19 December 2009

Online Nursing Degree Requirements

Generally, the requirements depend on the type of online degree program that you are taking for nursing. These types of nursing programs available online fall into four categories; associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctoral degree (Ph.D.). For those who are opting for the associate degree in nursing, basic requirements that you have to fulfill include a writing course and a social science or other liberal arts course.

Bachelor degree in nursing or Bachelor of Science degree (BSN) is one of the most in-demand nursing degrees. As compared to the associate degree in nursing, the requirements for this specific online bachelor degree in nursing depend on whether the student is a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN). For a licensed practical nurse, he or she must have two and a half years of additional nursing and liberal arts curriculum before he or she earns the BSN, with a list of course prerequisites as well as a minimum GPA. Registered nurses (RNs) on the other hand may earn a BSN with additional two-years of study with curriculum that includes liberal arts and advanced topics associated with nursing such as education, management and administration.

Candidates for online master degree in Nursing (MSN) have another set of requirements specific to the degree level. Most MSN programs often have a list of prerequisites which include coursework and GPA at the very minimum. Another important requirement for an applicant is that he or she must generally be required to hold a BSN degree and have works as a registered nurse (RN) at a clinical institution for certain duration of time. For applicants who have non-nursing bachelor degree certificates and without any nursing background experience, they have the option to apply for entry-level MSN degrees which are often called 'accelerated' nursing programs. Candidates with non-nursing background must be highly motivated to work hard to catch up with RN licensure, in order to be familiar with course subjects specific to MSN curriculum.

Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) for nursing candidates must have their Masters in Nursing and be able to work hard to achieve above average GPA from previous academic work. Other candidates suited for the Ph.D. programs include nurses who are keen on high-level administrative roles or ultra-specific research work related to nursing. Now that you have known all these online nursing degree requirements, find a suitable level and start enroll for your online nursing degree.

For working nurses and others who are looking to advance their career by earning a nursing degree online, there are specific online nursing degree requirements which must be met. The online nursing degree requirements depend on the level of degree you are choosing.

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Topics : Online Nursing Requirements, Distance Learning Nursing Degree, Online Nursing Schools. source: goarticles.com

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