Accelerated BSN · Florida

University of South Florida

Accelerated Second Degree Pathway · Tampa, FL · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)

ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026

The Sarasota-Manatee campus is no longer accepting applications; the Tampa program continues.

Next application deadline
January 15 each year
next: Jan 15, 2027 · Summer start
source · health.usf.edu
“October 1: NursingCAS application opens”
Check your eligibility here
Free for your first 3 programs. We check every requirement on this page against your courses.
Program length
16 months
Format
In personIn-person
Start
Tampa: SummerTampa: Summer; St. Petersburg: Fall
Admission GPA
Not published
Entrance exam
NoneNone; TEAS/HESI scores are not reviewed
Prereqs expire after
NonePrerequisites do not expire; completing them within the last 5 years is a competitive advantage

Prerequisites

The courses USF says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.

Not published. Confirm with the school.

Prerequisites complete at deadline
At least 7 of 8 prerequisites complete by February 1 (Tampa)
No equivalent stated for St. Petersburg.
source · health.usf.edu
“February 1: Deadline to have at least 7 out of 8 prerequisites complete”
Minimum prerequisite grade Not published. Confirm with the school.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Do prerequisites expire?

Prerequisite expiration
Prerequisites do not expire; completing them within the last 5 years is a competitive advantage
source · health.usf.edu
“No, however completing all prerequisites within the last five years provides a competitive advantage in the admissions review process.”
Attempt limits Not published. Confirm with the school.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

GPA and grades

GPA rounding
GPAs are not rounded
source · health.usf.edu
“No. GPAs are calculated exactly as provided by USF Admissions and NursingCAS.”
Minimum cumulative GPA for admission Not published. Confirm with the school.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Is there an entrance exam?

Entrance exam
None; TEAS/HESI scores are not reviewed
source · health.usf.edu
“Can I submit extra materials like a personal statement, letters, resume, or TEAS/HESI scores? No. These materials are not reviewed and will be removed from your application.”

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Where can courses be taken?

Online courses and labs
Accepted if completed through an accredited institution and approved for equivalency by USF
source · health.usf.edu
“Are online prerequisite courses and labs accepted? Yes, if they are completed through an accredited institution and approved for equivalency by USF.”
Pass/Fail grades
Accepted; calculated as a B (3.0) in the prerequisite GPA
source · health.usf.edu
“Yes. Passing AP/CLEP scores and “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grades are calculated as a B (3.0) for your prerequisite GPA. This does not affect your overall undergraduate GPA.”
AP/CLEP credit
Accepted; passing scores count as a B (3.0) in the prerequisite GPA
No credit limit is stated.
source · health.usf.edu
“Yes. Passing AP/CLEP scores and “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grades are calculated as a B (3.0) for your prerequisite GPA. This does not affect your overall undergraduate GPA.”
Florida community college credits Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Accepted from regionally accredited institutions when they match USF's course” vs “Florida community college credits generally accepted if they match USF equivalents”), so we are not publishing a value yet.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Application deadlines and start dates

Upcoming cycles USF publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.

Summer start · TampaDue January 15 each yearnext Jan 15, 2027 · opens October 1No year printed. NursingCAS submission deadline is January 15. The USF application opens August 1, with a priority deadline of December 1. NursingCAS 'verified' status is due February 1. At least 7 of 8 prerequisites must be complete by February 1. Applicants must be admitted to USF by March 1. Program starts in the Summer semester.
source · health.usf.edu
“October 1: NursingCAS application opens”
Fall start · St. PetersburgDue June 1 each yearnext Jun 1, 2027 · opens April 1No year printed. NursingCAS submission deadline is June 1. The USF application opens August 1, with a priority deadline of February 1 and a final completion deadline of May 15. NursingCAS 'verified' status is due June 15. Applicants must be admitted to USF by July 1. Program starts in the Fall semester. International students on an I-20/F-1 visa are not eligible at this campus.
source · health.usf.edu
“April 1: NursingCAS application opens”
NursingCAS
Yes, plus a separate USF application
source · health.usf.edu
“January 15: NursingCAS application submission deadline”
Deadline extensions Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“None; all deadlines are final” vs “No extensions”), so we are not publishing a value yet.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Cost

Tuition and fees as the school publishes them. Living costs vary; the source link has the full table.

Tuition Not published. Confirm with the school.
Application fee Not published. Confirm with the school.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Other requirements

What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.

Prior degree
Bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field
source · health.usf.edu
“Designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, USF’s Accelerated Second Degree pathway offers swift transition into a nursing career in just 16 months.”
Interview
No interview
source · health.usf.edu
“Is there an interview for the Accelerated Second Degree pathway? No.”
Essays
Four short essay prompts in NursingCAS, evaluated anonymously
source · health.usf.edu
“Instead, applicants answer four short essay prompts in NursingCAS.”
Recommendation letters
Not accepted
source · health.usf.edu
“Can I submit extra materials like a personal statement, letters, resume, or TEAS/HESI scores? No. These materials are not reviewed and will be removed from your application.”
Healthcare experience
Strengthens the application; not required
source · health.usf.edu
“Completing prerequisites within the last five years, gaining healthcare experience, participating in campus activities, serving in leadership roles, and taking the preferred USF course numbers for prerequisites can all strengthen your application.”
International students
Tampa summer term only; need a foreign credential evaluation and syllabi for prerequisites taken outside the U.S.
source · health.usf.edu
“They may only apply for the Tampa summer term due to visa requirements.”
CNA Not published. Confirm with the school.

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Good to know

What the school says about the program that is not a requirement: how it selects, how many it admits, what to expect.

Format
In-person
source · health.usf.edu
“Modality: In-person”
Start terms
Tampa: Summer; St. Petersburg: Fall
St. Petersburg campus: Starts Fall semester.
source · health.usf.edu
“Tampa campus: Starts Summer semester”
Deferral
Only military students in commissioning programs may request a deferral
source · health.usf.edu
“Only military students applying for a commissioning program may request a deferral.”

Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error

Sources

Every page we read for USF, with when we last checked it. Tier 1 is the program's own pages; tier 2 the nursing school's general pages; tier 3 university-wide pages.

Open questions we're still checking
  • The eight state-mandated prerequisite courses are not listed on the provided pages.
  • No minimum GPA or minimum prerequisite grade is published for the accelerated pathway.
  • The application fee and tuition amounts are not published on these pages.
  • The eight state-mandated nursing prerequisites are not listed on the provided pages; course names, credits, and minimum grades are unknown.
  • No minimum overall or prerequisite GPA is published on the provided pages.
  • Application fee and program tuition are not stated.
  • Whether St. Petersburg has a partial prerequisite completion deadline like Tampa's 7 of 8 by February 1 is not stated.
  • Two readings of the page disagreed on community_college_policy: Accepted from regionally accredited institutions when they match USF's course | Florida community college credits generally accepted if they match USF equivalents.
  • Two readings of the page disagreed on other: None; all deadlines are final | No extensions.

Something wrong here? Report an error

ABSNcheck summarizes requirements that schools publish on their own websites, with a link to each source and the date we last verified it. Schools change requirements, sometimes contradict themselves, and make individual decisions. Results show whether you meet published minimums; they are not an admission decision or a guarantee, and are not official advice from any school. Always confirm requirements with each program before you apply or enroll in a course.

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