Cedar Crest College
Accelerated BSN (ABSN) · Allentown, PA · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveHybridlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Cedar Crest says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01Anatomy & Physiology IHuman Anatomy & Physiology I · BIO 117B- required in four of the five sciences; C or C+ allowed in one. Must be within 10 years of starting NUR courses.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“BIO 117 Human Anatomy & Physiology I**”
- 02Anatomy & Physiology IIHuman Anatomy & Physiology II · BIO 118B- required in four of the five sciences; C or C+ allowed in one. Must be within 10 years.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“BIO 118 Human Anatomy & Physiology II**”
- 03MicrobiologyClinical Microbiology · BIO 127B- required in four of the five sciences; C or C+ allowed in one. Must be within 10 years.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“BIO 127 Clinical Microbiology**”
- 04General ChemistryConcepts in Chemistry · CHE 103B- required in four of the five sciences; C or C+ allowed in one. Must be within 10 years.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“CHE 103 Concepts in Chemistry**”
- 05NutritionPrinciples of Human Nutrition · NTR 210Counted as a science course. B- required in four of the five sciences; C or C+ allowed in one. Must be within 5 years of starting NUR courses.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“NTR 210 Principles of Human Nutrition**”
- 06StatisticsProbability & Statistics · MAT 110
source · cedarcrest.edu
“MAT 110 Probability & Statistics”
min gradeC - 07General PsychologyIntroduction to Psychology · PSY 100
source · cedarcrest.edu
“PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology”
min gradeC - 08Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentLife-Span Development · PSY 210
source · cedarcrest.edu
“PSY 210 Life-Span Development”
min gradeC - 09SociologyIntroduction to Sociology / Introduction to Culture & Society · SOC 100The program page calls this course 'Introduction to Sociology'.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“SOC 100 Introduction to Culture & Society”
min gradeC
Minimum prerequisite grades
B- in at least four of the five science prerequisites, with C or C+ allowed in only one; C or better in the non-science prerequisites
For the non-science courses the catalog says: 'a grade of C or better is required while still meeting the 2.7 prerequisite GPA.'
source · cedarcrest.edu
“To begin junior level courses, the student must have earned at least a grade of B- (B minus) in four of the five prerequisite science courses. ** A grade of C or C+ is permitted in only oneof the following prerequisite science courses and applies to lecture grade only, excluding labs carrying a separate credit allotment.”
Prerequisites completed for GPA calculation
At least 23 of 31 prerequisite credits, including 12 science credits
All prerequisite grades must be submitted one week before the semester start.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“For calculation of pre-requisite GPA, students must have completed a minimum of 23 of the 31 nursing pre-requisite course credits. Twelve of the 23 credits must be in the required sciences (BIO 117, BIO 118, BIO 127, CHE 103, NTR 210).”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Repeat limit
Only one science prerequisite may be repeated, and only once
This applies to science courses taken within ten years of entry. After three years from the original completion date, a failed attempt expires for admission review.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Only one nursing science pre-requisite course **, excluding labs, can be repeated due to a grade less than C (C- or lower). That course may be repeated only one time.”
Course age limit Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Sciences within 10 years of starting NUR courses; Nutrition within 5 years” vs “10 years for A&P I/II, Microbiology and Chemistry; 5 years for Nutrition, measured to the start of NUR courses”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum overall GPA for admission
3.0
The catalog phrases this as 'GPA of 3.0 in previous bachelor’s degree'. The traditional-track minimum is 2.5 overall.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Overall GPA of 3.0”
Nursing prerequisite GPA
2.7 minimum, calculated across all nine prerequisites
This is a traditional-track requirement. The catalog applies traditional-track requirements to the ABSN in addition to the ABSN criteria. No separate science GPA is published.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Students must have achieved a nursing pre-requisite GPA of equal to or greater than 2.7.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam
TEAS waived
source · cedarcrest.edu
“The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is waived for the ABSN program.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Transfer courses
Transfer courses reviewed case by case
No specific community college rule is stated.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“All transfer courses are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to time limits as determined by individual academic departments .”
Online labs Not published. Confirm with the school.
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 Cedar Crest publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Summer (May) startDeadline not publishedStart is May each year; no day is printed. No application open date or deadline is published. The catalog says ABSN students who begin NUR courses before finishing their bachelor's degree must submit a degree verification statement by April 1st, and all prerequisite grades are due one week before the semester starts.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Cohorts begin the program during the College’s Summer Term, which starts in May each year.”
NursingCAS Not published. Confirm with the school.
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.
Application fee
Free
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Applying is free and straightforward—because we believe nothing should stand in the way of your dreams!”
Tuition 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
Non-nursing bachelor’s degree (or completed by May); a conferred graduate degree also qualifies
A conferred master's or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution satisfies the bachelor's requirement.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Non-nursing bachelor’s degree”
Interview
Required
The catalog specifies an interview with the ABSN Program Director and Nursing faculty.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Interview with nursing program faculty”
Gender eligibility
Open to all genders
Cedar Crest is a women's college, but the ABSN admits all genders.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“The ABSN is open to both female and male students that successfully meet the following requirements:”
Clinical hours
819 clinical/laboratory hours
Listed for the undergraduate nursing program generally.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“A total of 819 clinical/laboratory hours across a variety of patient care settings”
- Degree verification statement due April 1st if the bachelor's degree is not yet complete.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Students in the ABSN program who begin NUR courses prior to completion of a bachelor's degree must submit a verification statement from their degree granting institution by April 1st.”
- English proficiency, written and spoken.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Additionally, students must have the ability to communicate proficiently in English in both written and spoken word.”
- Clinical clearance through CastleBranch: health evaluation, immunizations/titers/PPD/flu, drug screen, BLS CPR (AHA or Red Cross), health insurance, COVID vaccination or declination, FBI, Child Abuse and PA criminal clearances.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“All clinical requirements must be completed via CastleBranch.”
- A personal computer or laptop is required; tablets and Chromebooks are not a substitute.
source · cedarcrest.edu
“The School of Nursing requires that each student have a personal computer or laptop that is capable of running the latest operating system available for that device.”
Essays 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.
Start term
Summer (May)
source · cedarcrest.edu
“Accelerated BSN Program (ABSN) Program Option: Summer Start (second degree students only)”
Graduate credits
3 graduate credits included, with the option of 6 more
source · cedarcrest.edu
“The curriculum also includes, at no additional per-credit cost, three graduate-level credits and the option to complete another six graduate credits.”
Format Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Full-time, on campus, with several courses online” vs “On campus in Allentown, with several courses or course components online”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Cedar Crest, 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.
- Accelerated BSN: Adult Undergraduate | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- BSN & ABSN Programs | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Admissions & Aid | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- How to Apply - Admissions | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- College Catalogs - Undergrad & Grad | Cedar Crest Collegetier 3 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Tuition Reduction Available for Some Degrees | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Cedar Crest College Official Privacy Policy | Cedar Crest Collegetier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Nursing Programs | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Undergraduate Catalog | Cedar Crest Collegetier 1 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- No ABSN application deadline or open date is published.
- ABSN tuition is not published; the ABSN is excluded from the $495/credit BSN rate.
- The catalog conflicts on former Cedar Crest BSN students. One passage says dismissed students are 'not eligible for admission to the RN to BSN or ABSN programs'. Another allows dismissed or ineligible students to apply to the ABSN after completing a new degree.
- It is unclear whether the traditional-track 66-credit minimum and 2.5 overall GPA apply separately to ABSN applicants. The catalog says traditional requirements apply 'in addition'.
- Per-course credit counts and science lab requirements are not stated; only the total of 31 prerequisite credits is given.
- No direct application portal URL is printed; the How to Apply page links to a generic 'Application Portal'.
- No application deadline or open date for the ABSN is published.
- ABSN tuition is not published; the BSN reduced rate of $495/credit explicitly excludes the ABSN.
- Prerequisite credit counts per course are not listed (31 credits total).
- The catalog conflicts on dismissed former Cedar Crest BSN students. One section lets them apply to the ABSN after earning another degree; another says students dismissed from the undergraduate nursing program are not eligible for the RN to BSN or ABSN programs.
- The traditional-track 66-credit/general-education requirement is not clearly applied to ABSN applicants who hold a bachelor's degree.
- Whether science prerequisites must include labs is not stated explicitly.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on format: Full-time, on campus, with several courses online | On campus in Allentown, with several courses or course components online.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on course_age_limit: Sciences within 10 years of starting NUR courses; Nutrition within 5 years | 10 years for A&P I/II, Microbiology and Chemistry; 5 years for Nutrition, measured to the start of NUR courses.
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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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