The Online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a high-quality, rigorous program designed for the working RN. The program is delivered fully online at an affordable cost. Our faculty are dedicated to our students’ success.

The program is housed within UIC’s College of Nursing, and the curriculum incorporates a philosophy of “high teach, high touch” which creates an atmosphere of quality learning, student accountability and achievement. The support of our instructors and the advising team help make that achievement possible.

RN-BSN students bring a wealth of clinical knowledge and skills to their BSN learning experience. Content and application in the RN-BSN program builds on that experience by enhancing clinical thinking, evidence-based practice, health assessment skills, leadership and management ability, quality and safety knowledge, interprofessionalism, nursing informatics utilization, population focused nursing and health promotion, and an overall understanding of the broadened role of the nurse and issues facing nurses and healthcare in the US and globally.

Students may begin prior to receiving RN license, providing proof of passing the NCLEX by the end of the first semester.

1. Integrate and apply nursing knowledge and that of other disciplines to inform ethical clinical judgment and innovative nursing practice.
2. Provide safe, holistic, compassionate person-centered care across the lifespan to clients with respect for diversity, equity and inclusion.
3. Engage in community-driven collaborations to identify responsive interventions and advocacy strategies to improve health equity and social justice and support emergency preparedness.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of principles of research and evidence-based practice in providing optimal nursing care.
5. Demonstrate standards for safety and quality to promote a culture of safety, civility, and respect for patients, providers, and work environments to improve patient outcomes.
6. Engage in effective communication and collaboration to encourage respectful interprofessional partnerships and team dynamics to address healthcare delivery and outcomes.
7. Apply systems knowledge to improve the quality and equity of care across a variety of healthcare delivery environments.
8. Employ health information and communication technologies to support the documentation of care, support patient usage, and comply with ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards.
9. Develop a nursing identity that embraces the history, characteristics, and values of nursing by responding to challenges through professional experiences.
10. Commit to self-reflection, health, and well-being that promotes professional growth, leadership, and advocacy skills.

A BSN degree requires 120 credit hours, consisting of the following:

• 30 core nursing credits as listed below
• 33 proficiency credits for prior nursing education, awarded at no cost.
• 57 general education credits, taken as co-requisites or transferred in

There are no pre-requisite courses; students can start the program as soon as they are ready and take both nursing core courses and general education courses throughout the duration of the program. See below for more information on the general education requirements.

Click the arrows below to view RN-BSN program requirements.

Upon admission to the program, a no-cost transcript evaluation will be conducted. Each student will receive their individualized list of remaining general education courses which can be taken as co-requisites while enrolled in the RN to BSN degree program.

Students who would like to estimate the courses still needed may use the resources provided in the Community College Transfer Guide.

This online program prepares you for advanced nursing opportunities such as:

• Enhanced patient care knowledge
• Expanded roles within your nursing specialty
• Nursing Management & leadership roles
• Nursing Informatics
• Research and Evidence Utilization
• Nursing Case Management
• Community or Public Health Nursing

The baccalaureate program at University of Illinois Chicago is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.