University of Southern Maine
Nursing — Accelerated Program – BS · Portland, ME · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Southern Maine says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01StatisticsStatisticsMust be completed before the May start.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Completed college-level courses in Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology I (lab not required) and Anatomy and Physiology II (lab not required), as well as Microbiology with lab; with grades of C or better prior to the May start of the program;”
min gradeC - 02Anatomy & Physiology IAnatomy and Physiology ILab not required.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Completed college-level courses in Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology I (lab not required) and Anatomy and Physiology II (lab not required), as well as Microbiology with lab; with grades of C or better prior to the May start of the program;”
labnomin gradeC - 03Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy and Physiology IILab not required.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Completed college-level courses in Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology I (lab not required) and Anatomy and Physiology II (lab not required), as well as Microbiology with lab; with grades of C or better prior to the May start of the program;”
labnomin gradeC - 04MicrobiologyMicrobiology with labOnline science labs are not accepted for transfer.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Completed college-level courses in Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology I (lab not required) and Anatomy and Physiology II (lab not required), as well as Microbiology with lab; with grades of C or better prior to the May start of the program;”
labrequiredmin gradeC - 05PathophysiologyPathophysiology (Supportive Course)Recommended, not required. Earns one bonus point if completed by October 1.
source · usm.maine.edu
“While not required for initial admission consideration, completed coursework that is a direct equivalent to Pathophysiology and Human Nutrition will strengthen an application and ease a student’s first semester in the program.”
- 06NutritionHuman Nutrition (Supportive Course)Recommended, not required. Earns one bonus point if completed by October 1.
source · usm.maine.edu
“While not required for initial admission consideration, completed coursework that is a direct equivalent to Pathophysiology and Human Nutrition will strengthen an application and ease a student’s first semester in the program.”
Minimum prerequisite grade
C or better
source · usm.maine.edu
“Completed college-level courses in Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology I (lab not required) and Anatomy and Physiology II (lab not required), as well as Microbiology with lab; with grades of C or better prior to the May start of the program;”
Prerequisites in progress
Allowed; all must be completed before the mid-May start
source · usm.maine.edu
“No, prerequisite courses may be "in progress" during the fall and spring semesters provided they are completed successfully before the program starts in the summer term in mid-May.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Course age limit Not published. Confirm with the school.
Attempt limits Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum degree GPA for admission
3.0 from the most recently earned bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree
Courses taken after the degree (including prerequisites) do not raise this GPA.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Hold a 3.0 or higher GPA from the most recently earned bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree; and”
Science GPA Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam Not published. Confirm with the school.
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Where can courses be taken?
Online labs
Online science labs are not accepted; take in-person labs
source · usm.maine.edu
“USM does not award transfer credit for online science course labs.”
Where courses may be taken
Any regionally accredited college or university; course must be college-level
Community colleges are not named explicitly, but SMCC is mentioned elsewhere on the page.
source · usm.maine.edu
“USM can consider for transfer any courses completed at a regionally accredited college/university provided the course is college-level (not remedial nor developmental) and is passed with a grade of "C" or better for Nursing purposes.”
Pass/fail Not published. Confirm with the school.
Credit by exam Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles Southern Maine publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Summer (May) startDue October 1 each yearnext Oct 1, 2027FAQ says 'Applications open in June and must be completed with all materials received by USM before the October 1 deadline' (no day given for June opening). The supplemental form page says 'Apply for Summer 2027', which suggests this cycle is for a May 2027 start, but no year is printed with the October 1 deadline. Prerequisites must be completed before the mid-May start. Decisions are mailed by early January.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Apply by October 1 for a May start.”
Application system
USM general application plus the Accelerated Nursing supplemental form
NursingCAS is not mentioned.
source · usm.maine.edu
“You must complete and submit our general application in addition to this supplemental form to be considered for admission to this Nursing program.”
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 estimate
Estimate by doubling USM's 'Differential Tuition Level 3' annual rates
No dollar amount is printed on the provided pages. New England residents may qualify for the NEBHE Tuition Break rate.
source · usm.maine.edu
“They can use the information listed here under "Differential Tuition Level 3", and then double those numbers to gain a ball-park estimate of the full cost of the program.”
Financial aid
Traditional aid and scholarships typically unavailable; loans are the main option
source · usm.maine.edu
“Because this program is, by definition, a bachelor's degree beyond the first, that typically eliminates traditional financial aid and scholarship options.”
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 or higher from a regionally accredited institution, completed before the program starts
source · usm.maine.edu
“Have either attained or will attain before starting the program a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution; and”
Essay
Nursing essay required (prompt on supplemental application)
source · usm.maine.edu
“Nursing essay — the essay prompt is described on the Supplemental Application to Nursing.”
CNA eligibility during program
Students become eligible for CNA certification halfway through the program
This describes a program benefit. A CNA is not listed as an admission requirement.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Earn your CNA: Become eligible to obtain your CNA certification halfway through this program, meaning you can start work immediately as a CNA while continuing your education.”
F-1 international students
Eligible to apply
source · usm.maine.edu
“Yes, such students should work with our International Programs Office on the details of pursuing that student VISA program.”
- Applicants must meet USM's general undergraduate admission requirements.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Applicants must meet the University’s general undergraduate admission requirements, which can be found in the Admissions section of the Undergraduate Catalog.”
- Submit the online Supplemental Form for Accelerated Nursing along with the USM application.
source · usm.maine.edu
“Online Supplemental Form for Accelerated Nursing ; and”
Interview Not published. Confirm with the school.
Recommendations 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
Primarily in person; at most a couple of courses online
Full-time; classes and clinicals typically five weekdays per week.
source · usm.maine.edu
“No, this program is primarily offered in the in-person or face-to-face modality; so online options will be limited to a couple of courses maximum over the full sequence of the program.”
Start term
Summer only (May)
source · usm.maine.edu
“The Accelerated Program admits students for the summer only, and courses begin in May.”
Transfer course acceptance
Courses must be college-level from a regionally accredited college/university; courses from private online businesses are not transferable
Applicants may email Admissions to verify transferability before registering.
source · usm.maine.edu
“USM can consider for transfer any courses completed at a regionally accredited college/university provided the course is college-level (not remedial nor developmental) and is passed with a grade of "C" or better for Nursing purposes.”
Supportive course bonus points
One bonus point for each supportive course (Pathophysiology, Human Nutrition) completed by October 1
source · usm.maine.edu
“As such, we strongly recommend students complete at least one of those courses before enrolling. In order to incentivize this choice: Admissions will award one bonus point for each Supportive Course completed before the application completion deadline of October 1 in the application evaluation process.”
Decision notification
By postal mail by early January
source · usm.maine.edu
“Notification of Application Decisions: Students will be notified by postal mail by early January.”
Clinical placements
Assigned by the School of Nursing; students may not arrange their own
source · usm.maine.edu
“Students are not permitted to arrange their own clinical or practicum placements or secure their own instructors.”
Competitive admission
Competitive; meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission
source · usm.maine.edu
“Admission is on a competitive basis.”
Supportive courses bonus
One bonus point each for Pathophysiology and Human Nutrition completed by October 1
source · usm.maine.edu
“Admissions will award one bonus point for each Supportive Course completed before the application completion deadline of October 1 in the application evaluation process.”
Current USM students
Must apply for re-admission
source · usm.maine.edu
“Current USM students who will graduate in May must apply for re-admission.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Southern Maine, 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.
- Nursing — Accelerated Program – BS – Academicstier 1 · program page · checked Oct 14, 2026
- How USM’s Accelerated Nursing Program Helped One Grad Land Her Dream Job – Pack Chattier 1 · program page · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Supplemental Form: Nursing — Accelerated Program BS – Office of Admissionstier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Apply to the University of Southern Maine – Office of Admissionstier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Costs & Financial Aid – Prospective Studentstier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Academic Catalogs – Office of Registration & Scheduling Servicestier 3 · catalog · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Privacy Policy - University of Maine Systemtier 3 · policy · checked Oct 14, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- Program length is inconsistent: the program page says 15 months, while the FAQ and the supplemental form say 16 months.
- Application open and deadline dates (June, October 1) are printed without a year; the supplemental form references Summer 2027.
- Application fee, tuition dollar amounts, minimum credit hours for prerequisites, course age limits, and recommendation letter requirements are not published on the provided pages.
- It is not stated whether a C- satisfies the C-or-better requirement.
- Program length is inconsistent: the program page says 15 months, while its FAQ and the supplemental form say 16 months.
- Dates for the application opening (June) and deadline (October 1) are printed without a year.
- No credit hours are stated for the prerequisite courses.
- No dollar tuition figure, application fee, or recommendation requirement is published.
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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