Ave Maria University BSN Programs

Ave Maria University offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program that embraces a unique Catholic healthcare point of view. Students spend their first two years on pre-nursing coursework. This covers core curriculum and science prerequisites. They can then apply to the nursing major, and the final two years focus almost entirely on specialized nursing courses.

The nursing program is 8 years old, starting after AMU’s Academic Affairs Committee and faculty unanimously approved it in November 2013. The Florida Board of Nursing and SACSCOC gave their official approval in December 2014. The program reached another milestone when it received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing® (ACEN®) in March 2021.

Students must complete 130 total credits to graduate. The program splits these credits between 64 non-nursing core courses and 66 nursing-specific coursework. Your education combines intense coursework, skills training, simulation labs, and hands-on clinical experiences at local hospitals and healthcare agencies. This integrated approach helps you tackle complex health problems while learning about nursing research, ethical-legal issues, and economics.

Catholic values and bioethical principles make Ave Maria’s nursing program stand out. The curriculum aligns with the teachings in the Charter for Health Care Workers from the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers. The program wants to help students recognize and prepare their vocation as professionally educated nurses within a Catholic liberal arts framework.

The program showed remarkable results since it began. The BSN program’s first graduating class in 2017 achieved an impressive 92.59% first-time NCLEX passage rate. The Class of 2024 took this success further with a 94.8% NCLEX pass rate, 88.89% program completion rate, and 100% job placement. This is a big deal as it means that the NCLEX pass rate goals set by both the Florida Board of Nursing and ACEN.

Graduates receive everything in knowledge and leadership skills they need to advance nursing and help patients, families, and communities manage healthcare. Ave Maria University faculty blend their clinical expertise with Catholic teachings. They prepare you for a meaningful nursing career that honors human dignity.

Available Program Tracks

Ave Maria University’s nursing path combines healthcare delivery with Catholic values. The nursing department’s traditional four-year BSN program helps you build your clinical knowledge and skills step by step.

Your education starts with a complete two-year pre-nursing track. This time lets you finish the Core Curriculum requirements and essential pre-nursing science prerequisites. Your next step after these foundation courses is to apply for the Nursing Major, which takes up your final two years.

The pre-nursing curriculum has these key prerequisite courses:

• BIOL 203 Introduction to Microbiology
• CHEM 105 Chemistry for Health Sciences (or CHEM 125 General Chemistry I)
• NURS 200 Clinical Nutrition
• PSYC 201 Principles and Methods of Psychology
• PSYC 301 Human Development and Learning

Once you’re admitted to the nursing major, your studies move almost completely to nursing-specific coursework. The program gives you clinical rotations, laboratory experiences, and theoretical instruction in healthcare specialties of all types. These final two years help you master adult health, psychiatric-mental health nursing, community health, women’s care, pediatric nursing, and leadership.

Ave Maria University sticks to its traditional BSN track. The school doesn’t offer accelerated BSN options or online nursing degrees. You won’t find a separate RN-to-BSN bridge program here either.

The university stands out as Collier County’s first BSN program and southwest Florida’s only Catholic nursing program. Since its launch in August 2015, the program has grown steadily to serve students who want their nursing education to match Catholic principles.

Graduates are ready to take the NCLEX-RN examination. Passing this standardized test lets you work as a licensed Registered Nurse right after graduation.

Flexible Learning Formats

Ave Maria University’s nursing education approach focuses on giving BSN students an immersive, on-campus experience. The university does not offer online options for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Students receive high-quality, in-person education that blends hands-on clinical training with Catholic healthcare principles.

Many nursing programs across the country have changed to hybrid models. Ave Maria University stands firm with its traditional learning format that values face-to-face instruction and direct clinical experiences. This setup enables faculty members to provide personal mentorship and helps students build stronger connections with their peers who share similar professional goals. Students also develop interpersonal skills that they need to care for patients effectively.

Ave Maria’s curriculum meets modern nursing education standards, even without distance learning options for the BSN program. Students learn in state-of-the-art simulation labs and participate in clinical rotations that prepare them for ground healthcare environments. Nursing education benefits greatly from this hands-on approach because technical skills must be shown and reviewed in person.

Florida’s nursing education world offers various flexible options at different institutions. Some universities provide RN to BSN programs completely online with optional face-to-face courses. Others combine online coursework with in-person clinical experiences through hybrid learning formats. Programs of all types feature multiple start dates throughout the year, with some offering as many as eight enrollment opportunities annually. Some BSN nursing schools have created part-time tracks specifically for students who already work in healthcare positions.

Ave Maria University’s choice to keep a traditional, in-person BSN program shows its steadfast dedication to detailed clinical preparation within a Catholic educational framework. Students receive consistent, high-quality instruction and develop strong clinical competencies through direct faculty supervision and peer collaboration. These elements will give a solid foundation for success on the NCLEX-RN examination and in professional practice.

Entry Criteria & Prerequisites

Ave Maria University’s BSN program requires students to meet both university and nursing-specific admission standards. Students can apply through the AMU application without paying any fees.

New college students need at least a 3.1 high school unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale to qualify for admission. The 2025 admission cycle doesn’t require standardized test scores, but submitting SAT, ACT, or CLT scores could boost your application and scholarship chances. Students can use SAT code 4249 and ACT code 6212 for submissions.

Transfer students must have a 2.9 unweighted GPA from all previous colleges. Students with less than 24 transfer credits need to meet freshman admission requirements too.

The nursing program starts after university acceptance and completion of these prerequisite courses:

• BIOL 203 Introduction to Microbiology
• CHEM 105 Chemistry for Health Sciences (or CHEM 125 General Chemistry I)
• NURS 200 Clinical Nutrition
• PSYC 201 Principles and Methods of Psychology
• PSYC 301 Human Development and Learning

Students must maintain several health requirements throughout their BSN program:

• Immunization records (MMR, Varicella, Tdap, annual influenza)
• Annual physical examination
• Tuberculosis screening
• Hepatitis B vaccination series
• Health and liability insurance
• BLS CPR certification
• Acceptable background check and drug screening

Students who don’t keep up with these clinical requirements can’t complete their clinical activities. This means they’ll end up unable to finish the program, graduate, or take the NCLEX-RN test.

After completing the BSN program and passing the NCLEX exam, you can apply for state licensure from the Florida Board of Nursing. The process requires electronic fingerprint submission to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

What Sets the BSN Programs Apart at Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University’s nursing program stands out in Florida’s educational world by blending Catholic values with evidence-based nursing practice. The BSN curriculum serves as the only Catholic nursing program in southwest Florida. Students learn healthcare principles from the Charter for Health Care Workers by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, which creates a unique healthcare education approach.

The program’s numbers tell a success story. Graduates have achieved a 92.59% first-time NCLEX passage rate since the first graduating class in 2017. The Class of 2024 showed exceptional results with a 94.8% NCLEX pass rate, 88.89% program completion rate, and 100% job placement. These results are a big deal as it means that both Florida Board of Nursing and ACEN measures.

Ave Maria’s nursing education shines through its integrated approach with:

• Modern simulation labs that mirror real-life healthcare scenarios let students practice critical thinking and technical skills in a controlled setting
• Catholic bioethical principles woven into clinical training prepare students to tackle complex moral questions in healthcare
• Faculty members who act as academic mentors and professional role models bring rich clinical expertise and show steadfast dedication to Catholic healthcare values

The program places human dignity at the heart of nursing education at Ave Maria. Students grow in both technical skills and ethical understanding to build a foundation for compassionate, principled patient care.

Ave Maria’s nursing program creates graduates who excel professionally and think clearly about moral issues. This combination gives you the tools to lead in healthcare settings of all types where technical skills must balance with ethical choices.

The university’s Catholic intellectual tradition shapes a nursing education that values the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Graduates step into their profession with a complete understanding of health that surpasses physical care alone. They see their work as a calling rather than just a career.