You are a caregiver, a healer, and an advocate. Nursing is not just your major; it is your calling. FSC’s direct-entry BSN program turns that calling into a career through hands-on learning, personalized mentorship, and clinical experience in Florida’s top hospitals from your very first year.
A day in FSC’s nursing program might begin with a high-fidelity simulation, where your mannequin patient’s condition changes in real time — and it’s up to you to respond. By afternoon, you’re in a seminar led by a faculty member who spent the morning seeing actual patients. By your senior year, you’re completing rotations at AdventHealth or Tampa General, often working alongside the nurses who may soon become your colleagues. At FSC, nursing education mirrors real clinical life, starting from your very first semester.
Florida Southern College’s direct-entry BSN gives you the knowledge, clinical experience, and confidence to deliver exceptional care in any healthcare environment. Unlike many programs, FSC nursing classes start in your first year, with clinicals beginning in your second year. You’ll graduate with more than 500 hours of clinical and simulation experience, and the preparation to thrive in the most demanding healthcare settings.
FSC nursing graduates don't just finish, they launch. Recognized by Colleges of Distinction for a program built on early clinical immersion, personalized mentorship, and proven outcomes, our graduates set a standard of success. Here’s a look at the numbers.
Every FSC nursing graduate is employed or accepted into a graduate nursing program, many before finishing their senior year. Graduates have launched careers at Duke Health, Yale New Haven Hospital, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and Lakeland Regional Health.
FSC nursing students consistently surpass state and national NCLEX-RN pass rate averages in recent cohorts, a direct reflection of early preparation, hands-on clinical training, and strong faculty support from day one.
FSC nurses enter the workforce earning significantly more than the overall Class of 2025 average, highlighting both the exceptional preparation the program provides and the strong demand employers have for FSC graduates.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects registered nursing to grow faster than the average for all occupations, with nearly 195,000 new positions nationwide by 2035, making nursing one of the country's most stable and in-demand careers, and a BSN from FSC one of the strongest ways in.
A full-time, direct-entry BSN program built around early clinical immersion, personalized faculty mentorship, and outcomes that speak for themselves. FSC nursing students graduate prepared, not just credentialed.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern College's full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Transfer students can apply for limited spaces in FSC’s direct-entry nursing program. Learn more about nursing transfer opportunities
Review all international admission requirements.
Occasionally, there are opportunities for currently enrolled FSC students to apply to the nursing program. Students must follow the procedures outlined in the current FSC catalog, which includes a written essay and a meeting with the nursing program director during November of their first semester. A minimum GPA of 3.0 and completion of prerequisite coursework are required for consideration.
FSC’s BSN curriculum blends patient care, clinical pharmacology, pathophysiology, and the behavioral and biological sciences — giving students a comprehensive understanding of healthcare that extends well beyond the technical skills of nursing practice.
Students master health assessment, clinical reasoning, and community health, while exploring the social issues and systemic challenges shaping today’s nursing profession. The curriculum’s global component takes students abroad to understand health, illness, and disease in international contexts — developing the cultural competence and public health perspective that today’s most respected healthcare employers look for.
All students complete an academic progression requirement, maintaining an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and must achieve a grade of C or higher in all required nursing coursework. Standardized testing is used to monitor student progress throughout the program, and students must pass a final exit examination to meet BSN graduation requirements.
The BSN at FSC is a four-year, full-time, in-person degree. Core areas of study include:
Biological and Behavioral Sciences Foundation
Anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and sociology provide the scientific and humanistic foundation for nursing practice.
Nursing Core
Nursing fundamentals, health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, maternal-newborn nursing, pediatric nursing, mental health nursing, medical-surgical nursing, critical care nursing, community health nursing, and nursing management and leadership.
Clinical and Simulation Experience
More than 500 hours of clinical and simulation experience — beginning with high-fidelity simulation in year one and progressing through clinical rotations at AdventHealth, Lakeland Regional Health, Moffitt Cancer Center, Orlando Health, Tampa General, and other leading Central Florida healthcare facilities.
Capstone and Global Learning
Senior practicums, research, and global learning experiences that deepen understanding of public health, cultural competence, and the social factors affecting patient care.
Florida Southern College's Bachelor of Science in Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the national accrediting body for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs.
Accreditation matters. It confirms that a program meets rigorous national standards for the quality of nursing education, and it directly affects your future: graduating from a CCNE-accredited program ensures you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, qualifies you for a broader range of employers (many hospitals hire only from accredited programs), and positions you for admission to graduate nursing programs, which typically require a degree from an accredited institution.
When you earn your BSN at FSC, you graduate from a program held to the same standards as the nation's most respected schools of nursing — and employers and graduate programs recognize it.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Florida Southern College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791).
Nursing students at FSC are part of a close-knit cohort that becomes your study group, your support system, and eventually your professional network. Get involved with:
Peer tutoring keeps students academically supported, and the connections built through these organizations and the cohort experience itself open doors to leadership, service, and professional opportunities long before graduation.
FSC’s Simulation and Clinical Learning Center is a state-of-the-art facility that serves both graduate and undergraduate nursing programs. It provides a cutting-edge environment where students develop clinical skills in a realistic, controlled, and safe setting.
From your very first Nursing Fundamentals class, you’ll train with high-fidelity simulation mannequins that breathe, speak, and react in real time. This allows you to master complex procedures in a realistic environment before ever setting foot in a hospital. By senior year, simulation and clinical rotations are part of a seamless preparation process that consistently leads to exceptional pass rates and graduates ready to succeed from day one.
After mastering skills in the simulation lab, FSC nursing students complete clinical rotations at some of Central Florida’s most respected healthcare systems:
Many students receive job offers from their rotation sites before graduation. The clinical experience is not just training; it is an extended audition at the organizations where FSC graduates go on to build their careers.
Every FSC nursing graduate is employed or accepted into a graduate nursing program, many before finishing their senior year. FSC prepares graduates for careers across the full spectrum of nursing, and many go on to pursue advanced practice as Nurse Practitioners, DNPs, or nurse educators.
FSC graduates are working in emergency departments, intensive care units, and Level 1 trauma centers at some of the most demanding healthcare settings in the country. The critical thinking skills developed through FSC’s simulation center and clinical rotations give graduates the confidence to care for any patient they see — from their very first shift
Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment institutions, is part of FSC’s clinical rotation network, giving students access to a specialty setting that other undergraduate nursing programs cannot offer.
FSC’s curriculum includes community health nursing and global learning experiences that prepare graduates for careers in public health, community care, and health policy, fields where the social factors affecting patient care are as important as clinical skills.
Many FSC nursing graduates go on to pursue advanced practice as Nurse Practitioners (NP), Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), or nurse educators. FSC’s rigorous BSN curriculum and its outcomes make graduates competitive applicants to the most respected graduate nursing programs in the country.
"During my internship, there was a patient who ended up becoming septic, for whom immediate intervention was necessary to decrease fatality. Due to the critical thinking skills I developed at FSC, I was able to recognize this situation and act quickly to prevent a fatal complication."
"Florida Southern played a tremendous role in my nursing career, setting me up for success and allowing me to get to where I am now. The professors did an amazing job preparing me with the knowledge and critical-thinking skills to become a nurse. Working at one of the country’s biggest and best Level 1 trauma centers, I have confidence in my ability to care for any patient I see. Without the support of my professors and experience from clinicals, I would not have been able to land my dream job right out of college."
FSC prepared me for my career by enabling me to get such great pediatric practicum experience at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. This allowed me to discover my love for working in pediatrics and sparked my passion for nursing even more than before!
I had offers from other programs. What made FSC different was visiting — the moment I met the faculty, I knew this was somewhere I actually belonged.
During my internship, Florida Southern has an amazing nursing program with the best professors. The school feels like a community; everybody is so nice here. The campus is beautiful, and I love the size of the campus as well.
I chose FSC for the small classes, the exceptional nursing program that I’m so in love with, and encouraging students and teachers who are always extremely eager to lend a helping hand.
Your nursing education at FSC extends beyond the lab and the clinical floor. You will have opportunities to participate in original research, community-based health projects, and global learning experiences that deepen your understanding of public health, cultural competence, and the social factors affecting patient care.
FSC nursing graduates are prepared for the full spectrum of nursing: acute and critical care, trauma, pediatrics, maternity, mental health, and community health. Whatever direction calls to you, your training and faculty mentors will help you find your footing, and the confidence to pursue it.
From first-year simulation scenarios and sophomore clinical rotations at Moffitt Cancer Center to global learning experiences and senior practicums at Tampa General and AdventHealth, FSC nursing students are always in the work. Every simulation, every clinical, and every patient interaction builds the judgment, confidence, and professional relationships that nursing careers demand.
Nursing school is demanding, and FSC has built everything around making sure you do not face it alone. Your faculty are experienced clinicians and researchers who invest in your individual success. They know where you are struggling before you ask for help, and they will advocate for you in ways a large program simply cannot.
Associate Professor of Nursing, BSN Program Director
Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, The Dr. Keith R. Berend Endowed Chair in Nursing
Nursing Simulation Educator and Instructor of Nursing
Simulation Educator
The BSN program at FSC is competitive and selects students with the highest academic profiles who we feel will be most successful in our rigorous nursing curriculum. First-year nursing students average a 3.76 high school GPA, 26 ACT, and 1240 SAT. An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for progression in the major. Students must achieve a grade of C or higher in all required coursework for the nursing major. Standardized testing is used to monitor student progress throughout the program, and students must pass a final exit examination to meet BSN major graduation requirements.
Occasionally, there are opportunities for students already enrolled at FSC to apply to the program. They must follow the procedures outlined in the current FSC catalog, which requires a written essay and a meeting with the nursing program director during November of their first semester. To be considered, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have completed prerequisite coursework.
Transfer students can apply for limited spaces in FSC’s direct-entry nursing program. Learn more about nursing transfer opportunities.
No. FSC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a full-time, in-person program. Nursing is a highly hands-on field, and the program is designed to provide immersive, real-world training through face-to-face instruction, on-campus labs, and in-person clinical experiences. This approach ensures graduates are fully prepared to deliver exceptional patient care in today’s healthcare environments.
We strongly encourage you to consider joining the FSC community with a different intended major. FSC offers other options for students interested in healthcare careers. Graduates of the Exercise Science program are prepared to pursue graduate programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and exercise physiology, or to enter the workforce directly. Please speak with your admissions counselor about your options.
CCNE stands for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the national accrediting body for BSN and graduate nursing programs. FSC’s baccalaureate degree program in nursing is accredited by CCNE, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. CCNE accreditation ensures that the program meets rigorous standards for the quality of nursing education and prepares graduates for licensure, certification, and professional practice.
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Read the latest from FSC’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences, from student research and travel opportunities to NCLEX results and alumni achievements.
At FSC, you are the focus. Our team loves connecting with prospective nursing students to answer questions about the BSN program, the direct-entry structure, and what it takes to thrive here.
Associate Professor of Nursing, BSN Program Director
100% of FSC nursing graduates are employed or in graduate school. Your next step starts here.
