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With FlexPath, you can complete your RN-to-BSN program in
9 months and under $10,000.*
*Based on fastest 25% of students. Your program length and cost will vary by transfer credits, the per-session cost, and how quickly you complete courses. Books, supplies, and other fees apply.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING RN-to-BSN
Capella’s online RN-to-BSN degree is an accredited program designed for working nurses. Thousands of nurses have completed their BSN program with FlexPath, our affordable learning format that allows you to control your pace and set your own deadlines.
You already have a lot of experience as a working nurse—why not leverage it? FlexPath lets you move quickly through material you already know, spending more time on new concepts. Plus, with your busy nursing schedule, you have the flexibility to study and learn when it’s convenient for you.
Transfer credit
On average, our BSN students transfer 65% of the credits needed to complete their BSN with FlexPath.
Industry aligned
Capella University is a proud educational alliance partner with the American Nurses Association. We’re also a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, an honor society whose members work to advance world health.
Accelerated master’s pathway
Take master’s level courses while earning your BSN, and apply those credits to both your bachelor’s and master’s program requirements.
Our online RN-to-BSN is designed to help you stay current in the ever-shifting health care landscape. You’ll learn to lead people, analyze the impact of health policy on quality of care and cost, and how to use evidence to make clinical and operational decisions. Most important, you’ll gain the skills you need to improve outcomes for those who matter most–your patients. Here are just some of the career paths to explore with your BSN.
Related jobs to explore2
- Registered nurse
- Clinical practice nurse
- Home health nurse
- Community health nurse
- Industrial heath nurse
- Case management nurse
- Licensed practical nurse instructor
Employment settings to explore
- Hospital
- Medical clinic
- Assisted living facility
- Long-term care facility
- Nursing home
- Home health agency
- Public health clinic
- School (P–12)
- Pharmaceutical company
- Insurance company
- Government—local, state, federal
- Community college
- Vocational college
2These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Some positions may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications, and/or other designations along with a degree. Because many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title, a promotion, salary increase, or other career outcome. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals.
NHS4000: Developing a Healthcare Perspective
In this course, you’ll build and strengthen the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to succeed in the program and in the workplace. You’ll develop and demonstrate a health care perspective and expand your academic success strategies including organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as well as an understanding of ethics, information literacy, and effective writing.
NURS4010: Leading People, Processes, and Organizations in Interprofessional Practice
Learn to champion and lead changes in interprofessional health care practice. Use management theories and leadership strategies, and apply interdisciplinary collaboration skills to improve systems outcomes while reducing the cost of care.
NURS4020: Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety
In this course, you’ll build and demonstrate the skills necessary to contribute to the quality improvement of health care and patient safety. In addition to analyzing elements of successful quality improvements and factors that lead to patient safety risks, you will identify organizational interventions to promote patient safety and facilitate quality improvement processes to achieve desired patient, systems, and population outcomes.
NURS4030: Making Evidence-Based Decisions
Interpret research and apply an evidence-based practice model to make informed decisions in care planning. You’ll analyze the relevance and effectiveness of evidence in the processes of clinical reasoning and judgement to support interventions that result in desired patient, systems, and population outcomes.
NURS4040 Managing Health Information and Technology
Learn to leverage technology to achieve desired patient, systems, and population outcomes. You’ll develop and demonstrate generalist nursing practices needed to manage health information and patient care technologies as well as develop strategies to improve security of patient information.
NURS4050: Coordinating Patient-Centered Care
Apply the knowledge needed to respond to the unique biopsychosocial attributes and situational context of each individual patient while recognizing the patient as full partner in all health care decision making. Learn to collaborate and adapt practices to support patient-centered care and defend decisions based on the code of ethics for nursing.
NURS4060: Practicing in the Community to Improve Population Health
Learn to promote disease prevention for culturally diverse people within a variety of community settings. Apply principles of community and public health, health promotion, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and social justice to achieve equity, eliminate disparities, and create environments to improve health and safety. Additionally, you’ll examine leading health care indicators, health policy, and emergency preparedness.
NURS4900: Capstone Project for Nursing
The capstone course is the culmination of the BSN degree program and provides you the opportunity to demonstrate the competencies you’ve gained. You’ll integrate new knowledge from the literature into practice via direct clinical hours in a clinical or community setting to demonstrate proficiency and create high-quality deliverables to apply in future practice. In the clinical experience, you’ll also further apply your knowledge of the program outcomes and the BSN Essentials.
90%
Of all nurses who come
to Capella for their BSN,
over 90% choose FlexPath.
With FlexPath, you’ll pay per session rather than per credit. This gives you the ability to control your cost by leveraging what you already know to move quickly through your coursework.
Learn more about FlexPath »
- Take unlimited courses (up to two at a time) per 12-week billing session
- 2 Capella quarter credits = 1 program point
- Set your own deadlines, no courseroom discussions
- Pay a flat tuition fee per session*
$9,600–$12,8003
ACCELERATED PACE–TYPICAL PACE
$3,200 per 12-week billing session, 90 total program points, 68 max transfer points
3This is only an estimate, using general program pricing. Your price may be higher or lower depending on your specialization, transfer credits, tuition discounts, and (in FlexPath) the speed at which you move through the program. Fees, including application fees and resource kits, are not included in this estimate. The GuidedPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in the average number of transfer credits or the maximum allowed transfer credits. The FlexPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in an average number of transfer credits and you moved at the speed of a typical FlexPath student or as quickly as the fastest FlexPath students (75th percentile). New or recently revised programs base their estimate on comparable programs. Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is not available for FlexPath.
While FlexPath tuition is one flat fee for each 12-week term, GuidedPath tuition is paid per credit and follows a quarter system. The GuidedPath format is ideal for those who need more structure.
GuidedPath Highlights
- Based on the quarter system; 1-3 courses per 10-week quarter
- 1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits
- Weekly assignments and courseroom discussions
- Pay for what you take, price varies by courseload or term
$16,200–$23,2804
MAX TRANSFER CREDITS–TYPICAL TRANSFER CREDITS
$357 per 1000-2000 level credit $375 per 3000-4000 level credit, 180 total quarter credits, 135 max transfer credits
Learning Outcomes »
View all tuition and fees »
4This is only an estimate, using general program pricing. Your price may be higher or lower depending on your specialization, transfer credits, tuition discounts, and (in FlexPath) the speed at which you move through the program. Fees, including application fees and resource kits, are not included in this estimate. The GuidedPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in the average number of transfer credits or the maximum allowed transfer credits. The FlexPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in an average number of transfer credits and you moved at the speed of a typical FlexPath student or as quickly as the fastest FlexPath students (90th percentile). New or recently revised programs base their estimate on comparable programs. Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is not available for FlexPath.
Questions about cost?
Speak with an enrollment counselor to get a personalized cost estimate for what you can expect to pay.
“ FlexPath made it possible for me to
achieve my BSN and my MSN. Plus, it
was extremely affordable due to the
partnership between the hospital
and Capella University.”
Carrie Strati5 – BSN, MSN
5Actual Capella student who agreed to appear in
Capella promotional materials.
GUIDEDPATH
Our original learning format offers extra structure for those who want it. We'll set the schedule, you meet the deadlines.
Learn more about GuidedPath »
- Based on the quarter system; 1-3 courses per 10-week quarter
- 1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits
- Weekly assignments and courseroom discussions
- Pay for what you take, price varies by courseload or term
$37,800–$45,675*
MAX TRANSFER CREDITS–TYPICAL TRANSFER CREDITS
$525 per credit, 88 total quarter credits, 16 max transfer credits
*This is only an estimate, using general program pricing. Your price may be higher or lower depending on your specialization, transfer credits, tuition discounts, and (in FlexPath) the speed at which you move through the program. Fees, including application fees and resource kits, are not included in this estimate. The GuidedPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in the average number of transfer credits or the maximum allowed transfer credits. The FlexPath prices show the tuition you would pay if you brought in an average number of transfer credits and you moved at the speed of a typical FlexPath student or as quickly as the fastest FlexPath students (90th percentile). New or recently revised programs base their estimate on comparable programs. Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is not available for FlexPath.
Get the details
Speak with an enrollment counselor to get a personalized cost estimate for what you can expect to pay.
“I started using what I learned in my
job right away. For example, my
residency really helped me hone my skills in open-ended questions,
reflective listening, and understanding body language. I’m
now able to reply to my client’s
questions with more sensitivity.”
Toni Vadala* - MSW student
*Actual Capella student who agreed to appear in
Capella promotional materials.
Employer association discounts
Capella has over 220 health care employer partnerships, including leading hospital systems and insurance providers. If your employer or organization is a partner with Capella, you may be eligible for a tuition discount. Talk to an enrollment counselor to found out more.
Employer reimbursements
Many employers offer affordable tuition and career building opportunities to employees. Talk to your manager or HR department to find out if you’re eligible.
Capella Progress Reward
Apply for a $5K Capella Progress Reward, a scholarship to help fund your master’s degree.
79%
of BSN alumni believe they
completed their degree
at a lower cost with
FlexPath than
at other universities.
Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Accreditation and recognitions provide the assurance we meet standards for quality of faculty, curriculum, learner services, and fiscal stability. See all of our accreditations and recognitions.
The BSN, MSN, and DNP degree programs at Capella University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Faculty
In each course, you’ll work one-on-one with a faculty member who will provide comprehensive feedback on your work, helping you understand what areas you excel in and where you can improve.
Support staff
An enrollment counselor will help you decide which learning format is right for you. Our academic coaches help make sure you stay on track and meet your program requirements. Tutors are available to provide extra assistance when needed.
95%
of Nursing alumni are satisfied
with their Capella education.
Source: Alumni Outcomes Survey, 2019-2020
3 Reasons Why Nurses Should Prioritize Advanced Education
Adele Webb, assistant dean in the Capella University School of Nursing and Health Science, illustrates three benefits of pursing an advanced nursing education.
6 Ways Capella Supports Nurses
We’re here to stand by you. See how Capella is partnering with nurses to improve hospital outcomes.
Download the FlexPath Guide
Find out why the FlexPath learning format is a great option for earning your BSN and how it can help you potentially help you save time and money.
- Nursing degree or associates degree in nursing from an institution accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency or an internationally recognized institution.
- Your official transcripts, reflecting a minimum grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- A valid, government-issued form of photo identification
- RN license verification and work experience acknowledgement form that verifies your current, unrestricted RN license (or its equivalent) to practice in the United States.
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee. Fee is required to initiate an application for admission and must be paid as part of the application process. The fee covers the cost of transcript requests, transcript evaluation, and other administrative costs.
- Applicants who do not have any credits eligible for transfer must successfully complete a university-approved reading and writing assessment. By evaluating your skills prior to your first course, Capella can more effectively provide resources to prepare you for a successful learning experience.
- SAT and ACT are not required for admission.
Additional Accelerated Master’s Pathway (AMP) admission requirements
- To qualify for an AMP option, you must submit transcripts from all previous higher education institutions, have received a minimum 2.8 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on all previous college coursework, and have no fewer than 24 total eligible transfer credits.
- Once enrolled in a GuidedPath AMP option, you must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 and receive no more than one grade of “C” in any master’s-level course to remain enrolled in the AMP option.
- Once enrolled in a FlexPath AMP option, you must earn a minimum “proficient” evaluation on all competencies in your program to remain enrolled in the AMP option. If you fall below this threshold you’ll be automatically changed into the associated non-AMP undergraduate offering.
- When you have successfully completed the requirements for your bachelor’s degree program and your degree has been awarded, you may apply to the master’s degree program that corresponds with your chosen AMP option. You’re not guaranteed admission into a corresponding master’s degree program and you must complete a separate application for admission to the program.
Additional FlexPath admission requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent and 45 transferable college credits.
- The recommended minimum GPA is 2.8.
Step Into FlexPath is an option for those who don’t qualify for FlexPath. Start a program in our structured, online format, and then transition into FlexPath upon successful completion of one course, at a 2.8 GPA or higher.
International student requirements
You are considered an international applicant if you completed your highest degree outside of the U.S., regardless of where you currently live. International applicants include all U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens who have completed their most recent academic coursework, degree, or credential at an institution outside the U.S.
In addition to the above admission requirements, you will need to submit these materials:
- Minimum score on acceptable test for proof of English proficiency
- Transcript evaluation
Take the first step toward earning your degree and achieving your goals.