Post-Licensure (RN-BSN) Program

Overview

campus view along bookstore walkway

Who Can Apply?

badge that shows the RN-BSN program is affordableThe Post-Licensure Program is a one-year intensive or two-year part-time program for students that already have a California RN license, or will have one before the program begins, and do not yet have a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN).  Second Bachelor candidates may apply.

This is an online program, except for one field experience course.
 
If you will be a new graduate this academic year from an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) school at Chabot, College of San Mateo, Contra Costa, De Anza, Los Medanos, Merritt, or Ohlone College, we have a partnership with these schools. Students from other ADN programs are welcome to apply as well.

Los Medanos students interested in participating the concurent enrollment program can get more information from the Los Medanos Nusing Department.

 

ADMISSION AND APPLICATION DETAILS

FALL ADMISSION

POST-LICENSURE PROGRAM



Use this Application Checklist to help you keep track of requirements and due dates.

Please see a ROADMAP for the course schedule. 

Fall 2020 and Fall 2021 cohorts had alternate schedules due to the pandemic.

Attend an INFORMATION SESSION at one of our campuses, offered monthly.


Complete a Self-Evaluation to see if you are ready to apply.


Find out the Cost of the Nursing Program (same tuition and fees as the university).



PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Be a graduate of an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program or Diploma Program within the last twelve months; OR have six months or equivalent full-time nursing practice within the United States in the past two years.


RN LICENSE REQUIREMENT

Have proof of an unrestricted, unencumbered California RN License by time of entry into program.



SUBMIT TWO APPLICATIONS

ONLY IF YOU MEET PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS / 3.00 GPA / PREREQUISITE DEADLINES


1. Cal State East Bay 
University Application (if a transfer student)

2. Cal State East Bay NURSING Application for Post-Licensure (RN-BSN) Program

 

HOW COURSES ARE TAUGHT

This is an online program except for one field experience course.  The one course that requires in-person attendance is Community Health Practice.

MINIMUM GPA TO QUALIFY

 

  • Have a 3.00 average prerequisite GPA in the following

ALL EIGHT prerequisite courses combined, AND
Just the FOUR prerequisite science courses

-OR-

  • Have a 3.00 average CUMULATIVE GPA from the school where completed your Nursing program, or where you are in process with your Nursing program (reviewed at time of application and upon graduation from your Nursing program).


Cal State East Bay applies +/- grades in Nursing Prerequisite GPA calculations.

NURSING PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

  1. Human Anatomy/Physiology I with lab (Biol 270)
  2. Human Anatomy/Physiology II with lab (Biol 271)
  3. Introduction to Clinical Microbiology with lab (Biol 230)
  4. Chemistry for Health Sciences with lab (Chem 161 or 165) OR
    General Chemistry 1 (Chem 111 + CHEM 111L) OR
    Survey of Organic Chemistry (Chem 230 or 331)
  5. Accelerated College Writing (Engl 102), GE Area A2 (or AP / IB Exam)
  6. Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication (Comm 100 or 104 or MLL 111), GE Area A1
  7. Elements of Statistics and Probability (Stat 100 or 110, or AP Exam)
  8. Workshop in Critical Thinking (Phil 100), GE Area A3


Prerequisite courses are listed above with the Cal State East Bay name and course number. All prerequisite courses taken at campuses other than Cal State East Bay must be approved as equivalent. Candidates can check on   for course equivalencies nationwide.  Another resource is   to check for equivalencies at California public colleges and universities. 

Email nursing@csueastbay.edu for information on prerequisites that do not appear on either of  the listed equivalency websites.

 

PREREQUISITE DEADLINE AND MINIMUM GRADE

Prerequisite courses can be in progress at time of application, through the academic year when you apply.  All final prerequisite grades and official transcripts from fall in-progress prerequisites must be received by January 31 and after that, by July 1.

All prerequisite courses must have a "C" or better. A "C" or "C+" grade (or better) is acceptable, as long as the 3.00 minimum GPA requirement is still met. A "C-" grade, however, is too low, and is not acceptable.

 

RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC COURSES


If you complete a combined "Anatomy & Physiology I" course, you must take PART II from the same campus. If you take a single-topic "Anatomy" course at any campus, you may take a single-topic "Physiology" course from any other campus.


The critical thinking prerequisite can only be satisfied by a specific logic-based class, with reference to inductive/deductive reasoning and/or evaluation of fallacies.


A higher level math course, such as Calculus or Trigonometry, CANNOT substitute for the statistics prerequisite.


Complete a separate course for each requirement - there is no "double-counting" requirements such as taking one class to meet both English composition and critical thinking.


Prerequisite courses that overlap with GE requirements are not waived for second bachelor degree candidates.


CREDIT/ NO CREDIT COURSES

ONE non-science prerequisite may be taken credit/no credit. All science prerequisites must be taken for a letter grade.

During the timeframe of COVID-19, some exceptions apply. Cal State East Bay Nursing strongly recommends a letter grade for nursing prerequisites, especially the science courses.  Our program will still accept CR (credit) on a transcript for a prerequisite course taken during spring 2020 or summer 2020.  Courses taken for CR (credit) during fall 2020, spring 2021 or summer 2021 will be evaluated case-by-case.  A class with a CR grade will not be included in the prerequisite GPA calculation.

 

AP EXAM CREDIT

Our office will accept an AP Exam score of 3 or higher to meet the requirements for the following courses, as shown in table below:

Equivalency Table
Nursing course AP Exam equivalent
English composition (prerequisite) English Language or English Literature
Statistics 
(prerequisite)
Statistics
General Psychology (major requirement) Psychology


An approved AP Exam score will not be factored into the prerequisite or major GPA formula. To meet Nursing program application guidelines, send an official AP Exam score report to Cal State East Bay Admissions and upload an unofficial copy of the AP Exam score report to NursingCAS as proof of the score by the JANUARY 31 deadline. If a student earns AP credit for English and/or Statistics, that student may NOT take any additional non-science prerequisites for credit/no credit.



POLICY FOR REPEATING PREREQUISITE COURSES:

  1. There is no penalty for retaking a prerequisite course for the Cal State East Bay Post-Licensure Program.
  2. Check with your campus what the guidelines and policies are for repeating a course that earned at least a 'C' grade (Academic Renewal).
  3. For the Cal State East Bay Nursing application, the higher grade is always considered for a repeated course, even if the student's own campus uses a different formula to calculate overall/cumulative GPA for repeated courses.

 

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS FOR NURSING

FOR NURSING FALL 2025 ADMISSION ONLY:  DUE JANUARY 31 and JULY 1 TO NursingCAS

For future transcipt deadlines please continue to watch our website. Transcipt deadlines are posted as application periods open.

*All official transcripts, from every college or university attended, except Cal State East Bay, are due to Cal State East Bay Admissions Office by published deadlines (if applying as a new transfer student).

*All official transcripts, from every college or university attended, including Cal State East Bay, are due to NursingCAS.


Fall 2025 Transcipts Due:

  • Transcripts up to and including final fall term grades due January 31.
  • Transcripts showing final spring term grades (after application submitted) due July 1.

For Fall 2025 - Official transcripts for courses in progress are accepted up until the January 31 deadline, even after the NursingCAS application deadline passes. We highly encourage you to send these to NursingCAS immediately after final fall grades are posted, so your application can continue to move forward in our evaluation process. For any classes already complete at schools you previously attended, please send to NursingCAS now.

If you are applying for Spring Admissions, transcipts will be due on the CSU Priority Deadline which is typically August 31st. ( Website will be updated with dates when application period opens.)

ALSO...IMPORTANT REMINDERS

  • January transcripts (Fall Admission) and August transcripts (Spring Admission), must show completion of any Nursing prerequisites or other courses that were in progress during the term in which you applied.

  • Send ANOTHER set of official transcripts by JULY 1 (Fall 2025 Admission) or JANUARY TBA (Spring 2026 Admission) to show completion of any Nursing prerequisites or other courses that were in progress during the term after you applied.

  • Do NOT send any transcripts directly to the Nursing Program.

  • If preferred by the student, official transcripts for Cal State East Bay may be hand-delivered in sealed envelopes to the Enrollment Information Center on the Hayward campus or Academic Services Center on the Concord campus.

  • Nursing students already done with prerequisites are encouraged to send their transcripts to the Cal State East Bay Admissions Office and NursingCAS as early as possible.

  • If you are using an AP exam score to satisfy the English or Statistics prerequisite, please also send Cal State East Bay Admissions Office an official copy of your AP Exam score report and upload an unofficial copy of your AP Exam score report to NursingCAS by the transcipts deadline.

  • Check your MyÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and NursingCAS account for updates on whether or not your documents were received.


**MISSING TRANSCRIPT DEADLINES CAN RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION AND DENIAL.

TWO ONLINE APPLICATIONS


FALL 2025 Nursing Filing Period:  OCTOBER 1 - DECEMBER 15, 2024

Spring Application Nursing Filing Period: Opens August 1st and closes on the CSU Priority Deadline, which is typically August 31st.

Submit applications approximately a year in advance of when you want to begin the program.
 

FOLLOW THIS STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

  1. Submit university application (Cal State Apply) for Cal State East Bay Nursing BS program
  2. Receive university communication about 24-48 hours after you submit, with your Cal State East Bay student ID, also known as  NetID
  3. Activate NetID
  4. Begin nursing application (NursingCAS)
  5. Type NetID into required field in nursing application
  6. Submit nursing application


APPLICATION #1 - UNIVERSITY APPLICATION -    (requires a fee)


Transfer students must select  Nursing as their major and additionally select an alternate major.
 
See  University Admission Deadlines to make sure you have all university requirements.

You must activate your NetID (for transfer students) or have a NetID already (if current or previous student) in order to submit a nursing application.   Plan ahead so you still meet the nursing application deadline!


The university application is evaluated separately by the Cal State East Bay Admissions Office. Follow university deadlines for admission requirements. The university will notify you of university admission status after the Nursing Program evaluates and makes its decision.

Candidates who are currently attending Cal State East Bay need not complete an application for university admission UNLESS they will graduate in another major before the term when they would BEGIN the Nursing Program. For example, if applying for Fall 2024 admission, Cal State East Bay students must fill out a Cal State East Bay university application if they will graduate Fall 2023, Spring 2023 or Summer 2023.




APPLICATION #2 - NURSING APPLICATION - (requires a fee)   


FALL 2025 Application Filing Period October 1 - December 15, 2024
                CLOSES 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time
Spring Application Filing Period: Opens August 1st and closes on the CSU Priority Deadline, which is typically August 31st.
                CLOSES 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time

The nursing application won't go through without your university assigned NetID (student ID # with two letters and four numbers).
It takes 24-48 hours to receive your NetID after you apply to the university, so make sure to submit early! 

 
*The nursing application may take several hours to complete AND if a transfer student, it requires a successfully submitted university application and activated NetID as a prior step - please plan ahead.*
   

**Some personal email accounts have filtered our Nursing Program emails into Spam folders. Please check your Spam folder regularly during the application process. We send important updates and reminders via email through the NursingCAS system and Cal State East Bay email system and we do not want you to miss these. Thank you!!

Our department is aware of many unexpected changes to the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) student experience due to individual health and safety considerations, remote learning and suspension of clinical experiences.

Fall 2022 and later admission will include the option for an intensive schedule or a part-time schedule.

The fall 2021 admit class has a part-time (two year) schedule and extended due dates for ADN program completion and proof of RN license.   
 

Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) classes

Cal State East Bay Nursing strongly recommends a letter grade for nursing prerequisites, especially the science courses.  Our program will still accept CR (credit) on a transcript for a prerequisite course taken during spring 2020 or summer 2020.  Courses taken for CR (credit) during fall 2020, spring 2021 or summer 2021 will be evaluated case-by-case.  A class with a CR grade will not be included in the prerequisite GPA calculation.

Online Lab Courses in Science Prerequisites

Cal State East Bay Nursing will accept online labs for science prerequisites beginning spring 2020 term, as long as it as an approved science and lab course. 

HOW APPLICANTS ARE SELECTED

  • Admission is considered for all applicants that meet document deadlines, earn minimum prerequisite GPA, and satisfy prerequisite content. If space is limited by clinical site availability (this is not anticipated), applicants may be admitted based on their position on a randomized list.

  • If there are no space limitations, all qualified applicants are offered admission. If a randomized list is necessary, qualified applicants from the top portion of the randomized list will be offered admission to the program.  

  • If using a randomized list, candidates not immediately offered admission will stay in the same random order and be placed on a waitlist.

  • If any candidate offered admission declines before the first day of fall term, the next student on the waitlist will be contacted and offered admission. This process continues, following the exact order of the waitlist, until all available spots are filled.

Our program currently has plenty of space available.

 

NOTIFICATION

Students in this program are notified of their admission status via email. Fall semester applicants they are notfied by April, Spring applicants are nofied by November.

Candidates that submit an incomplete application or do not meet minimum GPA requirements may be notified of their admission status earlier than other candidates.

University admission offers for transfer students will not be released until the Nursing Program makes its admission decisions.

WHAT IF YOU THINK THERE'S AN ERROR?

Notify NURSING Admissions at nursing@csueastbay.edu within 15 calendar days of receipt of the notification. Write a thorough explanation why you believe an error occurred. Provide written documentation to support your claim upon request.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS AFTER NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSION

  1. Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening - must be clear for entry into program
  2. Attend one-day Nursing Orientation.
    • Fall Orientation: mid - late June
    • Spring Orientation: early - mid December

HEALTH DOCUMENTS LIST 
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these requirements and be ready to submit proof of them on short notice. We provide exact deadlines and directions via email with our offer of admission. Please do not submit any documents or proof to the Nursing Department until requested.

Questions: email nursing@csueastbay.edu