BS Degree Completion

Maria’s personal approach and emphasis on evidence-based nursing will help you take your career to the highest level.

Maria College’s RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program is designed for licensed registered nurses who wish to continue their educational journey. As one of the top nursing schools in the Capital Region, we aim to prepare nurses to succeed and adapt to the rapid-changing field of healthcare. Our program focuses on providing compassionate care to individuals and families in the community.

Maria College’s RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program is designed for licensed registered nurses who wish to continue their education for professional and personal development. As one of the top nursing schools in the Albany area, we aim to prepare nurses to utilize evidence for practice decisions to adapt to a changing healthcare delivery system. Our highly-rated program will help you better care for individuals, families, and communities.

We also offer a 12-month accelerated Nursing RN-BS completion program online through asynchronous learning. Both programs were designed for the completion of the same degree but are structured differently to accommodate different learners. Reach out to our admissions office to talk through which program makes the most sense for you.

Full- and part-time options
You can pursue the BS degree on a full- or part-time basis. Classes are offered on the Maria College campus and in collaboration with area healthcare institutions.

See the RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program Policy Manual 2022-2023 for more information, or check the important links in the sidebar menu.

Omicron Sigma at-Large Chapter

The Maria College RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program is an official chartered Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. https://www.sigmanursing.org.

Accreditation

The RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program at Maria College located in Albany, New York is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program is Continuing Accreditation.

  • Program Learning outcomes

    After completion of the RN-BS Completion Program at Maria College, the graduate will be able to:

    • Exhibit caring behaviors, cultural competence, and effective communication to meet the human needs of clients as a member of the profession of nursing and an inter-professional team.
    • Integrate ethical and legal standards with personal and professional values that encompass life-long learning into nursing practice.
    • Incorporate principles of holism, health promotion, teaching learning, and risk reduction across the life span to improve population health.
    • Utilize the research findings, evidenced-based practice, and the nursing process to collaborate, coordinate, evaluate, and improve care for the advancement of nursing knowledge and practice in a changing health-care environment.
    • Advocate for socially just health-care policies for individuals, groups, and communities in diverse health-care environments.
    • Integrate theory, bio-psycho-social knowledge, technology, and critical thinking to provide leadership in the design, coordination, and management of care across the lifespan for individuals, groups, and communities.
  • Course Overview

    Nursing Core (30 credits)

    Course

     

    Credits

    NUR 301 

    Nursing Theory and Practice Issues

    3

    NUR 310

    Pathophysiology

    3

    NUR 340

    Introduction to Research and Evidence-based Practice

    3

    NUR 360

    Health Assessment, Promotion and Diagnostic Reasoning

    3

    NUR 385

    Community Health Nursing and Epidemiology*

    6

    NUR 410

    Pharmacology

    3

    NUR 421

    Leadership, Management and Ethics in Nursing

    3

    NUR 460

    Nursing Specialty and Synthesis*

    6

    Required Liberal Arts and Sciences (24 credits)

    CSC 308

    Healthcare Informatics

    3

    CUL 320

    Cultures, Health and Healing

    3

    ENG 300

    Advanced Composition

    3

    ENG 315

    Health, Wellness, and Writing

    3

    MAT 200

    Statistics

    3

    PHI 300

    Healthcare Ethics

    3

    PSY 300

    Organizational Change

    3

    SOC 410 

    Health Promotion across the Lifespan

    3

    *Clinical required for course

    Electives (6 credits)
    Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives (6 credits):
    any ART, BIO, CHM, COM, CUL, ECO, ENG,
    HIS, HUM, MAT, MUS, PHI, PHY, POL, PSY,
    RES, SCI, SOC, SPA                 

  • Course Sequence

    First Year: First Semester

    Course

     

    Credits

    ENG 300

    Advanced Composition

    3

    MAT 200

    Statistics

    3

    NUR 301

    Nursing Theory & Practice Issues

    3

    NUR 310

    Pathophysiology

    3

    PSY 300

    Organizational Change

    3

     

     

    15

    First Year: Second Semester

    NUR 360

    Health Assessment, Promotion and Diagnostic Reasoning

    3

    CUL 320

    Cultures, Health and Healing

    3

    NUR 340

    Intro to Research & Evidence-based Practice

    3

    *NUR 385

    Community Health Nursing & Epidemiology

    6

     

     

    15

    Second Year: First Semester

    CSC 308

    Healthcare Informatics

    3

    ENG 315

    Health, Wellness, and Writing

    3

    NUR 410

    Pharmacology

    3

    NUR 421

    Leadership, Management and Ethics in Nursing

    3

    SOC 410

    Health Promotion across Life Span

    3

     

     

    15

    Second Year: Second Semester

    *NUR 460

    Nursing Specialty & Synthesis

    6

    PHI 300

    Health Care Ethics

    3

     

    Liberal Arts and Sciences

    6

     

     

    15

    *Clinical required for course

    **Students who have not taken RES 201, Foundations in Social Justice, must select this course as one of their liberal arts and sciences electives.

  • Application Requirements: Non-Maria Students

    Above and beyond the general requirements for transfer admission or re-admission to Maria College, students applying to the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in nursing completion program are required to complete or submit the following:

    Additional Requirements:

    BS Degree in Nursing The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Nursing completion program is designed for students who have obtained an unencumbered RN License from the State of New York or have graduated with the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) within 6 months of the start of the program. The program is designed to offer flexibility to working RNs to complete their BS degree in Nursing. In addition to the regular admission standards, the following must be met by the students:

    • Prerequisite Coursework:*
      6 Credits of English Composition
      3 Credits of Developmental/Life span Psychology
      8 Credits of Anatomy and Physiology
      4 Credits of Microbiology
      12 Credits of additional courses in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Completion of an associate degree or diploma in nursing from an accredited school of nursing with a GPA of 2.5.
    • Current unencumbered RN license within the United States or U.S. Territory, and professional liability coverage or meeting the RN licensure requirement within six months of the completion of the two-year associate degree in nursing.
    • Ability to meet both College and clinical agency health requirements.
    • Have appropriate health clearance requirements on file in the Nursing Program office prior to clinical facilities visits.

    Course work within the BS degree in Nursing completion program will require the student to have a firm foundation in liberal arts and nursing, as well as a license and ability to practice nursing. These requirements will ensure that the student is prepared to meet the program’s demands. Diploma graduates must have completed their non-nursing course work at a college or university for credits to be applicable for transfer into Maria College.

    If you have questions or feel that you do not meet all the requirements to be admitted to the program, please contact the Office of Admission to discuss possible options. Phone: (518) 861-2517 or Email: admissions@mariacollege.edu

  • Application Requirements: Current AAS Nursing Student

    Maria students whom are currently enrolled in the A.A.S. Nursing Program can apply for the Bachelors of Nursing Completion Program during the final semester of the program or any time after graduation by filling out our free application. If you have any questions about the process or would like to discuss the requirements please contact the office of admissions at 518-861-2517 or admissions@mariacollege.edu.

  • Application Requirements: Alumni of Maria College’s AAS Nursing Program

    Please contact the Admission Office, Phone: (518) 861-2517 or Email: admissions@mariacollege.edu, for the simplified admission process steps and also complete the Re-Enrollment Application.

  • Student Achievement Data

    Year

    Completion Data

    2017*

    70%

    2016*

    70%

    2015*

    56%

    *cohort beginning

  • Articulation Agreements
    • The Belanger School of Nursing graduates with AAS in Nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • Columbia-Greene Community College graduates with AS in Nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AS in Nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • Hudson Valley Community College graduates with AAS in Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • Memorial College of Nursing graduates with an AAS in nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing graduates with AS in nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • SUNY Adirondack graduates with AS in Nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
    • SUNY Ulster graduates with AS in Nursing to BS in Nursing completion program at Maria College
  • Omicron Sigma at-Large Chapter

    On November 9, 2018 the Maria College RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program was officially chartered as a Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing becoming Omicron Sigma at-Large Chapter. For more information on becoming a member please contact Sigma at: https://www.sigmanursing.org or call: (888) 634-7575.

    Criteria to become a member – Registered Nurse Students must:

    • Completed 12 credit hours at their current school.
    • Completed half of the nursing curriculum.
    • Achieve academic excellence
      • For universities/institutions of higher education that use a 4.0 grade point average system to measure academic achievement, baccalaureate students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0. GPAs should be computed according to the policies of the university.
    • Rank in the top 35% of the graduating class.
    • Meet the expectation of academic integrity.
Maria Stories

Navigating the college admissions process can be challenging, especially when you are simultaneously working to maintain legal status as an international student. For RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion Program student Marah Vincent of St. Lucia, she found the support from Maria College made all the difference.

Nursing faculty member, Gabrielle Ryan, tells us about her journey from being a student at Maria to her experience working at the College.

Nursing Completion Program

RN-BS Degree in Nursing Completion program students talk about their experience in the program and how it has helped enhance their nursing career.