Online RN-B.S. in Nursing

At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.

Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:

• Group assignments, where you collaborate via email or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
• Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
• Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.

Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:

• Communicate directly with the instructor via email.
• Participate in and guide online discussions.
• Attend online office hours in discussion threads or on the phone.
• Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Nursing. 

All of the courses at the university, whether online or on campus, are taught by the same expert faculty members. 

Program Eligibility

To be eligible for the online RN to BSN degree program, you must meet the following criteria:

• Completion of an Associate Degree (A.S. or A.A.S.) from a regionally accredited institution in nursing or from a nursing program recognized by the University of Utah
• Current, unencumbered license as an RN or successful completion of NCLEX within two months of starting the RN-B.S. program
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA on a scale of 4.0.
• Minimum 3.0 nursing program GPA on a 4.0 scale

Note: Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission to the bachelor’s in nursing degree program.

Prerequisite/Corequisite Courses

Before starting the online nursing degree program, you must complete all nine nursing prerequisite courses below with a grade of C or higher:

• Elementary Chemistry
• Human Anatomy
• Human Development: Lifespan
• Human Physiology
• Introduction to Statistical Inference
• Medical Microbiology
• Nutrition Intervention
• Pathophysiology
• Principles of Biology

You may have up to three prerequisite courses in progress by the application deadline, but you are responsible for submitting updated transcripts for a complete review of your application. Prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

If a course you have taken is not listed on the College of Nursing Course Equivalency Chart (PDF), contact the College of Nursing to ensure that the course meets the prerequisite requirements.

Students must take 122 credit hours to earn a bachelor’s in nursing degree. This includes general education courses and 30 major credits, focusing on core nursing classes and an upper-division elective.

view program curriculum & requirements

Geriatric Nursing Leadership Emphasis

The Geriatric Nursing Leadership (GNL) program is a specialty track within the University of Utah’s online RN to BSN program. This emphasis focuses on:

• Improving the quality of geriatric nursing care
• Incorporating cultural competence in caring for elders
• Developing leadership skills and competencies, including supervising workers from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Providing enhanced clinical content on the care of older adults in various health care settings

Students complete the standard bachelor’s in nursing degree program coursework and two additional courses: Best Practices in Geriatric Care and Applications of Research in Aging. Upon completion, the GNL emphasis is noted on their transcript.

For the online RN to BSN degree program, the tuition rate is $400 per credit (starting Fall 2025) and is subject to change. Get more information on RN-BS Program costs and/or get a personalized cost estimate.

Tuition does not include additional fees, such as online textbooks or proctored exams. Fees and materials vary by program. 

View UOnline cost details and apply for College of Nursing scholarships. 

Since the online nursing degree program is a closed major, you must submit applications to both the University of Utah and the RN-B.S. program. We encourage you to review the following application instructors or contact the College of Nursing for guidance before applying. 

Want to learn more about UOnline’s bachelor’s in nursing degree program? Attend or watch an information session.

Step 1: Apply to the University of Utah as a Transfer Student

To enroll in the online nursing degree program, you must complete the University of Utah’s transfer student application and submit the following application materials:

• $55 application fee (after April 1, there is an additional $40 fee)
• Official transcripts from each institution you’ve previously attended sent through email from the institution to admisstranscripts@sa.utah.edu

Step 2: Submit the Online RN-B.S. Program Application

You can submit the online RN to BSN degree program application concurrently with the University of Utah application. There is no additional fee to apply to the online nursing degree program.