Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing

Decker offers several pre-licensure programs leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing degree. 

Overview 

Today's complex healthcare system requires the best preparation for the professional practice of nursing. Education for nurses includes not only strong technical skills, but also skills in understanding patient needs at all levels. 

Pre-licensure program graduates earn a bachelor's (BS) degree in nursing and are eligible to take the national licensing examination (NCLEX-RN) to become registered professional nurses. Decker graduates continue to pass this exam at rates above state and national averages. 

Are you a registered nurse who wants to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing? Go to our online RN-BS program webpage.

Decker offers the following two pre-licensure programs for undergraduate study:

If you are or will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN examination before your intended start date, you are not eligible for a pre-licensure program. 

Traditional program

    • The traditional program is for students who have not yet received an undergraduate degree or for students with a bachelor’s degree who would like to study at a regular (non-accelerated) pace.
    • Students in the traditional nursing program receive this preparation in a four-year program firmly grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. 
      • Students can apply as an incoming first-year or junior.*

*NOTE: Beginning in fall 2024, Decker College will no longer admit students as sophomores. Students transferring into the program (from outside the University or from another school at Binghamton), must complete all prerequisites prior to transferring in and will be admitted as incoming juniors. Students who are accepted into the Binghamton University Scholars program are exceptions to this and should email decker@binghamton.edu to speak with an academic advisor. 

    • The program requires 126 credit hours consisting of:
      • 52 credits of nursing courses
      • 74 credits of nursing prerequisites, general education courses and electives
      • Note: Students may transfer in up to 78 credits of nursing prerequisites, general education courses and electives

Baccalaureate accelerated track (BAT) program

    • The BAT program is available to students who already hold a bachelor’s degree and would like to study at an accelerated pace.
    • This unique and rigorous 12-month program allows students the opportunity to obtain a second bachelor's degree.
    • The program requires 126 credit hours:
      • 52 credits of nursing courses
      • 74 credits of previously completed prerequisites, General Education courses and electives

Watch our virtual information sessions

Admission Pathways

Decker directly admits an incoming first-year cohort each year. These students are considered nursing majors once they pay their enrollment deposit. It is not necessary for admitted first year students to re-apply to the nursing program following completion of nursing prerequisites.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be graduates of accredited secondary schools or have an equivalent education
  • Demonstrate strength in biology, chemistry and mathematics

Note: Binghamton does not require applicants to submit Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) scores at this time.

Curriculum

Prerequisite coursework

Prerequisite course completion is required for both the traditional and accelerated programs prior to starting the core nursing courses. 

Prerequisite Binghamton course Minimum credit hours When offered
Composition I C or J Gen Ed semester 3, quarter 4 fall, spring, summer winter
Composition II C or J Gen Ed semester 3, quarter 4 fall, spring, summer winter
Statistics (fulfills M Gen Ed) MATH 147 or PSYC 243 semester 3, quarter 5 fall, spring, summer
Intro Psychology PSYC 111 semester 3, quarter, 4 fall, spring, summer
Developmental Psychology (fulfills S Gen Ed) PSYC 220 semester 3, quarter 4 fall, spring, summer, winter
General Chemistry I (lab recommended; fulfills L Gen Ed) CHEM 101, CHEM 104*, CHEM 107, CHEM 111 (choose 1)

Decker advises current Binghamton students who wish to apply to the nursing program to take CHEM 104 and CHEM 105
semester 3, quarter 5 fall, summer

General Chemistry II (lab recommended) 

CHEM 102, CHEM 105*, CHEM 108, CHEM 111 (choose 1)

Decker advises current Binghamton students who wish to apply to the nursing program to take CHEM 104 and CHEM 105

semester 3, quarter 5 spring, summer
Intro Biology* BIOL 113  semester 3, quarter 5 fall, spring, summer
Microbiology (lab BIOL 329 optional) BIOL 319  semester 3, quarter 5 spring, summer
Anatomy and Physiology I
(students may complete two semesters of anatomy and physiology or one semester of anatomy and one semester of physiology; lab recommended)
BIOL 251 or HSC 200  semester 3, quarter 5 fall, summer
Anatomy and Physiology II
(students may complete two semesters of anatomy and physiology or one semester of anatomy and one semester of physiology; lab recommended.)
BIOL 347 or HSC 201 semester 3, quarter 5 spring, summer

*waived if Anatomy and Physiology I, II and Microbiology are completed at another college or university

Anatomy, physiology, chemistry and microbiology courses expire after 10 years. Decker requires comprehensive examinations (such as CLEP or Excelsior) in expired prerequisite subject areas or a repeat of coursework to demonstrate proficiency.

All courses must be taken for at least 3 semester credits. Required prerequisites may be taken in person or online at any accredited college or university.

General Education (Gen Ed) coursework

General Education courses are required of all students pursuing a first bachelor’s degree at Binghamton University. It is recommended that nursing students complete as many General Education courses as possible during their first two years, but unlike nursing prerequisites, these courses can be completed concurrently with nursing core courses in the junior and senior years.

See the University’s General Education planning sheet to view detailed descriptions of each requirement. Nursing prerequisites and nursing core courses cover some of the General Education requirements, therefore Decker students are only responsible for the following:

A Aesthetics perspective course
G Global interdependencies course
H Humanities course
Y or B Physical activity course
P Pluralism in the United States
N Social science course
FL Foreign language course

Curriculum plans/worksheets

Printer-friendly traditional and BAT curriculum plans and worksheets are available in this Google folder.

Students who remain on track will begin nursing core courses in the fall semester of their junior year. Many of the required courses include clinical components, allowing students to care for a diverse population of patients in several settings. Hospitals, community health facilities and long-term care institutions in and around the Binghamton area are used for clinical experiences. Decker has hundreds of clinical partnerships, including UHS, Lourdes Ascension, SUNY Upstate Medical and Guthrie.

Below is the sample curriculum plan for students in the undergraduate nursing program. For a complete description of nursing courses, see the schedule of classes.

Year 1, fall semester Credits
C or J: Composition I 4
CHEM 101: Chemistry I 4
PSYC 111: General Psychology 4
Gen Ed/elective 4
Semester total 16
Year 1, spring semester Credits
BIOL 113: Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology 4
CHEM 102: Chemistry II 4
PSYC 220: Developmental Psychology 4
Gen Ed/elective 4
Semester total 16
Year 2, fall semester Credits
HSCI 200: Anatomy and Physiology I 4
MATH 147/PSYC 243: Statistics 4
C or J: Composition II 4
Gen Ed/elective 4
Semester total 16
Year 2, spring semester Credits
BIOL 319: Pre-Health Microbiology 4
BIOL 329: Pre-Health Microbiology Lab (optional) 0-2
HSCI 201: Anatomy and Physiology II 4
Gen Ed/elective 4
Gen Ed/elective 0-2
Semester total 12-18
Year 3, fall semester Credits
NURS 320: Socialization I, Introduction to Professional Nursing 4
NURS 321: Nursing Assessment of Clients* 4
NURS 322: The Client System of Nursing 4
NURS 351: Pathophysiology I 2
Nursing elective** 2-4
Semester total 16-18
Year 3, spring semester Credits
NURS 352: Practice of Nursing I* 4
NURS 353: Practice of Nursing II* 4
NURS 361: Pathophysiology II 4
Gen Ed/elective 0-4
Semester total 12-16
Year 4, fall semester Credits
NURS 360: Socialization II, Nursing Research 2
NURS 362: Practice of Nursing III* 4
NURS 363: Practice of Nursing IV* 4
NURS 365: Pharmacology in Nursing 2
Gen Ed/elective 0-4
Semester total 12-16
Year 4, spring semester Credits
NURS 470: Socialization III, Professional Issues 4
NURS 471: Practice of Nursing V* 8
Semester total 12
Total credits required for degree 126

* includes clinical component
** nursing elective may be taken in any semester

Transfer Credit

Students may receive credit for previously completed college-level courses, advanced placement (AP) exam scores of 3 or better and International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level exam scores of 4 or better.

Get more information about transfer credits and equivalencies here:

Visit the Decker College Division of Advising and Academic Excellence Transcript Evaluation webpage for more information or to request a transcript evaluation.

Apply

Visit Binghamton University's Undergraduate Admissions webpage for complete application instructions. If you have questions regarding application submission, contact Undergraduate Admissions at 607–777–2171. Note that applicants may not apply to both the BAT program and the traditional program in the same academic year.

Students must apply using a first-year application; applications are accepted for the fall semester only.

  • Students interested in applying early action must submit their application by November 1. All other required application materials (transcripts, test scores) must be submitted by December 1.
  • Students applying for regular admission must submit their application and all application materials (transcripts and test scores) by January 15.

 Submission is not immediate; processing takes at least 7–14 days. Early action decisions will be released by January 15. Regular decisions will be released by April 1.

International applicants

Students with international transcripts must first have a course-to-course and degree evaluation from World Education Services. A WES evaluation provides Binghamton with consistent information regarding your degrees, courses and grades in U.S. equivalencies; this ensures students receive a timely and accurate application review.

Visit

Binghamton University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions hosts group information sessions and student-guided tours of the main campus (located in Vestal, N.Y.) throughout the year. We encourage you to visit when classes are in session if your schedule allows. 

Tours of the Health Sciences Building, where Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences is located, are also available. The Health Sciences Building is located on the University's Health Sciences Campus, 2.3 miles from the main campus. We recommend pairing a general campus visit with a Health Sciences Building tour. For dates and registration information, see the Decker events calendar.

Prospective undergraduate students are also encouraged to watch Decker's virtual information session (see links in the Overview section, above). 

Application deadlines

  • Baccalaureate accelerated track: Nov. 15
  • Traditional first-year:
    • Nov. 1 (early action)
    • Jan. 15 (regular decision)
  • Traditional transfer: Mar. 1
  • Intra-university transfer/double degree: Mar. 15

APPLY NOW

Decker Nursing FAQs is a podcast featuring Decker College academic advisors and students providing answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about our undergraduate nursing program and admissions process.