Second-Degree Nursing Programs for Career-Changers

Reviewed June 1, 2026 by the ScrubScope editorial team.

A second-degree nursing program is any pathway designed for someone who already holds a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field and now wants to become a nurse. Because the applicant has already completed general-education coursework, these programs skip the redundant undergraduate breadth and focus on nursing, which makes them faster than starting a four-year degree from scratch. The two main forms are the accelerated BSN, which delivers a bachelor's-level nursing credential, and the direct-entry MSN, which leads to a master's. This guide maps the second-degree landscape, explains the eligibility gate they share, and compares the routes so a career-changer can pick the right one.

The short answer

A second-degree nursing program is one built for a career-changer who already holds a bachelor's degree in another field, applying that prior degree so the program concentrates on nursing rather than repeating a full four years^[1]. The two principal routes are the accelerated BSN, which awards a bachelor's-level nursing degree in roughly 12 to 18 intensive months, and the direct-entry MSN, which leads to a master's^[2]. Both first bring the student to RN licensure through the NCLEX. The shared requirement is the prior bachelor's plus prerequisite courses. The ABSN-versus-stepwise comparison is detailed in the ABSN vs ADN-then-BSN guide.

What "second-degree" means

The term describes the applicant, not a single program type, and that distinction matters.

Second-degree refers to the fact that the student is earning a second degree, having already completed a bachelor's in a non-nursing subject. The category includes any nursing program that admits and is designed around such students, leveraging their prior general-education credits^[1]. The advantage is time: because the breadth requirements are already met by the first degree, the nursing program can be shorter than a traditional four-year BSN.

These programs are aimed at career-changers, people who studied something else, worked, and now want to enter nursing. They differ from traditional entry programs, which assume a student starting their first degree. So the first thing to confirm about any program is whether it is structured for second-degree applicants, since that determines whether your prior bachelor's counts toward shortening the path.

The shared eligibility gate

Every second-degree route shares one entry requirement, and meeting it is the precondition for all of them.

The common gate is a completed bachelor's degree. Without a prior bachelor's, a person is not eligible for the second-degree routes and would instead enter nursing through a traditional BSN or an ADN^[3]. Beyond the degree itself, second-degree programs almost always require specific prerequisite courses, typically sciences such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and chemistry, completed before admission, since the prior degree usually did not include them.

Programs also set a minimum GPA and may require other application materials. The prerequisites are often the real timeline driver for a career-changer, because someone whose first degree was unrelated may need a year or more to complete the science prerequisites before even applying. So the honest planning step is to map the prerequisite list early, since it sits in front of any second-degree program regardless of which route you ultimately choose.

ABSN: the bachelor's-level route

The ABSN is the most common second-degree route, and it delivers a BSN fast.

An accelerated BSN takes the second-degree student through an intensive, full-time nursing program, typically 12 to 18 months, that awards a BSN and prepares them for the NCLEX-RN^[1]. It is the fastest way for a degree-holder to reach the bachelor's-level nursing credential. The tradeoff is intensity: the compressed timeline is demanding and usually leaves no room to work during the program.

The ABSN is the right second-degree route for someone who wants to become an RN at the bachelor's level and is not committing upfront to a master's-level role. After the ABSN, the graduate is a BSN-prepared RN and can later pursue a master's separately if they choose. The full ABSN landscape, including costs and prerequisites, is on the ABSN hub.

Direct-entry MSN: the master's-level route

The direct-entry MSN is the second-degree route for those aiming higher from the start.

A direct-entry MSN takes the same second-degree student but continues past licensure into a full master's, so the graduate ends with an MSN rather than a BSN^[2]. It first delivers pre-licensure content leading to the NCLEX-RN, then graduate coursework. It is longer and costlier than an ABSN because it covers two levels, and the master's track can lead toward advanced-practice roles or non-clinical tracks like leadership and education.

This route fits a career-changer who already knows they want a master's-level nursing role and prefers to reach it in one continuous program rather than earning a BSN, working, and pursuing the master's later. The full mechanics, including how licensure fits in mid-program, are in the direct-entry MSN guide. For someone uncertain about graduate study, the ABSN is the safer second-degree choice because it reaches RN status faster and keeps the master's optional.

How to choose between them

The decision between the two second-degree routes turns on certainty about the master's and on speed to licensure.

Choose the ABSN if you want to become an RN as fast as a second-degree route allows, you want the bachelor's-level credential, and you are not committing upfront to a master's-level role; you can always add a master's later^[1]. Choose the direct-entry MSN if you are confident you want a master's-level nursing role and prefer to reach it in one program, accepting the longer timeline and higher cost. Either way, the prerequisite courses and prior bachelor's come first, so map those before deciding. The intensity of both means confirming you can step back from work for a full-time program is part of the choice.

Bottom line

Second-degree nursing programs let a career-changer with a non-nursing bachelor's become a nurse faster than starting over, by applying the prior degree and focusing on nursing^[1]. The two main routes are the accelerated BSN, which delivers a bachelor's-level credential in roughly 12 to 18 intensive months, and the direct-entry MSN, which continues to a master's^[2]. Both require a prior bachelor's plus prerequisite courses and both lead to the NCLEX-RN^[3]. Choose the ABSN for speed to RN, the direct-entry MSN when you are certain you want the master's. The ABSN hub is at /programs/absn/.

ScrubScope ranks programs by fit and never by which school pays more; schools, not us, make every admissions decision.

Reviewed every 90 days.