B2N Program
Adrian College provides comprehensive academic and career counseling to students interested in any health profession through its Institute for Health Studies.  Although Adrian College does not award the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), we actively support students preparing for the nursing profession. Through our own faculty, or through agreements with other colleges, our curriculum includes all essential pre-requisites to enter nursing school.

The Adrian College B2N Program is an academic track that facilitates completion of nursing pre-requisites while at Adrian. With this coursework, students may enter Accelerated BSN or Direct Entry MSN programs on graduation from Adrian College.  There are approximately 230 Accelerated BSN programs (9 in Michigan),  ranging from 15-24 months in length. Students who complete a degree in another field and then pursue a masters in nursing may elect one of the 65 Accelerated MSN programs across the country. These programs are sometimes referred to as “Direct Entry Masters” programs in nursing, and integrate bachelors and masters training in a single, continuous curriculum. For most, clinical training and course work are completed in 24 months.

Students planning careers as advanced practice nurses (Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, etc) should investigate each program carefully when choosing a Direct Entry Masters in Nursing. Additional clinical hours and/or coursework beyond the MSN may be required to become an advanced practice nurse.

Adrian College Alignments with Nursing Schools
Adrian College is now working with several accelerated BSN programs, developing a shared understanding of the experiential and academic preparation required to create highly competitive accelerated BSN candidates. We can assist you in developing an academic schedule that allows you to complete your preferred major; and complete the pre-requisites that will make you a strong candidate for an accelerated BSN, whether you do so directly on graduation from Adrian, or after a few years of full time work in another field of interest.

The Direct Entry BSN/MSN programs are newer and fewer, and none exists in Michigan. Admission to the direct entry MSN programs is extremely competitive, and students planning this route should maintain a GPA of at least 3.5. Beginning in 2010, applications to nursing schools utilize a centralized, on line application service known as NursingCAS.org.

Student Interests in Nursing
Usually, students who definitely plan to study nursing will focus their college search on undergraduate programs offering the BSN.

For many Adrian students nursing is just one of many possible health careers, which they hope to integrate with other professional interests. Common combinations are nursing/business, nursing/psychology, nursing/foreign language, or nursing/other science. For some of these students, nursing is part of a broad professional education and comprehensive preparation for employment in health care, public health, biomedical science or health care administration.  Executives in these fields particularly value candidates for management or scientific roles who also present the BSN/RN because they bring important clinical perspectives to decision-making.

Adrian College is well prepared to work with students of this type who will evaluate health career options continuously throughout their early academic coursework.

For students completing a broad liberal arts education at Adrian but who have a continuing interest in nursing, we recommend:

• Complete a bachelors degree at Adrian in a major of choice
• Complete nursing prerequisite courses while at Adrian
• Enroll elsewhere in an Accelerated BSN program as a fifth year of undergraduate study OR
• Enroll in a Direct Entry BSN/MSN program, leading to the Master of Science in Nursing