Second Degree BSN Curriculum
How Credits are Calculated
| Transfer credits from your previous degree | 36 credits |
| Prerequisites* taken for the Second Degree Program | 25 credits |
| Credits taken at Duquesne University School of Nursing in the Second Degree Program | 67 credits |
| Total Credits for the Second Degree Program | 128 credits |
*Prerequisites may be completed at any accredited college or university, and online coursework is acceptable. For example, we do accept credit from Portage Learning, which offers all prerequisite courses required for the Second Degree program.
After Completion
Upon completion of the Second Degree BSN, students are eligible to begin graduate nursing coursework in one of our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) specialties:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Executive Nurse Leadership and Health Care Management
- Forensic Nursing
- Nursing Education and Faculty Role
Second Degree Coursework
View the curriculum for each track using the tabs below.
Here is a breakdown of the 67 credits earned through the 12-month track of the Duquesne University School of Nursing Second Degree Program.
Fall Semester
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
| UPNS 119 | Contemporary Professional Nursing and Technology | 3 |
| UPNS 124 | Cultural Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| UPNS 218 | Health Assessment (3 theory/1 clinical lab) | 4 |
| UPNS 200 | Fundamentals of Nursing and Clinical Ethics (4 theory/2 clinical lab) | 6 |
| UPNS 326 | Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice | 3 |
| UPNS 339 | Genetics in Nursing and Health | 3 |
| Total 22 |
Spring Semester
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
| UPNS 309 | Pharmacology for Nursing Practice | 3 |
| UPNS 232 | Adult Health and Illness I (4 theory/2 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS 344 | Nursing for Children's Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 348 | Nursing for Maternal-Newborn Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 355 | Behavioral Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 357 | Population Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 411W | Nursing Ethics Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| Total 24 |
Summer Semester
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
| UPNS 400 | Critically Ill Adult (4 theory/2 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS 462 | Leadership and Management Theory & Practice in Clinical Environments ( 2 theory/4 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS 453 | Transition to Professional Practice | 3 |
| UPNS 460 | Advanced Clinical Concepts in Gerontology | 3 |
| UPNS 431 | Enhancing Quality and Safety through EBP and Technology | 3 |
| Total 21 |
W = Writing Intensive
Revisions to courses and curricula are ongoing.
Here is a breakdown of the 67 credits earned through the 16-month track of the Duquesne University School of Nursing Second Degree Program.
Fall Semester, Year 1
| Course # | Course Name |
Credits |
| UPNS 119 | Contemporary Professional Nursing and Technology | 3 |
| UPNS 124 | Cultural Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| UPNS 218 | Health Assessment (3 theory/1 clinical lab) | 4 |
| UPNS 200 | Fundamentals of Nursing and Clinical Ethics (4 theory/2 clinical lab) | 6 |
| UPNS 326 | Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice | 3 |
|
Total 19 |
Spring Semester, Year 1
| Course # | Course Name |
Credits |
| UPNS 309 | Pharmacology for Nursing Practice | 3 |
| UPNS 232 | Adult Health and Illness I (4 theory/2 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS *** | Nursing for Children's Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS *** | Nursing for Maternal-Newborn Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 339 | Genetics in Nursing and Health | 3 |
| Total 18 |
Summer Semester, Year 1
| Course # | Course Name |
Credits |
| UPNS 431 | Enhancing Quality and Safety through EBP and Technology | 3 |
| UPNS 462 | Leadership and Management Theory & Practice in Clinical Environments (2 theory/4 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS 460 | Advanced Clinical Concepts in Gerontology | 3 |
| Total 12 |
Fall Semester, Year 2
| Course # | Course Name |
Credits |
| UPNS *** | Behavioral Health ( 2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS *** | Population Health (2 theory/1 clinical) | 3 |
| UPNS 400 | Critically Ill Adult (4 theory/2 clinical) | 6 |
| UPNS 411W | Nursing Ethics Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| UPNS 453 | Transition to Professional Practice | 3 |
| Total 18 |
W = Writing Intensive
*** These 4 Specialty Courses are taken in the spring and fall semesters. Half of the 16-month students will take Nursing for Children's Health and Nursing for Maternal-Newborn Health in the spring, and Behavioral Health and Population Health in the fall. The other half will take the reverse sequence.
Revisions to courses and curricula are ongoing.