fulfill Bachelor of Science in Nursing prerequisites.

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Envision a Rewarding Career Improving Patient Care

You have goals, and ACU Online illuminates the way there with a format designed for busy working adults like you. Take your nursing school prerequisites while balancing work, life and other commitments and experiencing the support of ACU’s vibrant, virtual, Christ-centered community.

Locked-In Tuition

Introducing
Locked-In Tuition.

Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire undergraduate degree.

About the Program

Senior patient and nurse in hospital pre-nursing track

You are ready for nursing school, but first, you need your prerequisites. Our online Pre-Nursing program sets you up for success. Course rigor and outlook reflect that of ACU’s School of Nursing: preparing you for compassionate, competent service through subjects strengthening technical and critical-thinking skills. Whether you intend to matriculate into ACU’s on-campus BSN program or continue somewhere closer to home, this 68 credit–hour program covers the health sciences, liberal arts and key competencies rooted in statistics, biology and chemistry with flexible courses you can take around your existing schedule. Take the first step toward a rewarding career in nursing.

Program Structure

All the Details on Your Degree

Blending the liberal arts, ACU’s spiritual mindset and natural and social sciences, the online Pre-Nursing Track helps students complete the necessary prerequisites required to apply to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)–accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at ACU or another four-year institution. Keep in mind this 68 credit–hour track does not result in an associate degree or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Required Hours

68 Hours (including 9-15 hours of Bible)

Example Coursework

Introductory Chemistry
Introductory Nutrition
Anatomy and Physiology I & II
General Microbiology

Upcoming Start Dates

April 30, 2024
June 25, 2024

Curriculum & Format

Helping you develop a passionate, multifaceted mindset, ACU divides the online Pre-Nursing track into two portions: pathway courses that directly help you fulfill prerequisites for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and general education requirements.

Because nurses need to develop strong communication skills and a solid understanding of the body’s workings, the Pre-Nursing Track courses cover:

  • general statistics, including how to collect, analyze and interpret data;
  • psychology concepts in relation to biological, cognitive, moral and psychosocial development;
  • human anatomy and physiology, exploring musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive and genitourinary systems;
  • general microbiology, including immunology, pathogenic, environmental and industrial microbiology and how to characterize and identify microorganisms;
  • fundamental chemistry principles, including anatomic structure, chemical reactions and the behaviors of solids, liquids and gases; and
  • nutrition and wellness, from current trends to food safety and the influence of nutrients, diet and weight on one’s health. 

General education requirements further empower you to apply to a BSN program and play off the technical aspects of the pathway courses, emphasizing critical thinking and communication skills—aspects all registered nurses need to develop for interacting with patients. Refine and advance your composition, speech, rhetoric and communication skills, and broaden your understanding of literature, history and Christian vocation.

Throughout, you’re recommended to be mindful of admission requirements for ACU’s BSN program to stay on track toward your goals. Specifically, interested candidates must have completed at least 60 hours of prerequisites with a 3.0 GPA or higher.  

Meet the Program Director

Dr. Marcia Sotelo is the Track Manager for the Pre-Nursing Program and is also an Associate Professor for Abilene Christian University’s online BSN to DNP degree program and Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Having earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Communications from Baylor University, she decided to return to school and pursue nursing after the birth of her first daughter. She received her ADN from Austin Community College, her BSN from The University of Texas at Arlington, her MSN from Western Governors University, and her DNP from Samford University. All of these nursing education programs were completed online. This has enabled her to understand both the benefits and the challenges of learning in the online setting.

Professionally, Dr. Sotelo has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, including medical-surgical, outpatient surgery, GI lab, PACU, and Women’s Services. As a National League of Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator, she has extensive experience teaching in and leading both traditional and online programs at all educational levels. She loves her job of guiding students as they pursue further education and looks forward to working with each student as they achieve their personal and professional goals by pursuing their BS in Nursing all the way to their doctorate.

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To be considered for admission, students must:

  • Submit official high school and/or college transcripts.
  • Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.

Students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores.

SACSCOC Stamp Color

Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of ACU.

Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).