Columbus State University
Frequently Asked Questions
RN-BSN Program
1. Who is accepted into the RN-BSN Program? The RN-BSN program track is designated only for
Registered Nurses who are completing a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSN) in Nursing.
2. How to I apply to Columbus State University? Apply Here An application fee will apply. (Select
RN-BSN as your major). Before the Registrar’s Office will evaluate transcripts, transfer students must
meet the admission requirements of Columbus State University and provide official transcripts from all
previously attended institutions.
3. What if I graduated from Columbus State University (CSU)? If you are an alumnus, your admission
is waived and you will apply as a re-entry undergraduate student. (Select RN-BSN as your major).
Please join our CSU Nursing Alumni Group.
4. What do I select as my major? Select RN-BSN degree as your major. If you select nursing, you will
be assigned to our pre-licensure program and will not be able to priority register. Priority registration is
to help you secure the classes you need in order to graduate on time.
5. How can I make sure I get the classes I need? RN-BSN students get “priority registration”. This
means that you are given priority over other students when being placed in courses because some
courses fill up quicker than others. It is your responsibility to keep up with the dates and times to register
and semester advising appointments.
6. When should I make an appointment with the RN-BSN nursing advisor? You should make an
appointment with an advisor after you have made application to Columbus State University and sent in
all transcripts for each college/university you have attended. It takes approximately 3 weeks for
processing your application and evaluating your transcripts. The CSU Registrar’s Office will send you a
letter when accepted. The School of Nursing will not advise a student until accepted by the University.
7. How do I make an appointment with the RN-BSN nursing advisor? After admission to CSU, please
call 706-507-8560 or e-mail pace_office@columbussate.edu for an advising appointment.
Appointments can be face to face, via e-mail or by telephone. Please specify when you make your
appointment which type of advising would be most helpful to you.
8. When do I complete my RN-BSN application and get accepted? This will be given to you with your
first nursing advising appointment. We encourage close contact with the RN-BSN advisor to help you
meet your educational goals.
9. What is the RN-BSN application deadline? May 1st of each year. Applications may be considered for
acceptance after the deadline depending upon eligibility.
10. Is the RN-BSN program full or part-time? Students may go part-time while taking core courses
(refer to curriculum schema sheet). Students may enroll part-time in the RN-BSN program but only with
the program coordinators approval. Completion of all core courses, a well developed sequencing plan
with an RN-BSN advisor, and a completion date to finish within two (2) years will be required to
complete the program. Refer to the full time and part time curriculum schema.
11. What if I run out of time to complete the program in two years? The circumstances will need to be
discussed with the RN-BSN program coordinator and the RN-BSN advisor for an extension.
12. Am I ever required to be on campus? No, the RN-BSN program is completely online and a student
can complete the entire program from his/her own geographical location.
13. How does the RN-BSN program work online? Refer to degree schema sheet. You will be taking 5
sessions to complete the RN-BSN program (full-time). All assignments will be completed online.
Classes are asynchronous. You may work ahead of schedule to complete your module work in the same
session for your convenience.
14. What about clinical requirements for the RN-BSN program? All clinical requirements must be sent
in 3 weeks prior to starting the RN-BSN program Session 1 NURS 3191 Professional Clinical Nursing
RN I and NURS 3276 Health Assessment.
Send, once admitted to the RN-BSN program (in one envelope; do not send packet until complete):
 a copy of your Georgia RN license,
 CPR certification (American Heart Association only),
 liability malpractice insurance policy, copy of health insurance or signed waiver (notary required
with waiver),
 health history/physical on CSU form,
 Criminal background check/drug screen (need CSU form) and
 Immunizations (PPD, Hepatitis B series or proof of immunity, MMR vaccine, Varicella vaccine
or proof of immunity, Tdap) to our PACE office.
Columbus State University
School of Nursing (PACE Office)
Illges Hall, Room 123
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, Georgia 31907
You are required to send in updated nursing license, PPD and CPR while in the program if expired.
15. Where can I take American Heart Association CPR? For students in the Columbus, Georgia area, the
following is a list of providers. Any provider that meets American Heart Association standards is
acceptable.
Rebecca Tew – tew_rebecca@columbusstate.edu
One CPR, Joshua Crawford 706-225-7191
Columbus Technical College 706-649-1800
Sherika Derico - derico_sherika@columbusstate.edu
16. What is expected of me to complete my clinical courses? All clinical requirements are completed in
NURS 4292 Professional Clinical Nursing RN II. Students collaborate with the faculty facilitator for
that course to choose an appropriate preceptor in an appropriate facility to directly supervise the
student’s growth in this course. Projects and assignments are required to complete the clinical course.
Preferred preceptors are RN’s with a BSN (or higher degree in nursing). The faculty facilitator of
NURS 4292 must approve preceptors who do not meet these qualification.
17. What is the Georgia RN-BSN Articulation Model and what this means to you? Columbus State
University supports the Georgia RN-BSN Articulation Model. The purpose of this model is to facilitate
the educational mobility of registered nurses who elect to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing. RNBSN students are awarded 32 nursing credit hours after successfully passing (nursing credits held in
escrow until completion of the nursing course work) the first nursing clinical course NURS 3191
Professional Clinical Nursing RN I.
18. Do I have to have a current Georgia Nursing License? Yes. You must have a current unrestricted
licensure as a Registered Nursing in Georgia to enroll in the RN-BSN program. If the license is limited
or restricted, the potential applicant must disclose the terms of the consent order and any restriction on
practice as a condition of admission. The RN-BSN Admissions and Progression Committee will review
these students on an individual basis.
19. What if I am not working now? Pre-admission testing is not required if the Registered Nurse has 1000
hours of clinical nursing practice in the last 3 years. Registered nurses who have been professionally
inactive for four or more years will be required to validate nursing knowledge prior to acceptance and
enrollment in nursing coursework. Validation testing may include standardized exams and/or clinical
competencies and the student is responsible for the cost on the test. The RN-BSN Admissions and
Progression Committee will review these students on an individual basis.
20. What are the computer requirements for the RN-BSN online program? You must have a computer
that is accessible to you to check for daily announcements and to retrieve and complete scholarly work.
21. What about testing in the courses? All evaluation of learning is done via electronic submissions, timed
testing, or via videotape.
22. Is Columbus State University’s RN-BSN program accredited? Yes, The Bachelor of Science in
Nursing program has full approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
23. Does the nursing program I graduated from have to be accredited? Yes, by the National League of
Nursing (NLN). At this time, Columbus State University’s RN-BSN program is not accepting
applications from non-accredited nursing schools.
24. What are the eligibility requirements for admission? Candidates must hold a current valid Georgia
Nursing License, overall grade point average of 2.5. The nursing grade point average is calculated in the
School of Nursing and is based only on required nursing courses. If your GPA is between 2.0 – 2.49,
conditional admission can be requested for the first session. The student must make a C or higher in the
courses during this session and must have completed all but 9 hours of the required core courses. Must
complete statistics (NURS 1127) prior to RN-BSN program admission.
25. What would make me not eligible to enroll in the RN-BSN program? Patterns of withdrawal from
courses/schools, grades of D’s and F’s and retaking courses several times, and failing grades in science
courses. Candidates that have been dismissed from another nursing education program for any reason
are ineligible for admission to the RN-BSN program.
26. What about the RN-BSN Program Cost? Tuition Rate is $344.00 per credit hour.
Plus a $334.00 fee ($69.00 technology fee and a $265.00 institutional fee). Refer to program fee sheet.
27. Are there out of state fees associated with this program? The RN-BSN online nursing courses do not
have out of state fees attached.
28. What students are exempt from taking the physical education classes? Students 40 or over, students
who have served in the military for one year or longer and post baccalaureate students are exempt
from taking PHED 1205 and the 1 hour physical education requirement.
29. RN-BSN students may take two lab non-sequence science courses (area D sciences with labs).
Ex. If you took CHEM 1151 & lab and you wanted to take BIOL 1215 & lab or Physics and lab that
would be acceptable. You do not have to take two sequenced science courses (two chemistry or two
biology courses).
30. I already have one degree, does that help me take less classes? RN-BSN students, Post Baccalaureate
students are considered to have met the core (Areas A-F) with the exception of the science sequence in
area D and all of area F. These courses include:
Area D: Science sequence of BIOL 1215 & 1225 or CHEM 1151 & 1152 & their labs or CHEM 1211
& 1212 and their labs, or PHYSICS sequence per Georgia Board of Regents Requirement.
Area F: BIOL 2221 & 2221 (A&P 1&2), BIOL 2225 (Micro), STAT 1127, and Psyc 1101.
31. Will all students have to meet CSU's General University Requirements? Yes, CSU is referring to
the test that students either test out of by taking core courses or by taking test. US/GA history, US/GA
GOVT, COMM, INFO LIT, and Outcomes Assessment. For Example if a student took US history in
AL, student would need to take the GA history test (except for CVCC students, they get credit for GA
history also), Ex. U.S. history taken in GA satisfies the US & GA History requirement for CSU's
general requirements. U.S. history taken in AL satisfies the US history requirement only (would need to
take GA history test). RN-BSN, Post baccalaureate students who did not take U.S. history in their
BS/BA degree, would need to take the GA & US history test. Your RN-BSN nursing advisor will help
you make the right decisions in what classes you need to take.
32. How do I apply for financial aid? Financial Aid
33. How do I pay for my classes once I register? To pay go to www.columbusstate.edu which will bring
you to Cougar Net, enrollment services, student accounts. You can pay online if you choose or call the
cashiers office to ask for other alternative ways of submitting payment.
34. What about joining ROTC at Columbus State University? ROTC Nursing Opportunities
35. What if I graduated out of the country? Candidates who are international graduates are required to
have transcripts evaluated by: Josef Silny & Sons, Western Educational Services (WES), or Education
Credential Evaluators (ECE). Once approved, you are to contact the Georgia Board of Nursing for a
Georgia RN license.
36. What are the requirements for graduation? A BSN degree is awarded on completion of course work
and fulfillment of candidacy requirements.
37. What about the RN-MSN opportunity? Columbus State University School of Nursing is offering an
online degree program collaboratively by CSU and Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. We
offer two tracks of study: nurse educator or nurse leader. You may skip session 5 in the RN-BSN
program and began the MSN program. This opportunity will help you save time towards your MSN
completion. Contact Dr. Cheryl Smith if you have questions regarding this program at
smith_cheryl6@columbusstate.edu. Refer to MSN Program
Still have questions? We will be glad to help you.
Call us at 706-507-8570 and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about our program.
Your success is our number one concern!