Second Degree Accelerated BSN
Your Journey Starts Here
In just 15 months, the Second Degree Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing will help you leverage your bachelor’s degree to fast-track your path to becoming a nurse.
Why Earn Your Second Degree Accelerated BSN at Sacred Heart?
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN program lets you transfer general academic course credits from your undergraduate program to focus exclusively on the nursing curriculum. You’ll fully immerse yourself in nursing from May until August of the following year.
Through this unique format, you will develop the skills and knowledge you need through instruction and guidance by expert and nationally recognized faculty, who hold doctoral degrees or are certified nurse practitioners.
Gain Hands-On Clinical Experience
Through classroom and clinical work, you’ll learn how to provide the highest quality nursing care to patients in different settings, including:
- acute-care hospitals
- community clinics
- extended care facilities
- local health departments
- visiting nurse associations
Clinical placements are in the surrounding communities near Sacred Heart University and have included top health care institutions such as:
- St. Vincent’s Medical Center
- Yale New Haven Hospital
- Connecticut Children’s
These immersive experiences not only enhance your clinical competencies but also prepare you to step confidently into your nursing career with real-world readiness.
Prepare for the future you want.
Upon graduation, you will be eligible to take the Registered Nurse licensure examination (NCLEX). Sacred Heart’s graduating classes in the Second Degree Accelerated BSN program consistently earn a greater than 96% pass rate, and 100% of the graduates were employed as an RN within six months.
Past BSN graduates have been hired by:
- Mayo Clinic
- Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Yale New Haven Hospital
Upon graduation, you will also be prepared to apply to any Master of Science in nursing or Doctor of nursing practice program, including graduate programs at Sacred Heart.
As you work toward your nursing degree, here’s what will help you to succeed:
You’ll gain a liberal education for a baccalaureate generalist nursing practice, along with knowledge from biological, behavioral, social and nursing sciences. And, by studying in a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited program, you’ll know the program meets the quality standards set to ensure that future nurses get the education they need to succeed in the field.
You’ll gain practical experience in five state-of-the-art nursing labs and a high-fidelity simulation center that includes a bedside-care lab and eight simulation rooms. Faculty will encourage you to make clinical judgments based on the knowledge you gain as you advance in your clinical reasoning skills and hands-on experience.
You will be led by faculty who are active professionals in the field. Along with the state and national recognition they have earned, the Davis & Henley College of Nursing faculty hold advanced degrees or are certified nurse practitioners.
You’ll become familiar with and have a chance to use the computer information management systems and patient care technology used in the field today, to gain the knowledge to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of patient care. Further, coursework will help you to better understand the impact of health care policy, finance and regulatory environments on nursing and health care.
You’ll participate in quality and patient safety initiatives that impact patient care, as well as learn how to provide effective, patient-centric care by fostering open communication, mutual respect and shared decision-making. You’ll cover the best practices that support health promotion and disease and injury prevention and lead more broadly to improvements in individual and public health. As you prepare for your RN licensure examination, you’ll have access to online testing platforms.
We also offer two-week intersessions. You can apply to take a 3-credit, two-week intersession Nursing Leadership course at SHU’s Dingle, Ireland, campus. If accepted, you’ll learn about professional nursing issues and trends through a global lens, participate in clinical experiences and observe in an Irish health care setting.
Admission to the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program
Due to advanced planning required for completing prerequisites, you are advised to apply early.
Here are the deadlines for admission:
- December 15—Priority application
- February 1—Final application (or until cohort is full)
Financial Aid
You may be eligible for financial assistance in the form of loans. Student financial assistance office will work with you to maximize the federal aid that you are eligible for and discuss alternative student loan options. The first step is to complete the FAFSA (use school code 001403). This program bridges financial aid years. If you are entering the program in the summer of 2026, the first Summer I/II terms are within the 2025-2026 aid year, while all remaining terms are within the 2026-2027 aid year. Students applying for financial aid (including federal or private student loans) must apply separately for each of the academic years.
Complete the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Financial Aid Application and submit it to SHU's financial assistance office along with your completed FAFSA. It is strongly recommended that you submit the form online via SHU Awards.
The financial assistance office can guide you through this process. However, your financial aid applications will not be reviewed until you have been admitted to the program. Contact Colleen Mulrooney, director of financial assistance, at mulrooneyc@sacredheart.edu or 203-365-4702 to discuss the financial assistance application process.
Connecticut Health Horizons Grant
The Davis & Henley College of Nursing, through the Health Horizons CT grant initiative, is pleased to offer up to $10,000 in tuition assistance to qualified students completing their BSN degree. Combined with SHU’s evidence-based nursing education, this funding will help to increase the number of qualified nurses entering Connecticut's workforce and positively impact the state’s health and wellness.
To learn more, visit CT Health Horizons Grant at SHU or contact Heather Ferrillo, Ph.D., MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CN, chair of undergraduate programs, at ferrilloh@sacredheart.edu.
Contact Us
Do you have more questions about applying to or completing the program? Schedule a virtual 1:1 meeting with Noreen Morgenstern, assistant director of admissions, or email her at morgensternn@sacredheart.edu.