What to Know About Getting a BSN Degree: Common Courses and Requirements

As the demand for highly educated nurses continues to grow, earning a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) has become more than just a competitive advantage — it’s quickly becoming the standard.

Based on responses from 643 hospitals and healthcare organizations, nearly 95% require or strongly prefer new hires to hold a BSN.

This shift reflects the increasing complexity of patient care and the emphasis on professional development. Understanding the common courses, clinical hours, and technical requirements for a BSN degree can help you successfully plan a rewarding and purposeful nursing career.

A BSN is a four-year degree that prepares you to take the NCLEX-RN for licensure. It builds clinical, leadership, and critical-thinking skills, enabling you to work with more complex patient cases and healthcare settings and prepares you for faster career advancement.

After completing coursework and clinical training, you must meet professional and technical standards that prepare you to deliver safe, effective care. These include skills in communication, critical thinking, and hands-on patient care.

Admission requirements for a BSN may differ between programs, but most have the same basic criteria for a competitive selection process. Before applying to a nursing program, you should understand the process.

Some programs give preference to candidates with prior healthcare experience. While each program has specific criteria and a timeline for admission, the basic requirements include:

Schools define the number of transfer credits they allow, which can depend on the courses you want to transfer and the level of nursing education. For example, a BSN may allow you to transfer more credits than an associate degree in nursing.

The BSN curriculum builds a strong foundation in clinical practice and professional nursing principles. Your education will emphasize critical thinking, effective communication, and compassionate care to prepare you for success in modern healthcare environments.

Accredited nursing programs must include required clinical hours and courses, but academic institutions can offer some variety in their requirements. Most programs include the following classes:

BSN students must complete clinical hours to apply classroom learning in professional settings. All students, whether traditional or online, must complete in-person clinicals arranged through local healthcare partners.

During clinicals, students work under licensed nurses to build core skills, such as monitoring vitals, conducting assessments, and administering medications. Clinical hours must provide various experiences in specialties like geriatrics, pediatrics, mother/child, and adult medicine to prepare students for their first RN position.