Nursing (ADN), Associate Degree

Program Location Miami
Program Credits 67 Credits
Program Length 4 Semesters, 80 Instructional Weeks
Time to Complete 20 Months

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1141.00

Associate degree nursing education provides the basic education necessary to become a registered nurse.  Graduates are eligible to sit for NCLEX-RN licensing examination and, if licensed, may practice in structured care settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and offices.  Associate degree nursing education incorporates nursing knowledge, knowledge of key biological and social sciences, and study of the humanities.  The length of the program is 20 months and 67 total credits.

Clinical requirements

  1. In the clinical setting, critical competencies include Therapeutic Nursing, Skills/Safety, the Nursing Process, Accountability and Responsibility, Communication and Collaboration, and Professional Growth and Development.  The curriculum includes 14 semester credits of clinical course work totaling 630 hours of clinical practice.
  2. Students must pass both theory and the concurrent clinical with at least a 76 percent to progress to the next term.
  3. Clinical competencies are written that define and describe the level of competency for the beginning, intermediate and advanced level of nursing student.
  4. The curriculum offers a progressive level of theoretical instruction and supervised clinical practice, which ranges from common to complex, and ensures coverage of critical concepts that directly reflect the mission, philosophy, and objectives of the nursing program.

ADN Curriculum

This curriculum applies to students matriculating or reentering after April 1, 2023.

General Education Requirements

All science courses must have been taken within the last five calendar years, unless the student possesses a degree or advanced degree in the specific field of study for which the student is seeking transfer credit.  Additional information regarding transfer credit is located in the university's catalog under Transfer Credit policy or below.

Category and Requirements WCU Course Requirements Transferable / Options
Foundational Course FHE 100 (3):  Foundations of Higher Education (Starting Spring II 2023) Non-transferable
A2- Written Communication
(3 Semester Credits Minimum)
*ENGL 140 (3):  Written Communication I Equivalent to ENGL 140

 

A3. Quantitative Reasoning
(3 Semester Credits)
MATH 108 (3):  College Mathematics I Equivalent to MATH 108
B1– Social and Behavioral Sciences / Cultural Diversity, Tradition
(3 Semester Credits Minimum)
*PSYC 160 (3):  Psychology (Starting Spring II 2023 this course will no longer be part of the curriculum)

*PSYC 290 (3):  Life Span Psychology
Equivalent to PSYC 160

Equivalent to PSYC 290
B2. Life and Physical Sciences
(12 Semester Credits Minimum)
ANAT 260 (4):  Human Anatomy

PHYS 261 (4):  Human Physiology

MICR 290 (4):  General Microbiology
Equivalent to ANAT 260

Non-transferable

Equivalent to MICR 290
A minimum of 24 credits is required for graduation.

*As of April 2019, this course will be delivered online, asynchronously, through the institution's Learning Management System except where otherwise authorized by the Program Dean/Director.

General Education within Area of Study

PATH 370 Pathophysiology

Total Credit Hours: 3

1 The following courses are to be taken at WCU:  FHE 100, PATH 370, PHYS 261

Core Nursing Courses

NURS 103Fundamentals of Nursing

3

NURS 104LFundamentals of Nursing Skills Lab

2

NURS 122Introduction to Medical Surgical Nursing

3

NURS 123LIntroduction to Medical Surgical Nursing Practicum

3

NURS 181Pharmacology

3

NURS 191Physical Assessment

2

NURS 208Medical Surgical Nursing Older Adult

3

NURS 223Mental Health/Older Adult Nursing

3

NURS 224LMedical Surgical & Mental Health Nursing Care of the Older Adult Practicum

3

NURS 308Expanding and Developing Family

4

NURS 318LExpanding and Developing Family Practicum

3

NURS 424Principles of Leadership and Management

2

NURS 482Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing

3

NURS 483LAdvanced Medical Surgical Nursing Practicum

3

NURS 484Capstone

0

Total Credit Hours:40.0
 

Program Credit Distribution

General Education Semester Credits 
27.0 
Core Nursing Courses 
40.0
Total Program Semester Credits 67.0

ADN Program Costs

For program costs, please see the Undergraduate Tuition and Fees section.