Nursing BSN

Nurses are in demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts RN employment will grow faster than average for all occupations. When you graduate, you'll be prepared to enter and excel in this growing profession — and make a real difference in the lives of others.

Prepare to Transform Lives

You care about helping others and want to make it a defining part of your life. At Duquesne, our direct admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will prepare you to become a highly competent, caring nurse who possesses the knowledge and skills needed to practice in a variety of health care settings.

Program Information

Our direct admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will prepare you to become a highly competent, caring nurse who possesses the knowledge and skills needed to practice in a variety of health care settings.

Program Type

Major

Degree

Bachelor's

Duration

4-years

Required Credit Hours

134

Coursework

Freshman Courses

BSN Courses: Year One

The courses for year one, Freshman Year, are listed below by semester.  Follow the course description for a detailed description of each nursing-specific course.

Fall Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 103 Nutrition for Wellness (Fall or Spring) 3
UPNS 121 Community Engaged Professional Nurse (Fall or Spring) 3
BIOL 101/101L Introduction to Life Processes/Lab* 4
BRDG 101 Writing & Analysis 3
BRDG 103 IPE Health Research Skills 1
BRIDGES Bridges Common Learning Experience 3

Spring Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 113 Human Development and Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (Fall or Spring) 3
BRDG 102 Writing & Literature 3
BIOL 203/204 Introductory Microbiology/Lab* 4

Math 125 OR

Math 225

Fundamentals of Statistics OR

Biostatistics

3
BRIDGES Bridges Common Learning Experience 3

* = All science courses required for nursing must be completed prior to junior level nursing courses in order to progress.

W=Writing Intensive

BRDG = Bridges Common Learning Experience
BRIDGES requires 3 W (Writing Intensive) courses, one PHIL course, and one THEO course.

Nursing Course Descriptions

Sophomore Courses

BSN Courses: Year Two

The courses for year two, Sophomore Year, are listed below by semester. Follow the course description for a detailed description of each nursing-specific course.

Fall Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 200 Fundamentals of Nursing Practice and Clinical Ethics 6
UPNS 218/218L Health Assessment 4
BIOL 207/208 Anatomy and Physiology I/Lab* 4
BRIDGES Bridges Common Learning Experience 3

Spring Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 239 Pharmacology in Nursing Practice 2
BIOL 209/210 Anatomy and Physiology II/Lab* 4
UPNS 232 Adult Health and Illness I 6
BRIDGES Bridges Common Learning Experience 3
UPNS 224 Career Management Professional Development Seminar (online) 0
UPNS 339 Genetics in Nursing and Health  

* = All science courses required for nursing must be completed prior to junior level nursing courses in order to progress.

W=Writing Intensive

BRDG = Bridges Common Learning Experience
BRIDGES requires 3 W (Writing Intensive) courses, one PHIL course, and one THEO course

Nursing Course Descriptions

Junior Year

BSN Courses: Year Three

The courses for year three, Junior Year, are listed below by semester. Follow the course description for a detailed description of each nursing-specific course.

Fall Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 325 Pharmacology in Nursing Practice II 3
UPNS 349 Adult Health & Illness II: Care of the Geriatric Adult 6
UPNS 326 Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice 3
UPNS 324 Cultural Applications in Clinical Practice 3
MLSP 280 Spanish for Health Care Professionals 3

Spring Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 364

Clinical Immersion in Professional Nursing

12
UPNS 352 Leadership and Management Theory in Clinical Environment 3

21-week clinical immersion experience, Options A & B

W=Writing Intensive

Nursing Course Descriptions

Senior Year

BSN Courses: Year Four

The courses for year four, Senior Year, are listed below by semester. Follow the course description for a detailed description of each nursing-specific course.

Fall Semester

Course # Course Name Credits
UPNS 431 Enhancing Quality and Safety through
Evidenced Based Practice and Technologies
3
UPNS 344 Nursing for Children’s Health 3
UPNS 348 Nursing for Maternal‐Newborn Health 3
UPNS 355 Behavioral Health 3
UPNS 357 Population Health 3
UPNS 445 Synthesis for Nursing Practice 3

Spring Semester

Course # Course Name Credits

UPNS 400

Critically Ill Adult

6

UPNS 411W

Nursing Ethics Across the Lifespan

3

UPNS 453

Transition to Professional Practice

3

W=Writing Intensive

Nursing Course Descriptions

Campus Tour and Info Sessions

Learn more about our four-year BSN program and Duquesne University by attending an upcoming campus tour and information session. During the session, a School of Nursing representative will discuss the admission process, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and life at Duquesne. A tour of our Learning and Simulation Center will immediately follow the presentation (we recommend reserving a minimum of two hours for your visit).

Duquesne Difference

A Holistic History

For more than 80 years, the Duquesne School of Nursing has been preparing nurses who make an impact not only in the lives of others and the communities in which they live, but on health care as a whole. Here you will prepare for the challenges of nursing in an environment that combines a holistic approach to care with the latest in health care technology.

A Holistic Approach

As one of 17 nursing schools in the United States endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC), we put holistic care at the center of our curriculum. Our students learn to consider the physical, mental, cultural, emotional and spiritual aspects of a patient's needs and treatment.

Holistic nursing encompasses the integration of self-care, including the use of integrative therapies and the understanding of the interconnectedness of the self and nature, with medical expertise. Holistic nursing is a type of nursing practice in which the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of a patient are considered throughout their treatment. This practice embodies Duquesne's values with an emphasis on culture, ethics and spirituality.

Holistic nurses provide practices such as aromatherapy, meditation, energy work and therapeutic touch, including the practice of self-care, so they can provide the best treatment plans for their patients. The Duquesne University School of Nursing aspires to reinforce holistic ideals within health care settings and the classroom in order to prepare nurses to provide culturally, medically and ethically competent care.

Clinical Experience

Hands-on clinical experiences in a broad range of health care settings such as hospitals, clinics, and acute care and long-term care facilities begin your sophomore year. A 21-week Clinical Immersion introduced your junior year will further enhance your real world, hands-on knowledge.

What is a Clinical Immersion Experience?

Duquesne University School of Nursing has teamed up with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to provide undergraduate nursing students with a for-credit clinical placement at a Pittsburgh-area facility.

This clinical immersion experience will set you apart from other applicants when you enter the job market. It is an opportunity to take all the knowledge you will gain in the classroom and put that knowledge together with hands-on experience in a real-world setting.

You will begin your 21-week clinical immersion in either the spring semester of your junior year or fall semester of your senior year as part of the Clinical Immersion in Professional Nursing course.

Working under the supervision of a professional registered nurse, you will carry out patient care assignments, work in controlled care situations and perform established nursing procedures for individuals or groups of patients. You will also participate in unit-specific leadership and quality and safety activities.

What are the Advantages of a Clinical Immersion Experience?

Gain Leadership Experience

In addition to experiencing direct patient care and patient and family education, you will engage in unit-specific leadership and quality and safety activities.

Build Your Professional Network

Develop professional connections and a better understanding of the workplace that will enhance your transition to the professional role.

Enhance Your Clinical Judgment

Learn how to recognize deviations in patients' health care status, communicate with appropriate unit staff and provide basic interventions.

State-of-the-Art Nursing Simulations

Using a stethoscope to hear a heartbeat is cool. Using a smart stethoscope and augmented reality to listen and learn how to identify normal and abnormal heart sounds is way better. You'll find this and more in our Learning and Simulation Center, where you'll practice skills such as suctioning an intubated patient, responding to a code, performing CPR on an infant or learning to administer wound care.

Learning and Simulation Center

Nationally Recognized

Among Duquesne University's ranking and honors, the School of Nursing is nationally recognized each year for its academic excellence, including:

  • Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Ranked #51 Best Undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs by U.S. News & World Report 2023
  • A high NCLEX-RN exam first-time pass rate—95.58% (2021-22)
  • Re-designation as a Center of Excellence in Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development by the National League for Nursing (have held designation since 2008)

Our rigorous academic programs will prepare you to become a compassionate, capable nurse prepared for anything.

NCLEX Ready

We will help you prepare to be successful on the NCLEX-RN exam, which you are eligible to take after graduation for licensure as a registered nurse (RN). 96% of our most recent graduates passed the licensure exam on the first try — and you'll understand why once you meet our Director of Academic Support and NCLEX RN Success, Sr. Mary Meyers, whose full-time job is to help you succeed academically.

4-year BSN Program Coursework

Our four-year BSN Program is a total of 134 credits. Use the tabs below to view curriculum by year. Nursing courses begin with UPNS.

A grade of "C+" or better must be attained in all nursing courses, and a grade of "C" or better must be attained in all non-nursing courses, including electives and laboratory courses, in order to progress in the nursing curriculum. A GPA of 2.3 is required by the end of the second semester of the freshman year in order to progress to the sophomore clinical courses and is the minimum acceptable GPA for the remainder of the program.

Revisions to courses and curricula are ongoing.