Why PBA for Your B.S.N. Degree?
Throughout southern Florida, healthcare institutions recognize and respect the high quality of a Palm Beach Atlantic nursing degree. PBA nursing graduates are deeply grounded through experience, empathy, and embodying Christ, who guides all we do.
In the nursing major, you’ll learn from faculty who are distinguished experts from institutions like Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Bethesda Memorial Hospital. Our transformative approach to nursing leads to significant success in obtaining nursing licensure, lucrative professional opportunities, and a lifetime of warm-hearted servant leadership.
- Dedicated to Christ: Our desire to care with precision stems from our commitment to Christ’s love and vision for the world.
- Holistic Healthcare: We consider the whole person in our clinical approaches: physical, sociocultural, mental, and spiritual.
- State-of-the-Art Tech: Practice using advanced nursing lab technologies on campus and in your clinical placements.
- Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Choose electives, clinical placements, and faculty collaborations that align with your professional goals.
What You’ll Learn
PBA’s traditional B.S.N. program ensures that you can:
- Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, humanities, Christian faith, and nursing as a source in critical thinking and decision making to provide holistic care in a variety of nursing contexts and settings
- Combine the nursing process and evidenced-based research in the practice of nursing across the lifespan for holistic health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention in the care patients, families, and communities
- Provide patient-centered, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive care that assists with health promotion and wellness
- Demonstrate effective communication, collaboration, creativity, sensitivity, and flexibility for the delivery of safe, quality, cost-effective nursing care
- Integrate professional nursing values based on legal, ethical, and Christian standards into nursing practice
- Implement professional development through graduate studies and other leadership opportunities with an emphasis on integrity as a professional baccalaureate generalist nurse
- Incorporate current technologies and informatics to support continued learning, patient outcomes, and quality improvement
- Evaluate healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory standards to support quality care outcomes in the complex continuum healthcare environment.
NCLEX Preparation, Licensure, and Certifications
The nursing bachelor’s degree program at PBA will prepare you to sit the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which is the nationwide requirement to obtain a nursing license in the United States. Our faculty are invested in helping you perform well on this exam—our graduates have a 93% pass rate. The courses, clinical placements, and collaborative opportunities at PBA empower you to strive for excellence on your examination and throughout your career.
Program Details
At PBA, we nurture nurses through a holistic approach to understanding the world and our individual roles within it. Science and nursing courses prepare you as a proficient and intentional caregiver—and general education courses in the humanities, fine arts, communication, and exploring the Bible help you become a well-rounded citizen of the world and advocate for your patients.
Develop foundations in sciences, fine arts, and the humanities over your first three semesters, then begin nursing courses following acceptance to the nursing program in your sophomore year. Throughout the nursing major, apply your learning in local hospitals, clinics, and community outreach programs. Review a sample degree plan.
Freshman Direct Admission
High school students applying for Freshman Direct Admission only need apply to the university and indicate nursing as their major. Admissions will send qualified applicants a link to the web page form with the additional information required. Spots are limited, so early application is encouraged. Those accepted as Freshman Direct Admission students do not need to apply again to the Upper Division as long as they maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
Guaranteed Admission
Only students who entered PBA as freshman (or directly from high school) are eligible for Guaranteed Admission.
Currently enrolled Palm Beach Atlantic University students who meet the following criteria receive Guaranteed Admission to the Upper Division Nursing Major.
- Started at PBA as first semester freshmen (though you may have brought in hours)
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 3.0 + Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 74 +
- Apply and meet all admission criteria by the October 1 deadline
Regular Competitive Admissions Minimum Requirements:
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 2.7 + Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 68.7 + (74+ recommended to be competitive)
*GPA is the GPA in required courses, not the overall GPA. This is designed to encourage students to take difficult science classes without fearing that they will hurt their chances of acceptance.
Meeting the minimum requirements is NOT a guarantee of acceptance.
Competitive Application Instructions
If you are a currently enrolled lower division student, fill out a form on myPBA > Schools > Nursing. (login required)
If you are transferring directly into the upper division (with an A.A. or Bachelor’s degree), apply here.
The following additional elements are required for the application.
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
- Two recommendations are required for transfer students (academic or professional)
- Transcripts (from all colleges or universities attended)
- Students applying to lower division (sometimes called “pre-nursing”) simply apply to the university.
Timeframe for Competitive Applications and What to Expect if you are Accepted:
- There are two entry points for the Nursing Program, one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring Semester. 45–50 students will be accepted to form each new cohort which will graduate 5 semesters later
- There is rolling admission for both Fall and Spring
- Submitting your application for Spring start by October 1 provides the best chance of acceptance
- Submitting your application for Fall start by May 1 provides the best chance of acceptance
- If you are accepted, you have two weeks to accept or decline
- Students must complete background check, fingerprints, and drug screen by the date indicated in the acceptance letter in order to confirm acceptance
- All acceptances are provisional, with full acceptance being contingent upon passing the first three nursing courses and completing all other outstanding prerequisite courses
- If you are new to PBA, then you are required to submit a Health History and Physical to Health and Wellness. All students will be required to comply with our hospital partners’ requirements as presented in the American Databank Compliance Tracker which you will be required to sign up for. This includes, among other things, up-to-date vaccines for MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Hep B and flu (in season).
1. Freshman Direct Admission
High School Students applying for Freshman Direct Admission only need apply to the university and indicate nursing as their major. Admissions will send qualified applicants a link to the web page form with the additional information required. Spots are limited, so early application is encouraged. Those accepted as Freshman Direct Admission students do not need to apply again to the Upper Division as long as they maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
APPLY NOW
2. Guaranteed Admission
Only students who entered PBA as freshman (or directly from high school) are eligible for Guaranteed Admission.
Currently enrolled Palm Beach Atlantic University students who meet the following criteria receive Guaranteed Admission to the Upper Division Nursing Major.
- Started at PBA as first semester freshmen (though you may have brought in hours)
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 3.0 + Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 74 +
- Apply and meet all admission criteria by the October 1 deadline
Regular Competitive Admissions Minimum Requirements:
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 2.7 + Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 68.7 + (74+ recommended to be competitive)
*GPA is the GPA in required courses, not the overall GPA. This is designed to encourage students to take difficult science classes without fearing that they will hurt their chances of acceptance.
Meeting the minimum requirements is NOT a guarantee of acceptance.
3. Competitive Application Instructions
- Currently enrolled lower division students will fill out a form on myPBA > Schools > Nursing. (login required)
- Students transferring directly into the upper division (with an AA or Bachelor’s degree). If not enrolled, apply here.
The following additional elements are required for the application.
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
- Two recommendations are required for transfer students (academic or professional)
- Transcripts (from all colleges or universities attended)
- Students applying to lower division (sometimes called “pre-nursing”) simply apply to the university.
Timeframe for Competitive Applications and What to Expect if you are Accepted:
- There are two entry points for the Nursing Program, one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring Semester. 45-50 students will be accepted to form each new cohort which will graduate 5 semesters later.
- There is rolling admission for both Fall and Spring
- Submitting your application for Spring start by October 1 provides the best chance of acceptance.
- Submitting your application for Fall start by May 1 provides the best chance of acceptance.
- If you are accepted, you have two weeks to accept or decline
- Students must complete background check, fingerprints, and drug screen by the date indicated in the acceptance letter in order to confirm acceptance.
- All acceptances are provisional, with full acceptance being contingent upon passing the first three nursing courses and completing all other outstanding prerequisite courses.
- If you are new to PBA, then you are required to submit a Health History and Physical to Health and Wellness. All students will be required to comply with our hospital partners’ requirements as presented in the American Databank Compliance Tracker which you will be required to sign up for. This includes, among other things, up-to-date vaccines for MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Hep B and flu (in season)
Guaranteed Admission Requirements
Only students who entered PBA as freshman (or directly from high school) are eligible for Guaranteed Admission.
Currently enrolled Palm Beach Atlantic University students who meet the following criteria receive Guaranteed Admission to the Upper Division Nursing Major.
- Started at PBA as first semester freshmen (though you may have brought in hours)
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 3.0+ Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 74+
- Apply and meet all above admission criteria by the October 1 deadline of sophomore year.
Regular Competitive Admissions Minimum Requirements:
- 3.0 + GPA in required classes
- 2.75 + Science/Math GPA
- TEAS Total Individual Score of 68.7 + (74+ recommended to be competitive)
*GPA is the GPA in required courses, not the overall GPA. This is designed to encourage students to take difficult science classes without fearing that they will hurt their chances of acceptance.
Meeting the minimum requirements is NOT a guarantee of acceptance.
Transferring Your A.A. Degree or Prior Bachelor’s Degree
To transfer into the nursing major, you will need to have your A.A. degree conferred by the beginning of the first semester of Nursing school if you are accepted into the program. Consider other nursing major requirements and prerequisites:
- Application to the Upper Division is available for spring and fall start.
- PBA uses the TEAS exam (Version 6) as its entrance exam. The TEAS may ONLY be taken three times, with 30 days between exams.
- Application to the Upper Division means that you have completed or are in progress in the following courses:
- General Psychology
- Life Span Development (Human Growth and Development)
- Principles of Chemistry w/ Lab
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I w/ Lab
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/ Lab
- Microbiology w/ Lab
- Nutrition
- Statistics
*All but one of these courses must be completed by the time of program entrance. You may still be enrolled in these courses during the application process.
Transfer Nursing Students Needing to Complete Some of the PBA Prerequisites
If you need to take an additional course to meet the requirements of the traditional B.S.N. program, you may still be eligible to enroll. Follow these steps to get started:
- Apply for admission to the University
- Submit transcripts
- Make a phone appointment with an Admissions Counselor to go over a basic degree plan
Encounter a transformative environment where current and future nurses blossom in the School of Nursing at PBA. We hold longstanding partnerships with local organizations like Palm Healthcare Foundation, Quantum Foundation, Bethesda Memorial Hospital, and Jupiter Medical Center, and we award dozens of nursing scholarships each year.
After cultivating knowledge in the classroom, you need to gain experience in real-world nursing environments. Throughout the B.S.N. degree program, you will complete clinical components in areas like community, medical-surgical, and psychiatric & mental health nursing. You’ll also engage in a one-on-one apprenticeship with a working RN.
If you transfer with an A.A. degree and all nursing prerequisite coursework, you can complete the nursing bachelor’s degree in as few as 38 total credits over three full-time semesters.
If you hold an associate’s degree in nursing (A.D.N.), you may enroll in up to 61 credits over five full-time semesters to complete the B.S.N. degree.
Nursing Careers
With a B.S.N. degree, you’ll be ready to sit the national licensing exam (NCLEX), obtain your Registered Nurse (RN) license, and begin your career as a dedicated, service-oriented nurse in roles like:
- Registered Nurse
- Telemedicine Nurse
- Travel Nurse
- Flight Nurse
- Forensic Nurse
- Academic Educator
- Clinical Educator
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Nurse Researcher
Our graduates achieve an average pass rate of 93% on the NCLEX and go on to earn salaries averaging over $81,000 per year per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nursing major facilitates your professional growth and potential with some of the country’s most respected healthcare organizations. You could join fellow PBA nursing grads at:
- Duke Medical Center
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Cleveland Clinic
- Community Health Clinic of West Palm Beach
- Emory Healthcare of Atlanta
- Florida Cancer Specialists
- Florida Department of Health
- Jupiter Medical Group
- Marcus Neuroscience Institute
- Palm Beach Cardiology
- St. Mary’s Medical Center
Following the first semester of your junior year, you’ll qualify to work as a nurse technician at most local hospitals.
