In Florida, there are several UF Accelerated Nursing Programs that will help you achieve your dream if you have a bachelor’s degree in another field, but you are interested in changing your career to nursing.
You can enter an accelerated BSN program to earn a bachelor’s degree, or you can choose a direct MSN entry program to earn your master’s degree.
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These programs provide you with credit for the courses you have already taken and help you to earn your nursing degree faster and more affordably.
An overview of the University of Florida (UF)
The UF is a public university located in Gainesville, Florida. With a public land grant, sea-grant, and space-grant.
It is a senior member of Florida’s state university system and traces its history back to 1853 and has been continuously functioning on its campus in Gainesville since September 1906.
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The only member of the Association of American Universities in Florida is the University of Florida. The university is graded as “R1:
Doctoral Universities, a very strong activity for study.” After the establishment of performance standards by the Florida state legislature in 2013.
The Board of Governors of Florida has named the University of Florida among the twelve universities of the Florida State University System as one of the three “preeminent universities.”
The U.S. For 2021, Florida was ranked as the sixth (tied) best public university in the United States by News & World Report.
We also collect scholarship information from over 190 across the globe, check if you are eligible to apply for any of the scholarship opportunity here
The intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Florida, generally known as the ‘Florida Gators’, compete in Division I and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA).
The university’s varsity sports teams have won 41 national team championships in their 111-year history, 36 of which are NCAA titles, and Florida athletes have won 275 national championships.
Also, students and alumni of the University of Florida have won 126 Olympic medals, 60 gold medals inclusive.
What is accelerated nursing?
These programs are tailored for students who are already in another area with a bachelor’s degree.
Accelerated programs are often referred to as second degree or direct-entry nursing programs which allow students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 11 to 18 months of full-time study.
How many schools offer the Florida Board of Nursing Certified and CCNE Accredited Accelerated Nursing Programs in Florida at present?
- Accelerated BSN 12
- Accelerated MSN/Entry Level Masters/Direct Entry MSN 0
- Total number 12
Florida Traditional Accelerated BSN Programs Details
There are accelerated BSN programs in FL that help you rapidly obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree by offering you credit for the courses relevant that your existing bachelor’s degree.
In a fast-paced atmosphere that prepares you for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam in FL and a career in nursing, these programs incorporate lecture-style teaching, simulations, and clinics.
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Admission criteria:
Admission requirements vary from school to school for the accelerated BSN program, but you would need to have a bachelor’s degree to enroll.
Take a look at the criteria for Barry University’s program to better grasp the requirements for joining this program in Florida. In this case, you must have:
- A bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 in any area and less than five withdrawals, Ds or Fs in combination;
- In liberal arts, science, and some other courses, a grade of C or greater;
- Two recommendation letters;
- A personal interview found to be satisfactory; and
- Proof of fulfillment of all prerequisites.
You would possibly also need to have evidence of liability insurance and a valid substance and history test before starting clinical experience with any of the accelerated nursing programs with FL.
Tuition Cost:
The cost of tuition for Florida’s accelerated BSN degree varies significantly depending on the duration of the program, the number of courses you need to take, and the school you select.
For your BSN education, you may pay anywhere from $21,564 to $40,000 or more.
For instance
Name of College Tuition
University of Barry $28,000
Florida Atlantic University $21,564
University of Florida $40,000
University of Florida (UF) admissions
Application deadline (U.S. residents): march 1
Application fee (U.S. residents): $75
Deadline for application (international students): December 31
fee for application (international students): $75
Admissions phone no. (352) 273-6409
Admissions email address: [email protected]
Visit the official website here
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What is the University of Florida’s acceptance rate?
With an acceptance rate of 39 percent, Florida admissions are selective. Students joining Florida have an average SAT score of 1280-1440 or an average 27-32 ACT score.
University of Florida (UF) Academics
- Degrees offered: Ph.D., DNP
- Full-time faculty: 59
University of Florida (UF) Student Body
- Total graduate nursing enrollment: 279
- Total enrollment (full-time students): 157
- Gender distribution (full-time):
- Female 91.1%
- Male 8.3%
- Others 0.6%
University of Florida (UF) Cost
Tuition (master’s): N/A
Required fees (master’s): N/A
Tuition (Ph.D.):
- $531 per credit in-state, full-time
- $1,255 per credit out-of-state, full-time
- $531 per credit in-state, part-time
- $1,255 per credit out-of-state, part-time
Required fees (Ph.D.) N/A
Tuition (DNP):
- $531 per credit in-state, full-time
- $1,255 per credit out-of-state, full-time
- $531 per credit in-state, part-time
- $1,255 per credit out-of-state, part-time
Required fees (DNP) N/A
The following is the Florida 2021 List of 12 Accelerated BSN Programs
Barry University, Miami
Founded in 2008, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences is part of the schools that make up Barry University.
It has been synonymous with high-quality healthcare education since its inception in the Dominican academic tradition.
The school maintains a small classroom that offers ample space for one-on-one mentoring.
A four-semester program that offers comprehensive instruction to aspiring nurses is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Accelerated Option (BSN / AO).
Its graduates are known to easily find employment across the state of FL as an inexpensive and quick-paced alternative for nursing students.
The college advises submitting an early application, regardless of whether you have completed all your pre-requisites or not, with only 10-20 students being approved for the accelerated alternative.
Each year, the 15-month curriculum, beginning in the spring semester, involves classes such as patient-centered care, family-centered care, nursing leadership, and leadership, teaching the skills and expertise needed to respond to the current nursing requirements.
Visit the official website here
ECPI University-Orlando, Lake Mary
Earlier, Remington College School of Nursing was based in the beautiful Lake Mary ECPI University.
The location provides its students with an advantage in terms of providing a serene atmosphere while offering the conveniences of the Orlando area, such as scores of opportunities for jobs, entertainment, and recreation.
By maintaining state-of-the-art laboratories that are fitted with human patient simulators, mannequins, and medical equipment, ECPI aims to have an immersive learning environment.
The 12-month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares students to master the skills essential to a nursing career that are realistic, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Graduates continue to find jobs in primary care clinics, hospitals, home healthcare, mental health agencies, and military and industrial managed care facilities.
Students actively engage through leadership and lifelong learning in the role of a skilled nurse. Visit the official website here
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Since its inception, the Florida Atlantic University Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing has received a distinction for offering education dedicated to nursing care.
Its variety of nursing programs is top-rated, and its curriculum contains the latest guidelines from the report of the Carnegie Foundation and the Institute of Medicine for the education of the health profession, making it special and compassionate.
It requires 60 credit hours to complete the Accelerated BSN program that emphasizes acute care nursing and nursing situations associated with clinical and mental health.
To complete the requisite coursework, this 15-month program requires a minimum commitment of 40 hours per week.
In nursing homes, military facilities, and hospitals, graduates continue to take the NCLEX-RN and quickly find job opportunities there. Visit the official website here
Florida International University, Miami
The Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences (NWCNHS) of Florida International University offers some of the most imaginative nursing programs in a caring and conducive environment.
The primary emphasis of NWCNHS is disease prevention and management, nurturing students to be advanced healthcare practitioners, offering learning with the assistance of a virtual hospital, exclusive clinical assessment, and a center for simulation teaching and study.
It takes only 3 semesters to complete the Accelerated BSN that trains learners to become a registered nurse.
In fall, the program is only offered once a year and gives preference to candidates who have volunteered and demonstrate leadership qualities.
Also, with specialized courses such as Childbearing Nursing, Psychosocial Nursing, and Evidence-based Nursing and Study in Global Healthcare, the succinct and detailed curriculum of the program manages to address nursing fundamentals.
Visit the official website here
Florida State University, Tallahassee
The Florida State University College of Nursing, founded in 1950, has been instrumental in developing a workforce of nurses for clinical practice in different settings since its inception.
It is understood that nursing education it provides reflects compassion and nursing care focused on fairness and cultural sensitivity.
The college is active in interdisciplinary collaborative work within the university, cultivating an atmosphere of study and interdisciplinary professionalism.
The full-time, 12-month Accelerated BSN offered every spring offers a learning opportunity, complete with technical resources and an expert nursing faculty.
The first semester covers basic nursing and generalized classes, while the last two semesters cover specialized courses such as Women’s Nursing Care, Children and Families, Acute Health Condition Nursing Care, and Marginalized Communities Nursing Care.
Visit the official website here
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville
Jacksonville University School of Nursing, based in Jacksonville, Florida, believes in delivering a nursing education that refines and cultivates ideas of care and compassion, virtues inherent in the nursing profession.
The faculty fosters a trusting relationship with its students, mentoring them outside the classroom, and supporting them in their personal and professional lives to ensuring harmony.
A 16-month, fast-paced course, the Second-Degree BSN program, begins in May each year and finishes in August the following year.
The school is selective in its admission process and annually accepts only 41 students.
The intensive curriculum prepares students for advanced and critical care nursing positions covering courses, some of which are Critical Care Nursing and Psych/Mental Health Practice, Child-Rearing Family Practice.
Visit the official website here
Keiser University, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Sarasota, West Palm Beach
Established in 1977, Keiser University has been instrumental in providing career-focused education through over 1,000-degree programs in its 40 years of operation.
It is the third-largest non-profit university in Florida, with campuses in 18 locations across the state, making it easy for students to locate a campus near them.
You should expect to graduate with desirable nursing attributes such as compassion, patient-centered policy, and the potential to provide professional nursing care in a variety of environments when you apply for the Accelerated BSN at Keiser.
This 16-month program teaches students to use evidence-based information and skills related to the management of diseases and health and well-being while working to improve patient performance.
Visit the official website here
University of Central Florida, Orlando
The College of Nursing of the University of Central Florida welcomed its first class of 35 students in 1979.
UCF graduates are known to do extremely well on the NCLEX-RN, becoming one of the top-rated nursing colleges in the nation.
Students benefit immensely from the active role of the college in bringing together interdisciplinary teams. These teams are made up of;
- Educators
- Clinicians
- Computer scientists in health care to create groundbreaking modeling applications that are used for training
The Second Degree BSN is a comprehensive full-time program offered each year in the summer.
After going through a rigorous program, which includes service-learning courses and clinical rotations in diverse, medically underserved populations, graduates live up to the college’s belief in touching lives, leading by example, and making a difference.
To graduate from this fast-paced program, you will need 57 to 62 credits over four semesters.
Visit the official website here
University of Florida, Gainesville
The College of Nursing of the University of Florida is an important part of the university and one of the 16 universities on its campus.
The college is known as one of only three in the state for its nursing scholarship, study, and has a world-class health center.
What’s more, students can make the most of the natural gifts around them;
- Sunny beaches
- Theme parks
- A lively leisure community, with the town of Gainesville offering a variety of entertainment options
The program takes students through a curriculum, transitioning from simple nursing to complicated nursing courses such as;
- Nursing Genetics and Genomics
- Health Restoration
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Legal and Ethical Problems in Nursing.
Visit the official website here
University of Miami, Coral Gables
At the heart of the stunning Coral Gables Campus, the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Sciences (SONHS) puts together 70 years of experience in healthcare education.
The nursing school has an excellent faculty consisting of some of the best such as; educators, scientists, and researchers in the country, who together develop a curriculum that meets the needs of modern nursing.
Twice a year, in Jan and May, the Accelerated BSN is conveniently provided and takes only 12 months to complete.
Rigorous classwork and comprehensive familiarity with a number of its 170 clinical partners train students for a nursing career with health results covering the lifetime of a patient.
Visit the official website here
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
The Institute of North Florida Nursing School has been around for 40 years and has been delivering excellence in nursing education through its various nursing programs since then.
The School of Nursing was chosen as the first flagship program for the university in 2005.
A full-time study program for 15 months is the Accelerated Prelicensure BSN, intended for those who have a degree in some other area.
As it is offered in May as well as August, students get the flexibility to enroll twice a year.
The program promotes community service. How? through offering students a range of resources through nurturing partnerships with community partners to work with the disadvantaged and underserved.
University of South Florida, Tampa
Since its establishment 45 years ago, the University Of South Florida College Of Nursing has lived by its mission of training nurses for the 21st century.
It is little wonder that this college has earned the 1 rank in Florida NIH research funding with its path-breaking research.
With 900 clinical partners, nursing students are offered a tremendous opportunity to obtain training in different clinical environments around the state.
To graduate, the Accelerated Second Bachelor’s Degree requires 62 credit hours; which includes 690 clinical and simulation hours and 60 lab hours.
The course work is extensive and includes classes, some of which include;
- Health evaluation
- Life-long prevention of wellbeing
- Women’s nursing care
- Children and families
- Dynamic health nursing
- Nursing clinical mental health
Frequently asked questions
Is working and doing an accelerated nursing program possible?
In an accelerated curriculum, is it possible to work and go to nursing school? There’s a lot of work to be done from attending lectures to preparing for your tests, to finishing your clinical.
You can run part-time or even full-time, however, and still attend nursing school.
For an accelerated nursing program, what is the typical GPA?
Depending on the program of choice, this again differs. At least a 2.5 GPA or higher is required for most programs.
Some set a 3.0 GPA as of their limit. During the research process of your accelerated nursing program quest, it is important to find out this.
What’s the shortest curriculum in nursing?
By enrolling in an RN to BSN program that can be completed in as little as 12 months. Many RNs with an Associate’s degree prefer to draw on their education and experience.
Most schools deliver these services online to make it easier for RNs to work to promote their education.
There are plenty of opportunities available in Florida as one of the biggest employers for nurses.
You’ll want to receive a BSN from an accredited school, though, to offer yourself the best chance of finding a high-paying job.
You’ll be on track to become an RN and start a long, rewarding nursing career once you complete your BSN!

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