You can become a nurse with a biology degree. With Madonna University’s ABSN program, you can make leverage your biology degree and transition to nursing smoothly and earn a BSN in as few as 16 months.
Transitioning from a biology focus to nursing is achievable and faster than many expect. It's common to complete one major and later reconsider your career path. Can you become a nurse with a biology degree? While a biology degree alone doesn't qualify you to practice nursing, it provides a strong foundation.
Madonna University’s ABSN program helps you build on your previous credits to earn a nursing degree efficiently. Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Metro Detroit enables qualified students, those with a bachelor’s degree or at least 60 college credits, to transition to complete a BSN in as few as 16 months. Throughout the process, you’ll receive personalized support from an admissions representative.
While you’re thinking about your career plans, take a closer look at how to become a nurse with a biology degree. Discover the nursing school requirements you’ll need to meet and learn what to expect in nursing school.
How to Become a Nurse With a Biology Degree
Can you major in biology to become a nurse? No, but you can apply your earned credits or a bachelor’s degree toward a nursing degree through Madonna University’s ABSN program. Our ABSN program is appropriate for second-degree students and transfer students alike.
You can make the transition with just four main steps. After graduating, you’ll be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, which is necessary to become a licensed registered nurse (RN). Start by choosing the right program for your needs.
1. Find the Right Accelerated Nursing Program
Look for an accelerated program designed for second-degree or transfer students that accepts your existing credits toward nursing requirements and allows you to begin your nursing career quickly.
The Madonna University ABSN program meets those criteria. It accepts second-degree and transfer students, offers a blended curriculum of online and in-person learning and can be completed in as few as 16 months.
Why choose nursing as a second career? Consider the benefits of making the switch.
2. Speak With an Admissions Representative
An admissions representative will guide you through the admissions process, confirm that our program fits your goals, and help plan your nursing career. They assist with meeting application deadlines, completing documentation, and completing prerequisites.
3. Complete the Prerequisites for Nursing School
It’s common for ABSN programs to require applicants to complete prerequisite courses. These nursing prerequisites ensure that students enter a nursing program with the right foundation for the science-intensive nursing education.
Because you have a biology degree or at least 60 college credits, it’s likely that your prior education fulfills some of the prerequisites. Your admissions representative will review your transcripts and determine which nursing prerequisites you may still need to complete. At Madonna University, you can complete your prerequisite courses online.
4. Apply to the Madonna University ABSN Program
Once you have been admitted to Madonna University, you will work with your admissions representative to apply to the ABSN Program. During this step, you’ll write a letter of intent describing why you are ready to become a nurse. You must also complete a criminal background check before getting started on our nursing coursework.
What to Expect in an ABSN Program
While considering how to become an RN with a biology degree, it’s worth looking at what you can expect in nursing school. You’ll complete nursing theory coursework in areas such as pharmacology, health assessments, nursing leadership, and holistic nursing care. The Madonna ABSN program has three main components:
- You can complete your coursework online.
- You’ll visit our learning site in Metro Detroit for nursing skills labs, which teach key nursing skills like IV placement. You’ll also participate in simulation labs, during which you’ll practice working through various clinical scenarios, such as asthma attacks.
- Lastly, you’ll complete a series of clinical rotations at Henry Ford Health. These provide hands-on experience delivering patient care under supervision.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse With a Biology Degree?
Everyone’s path is a little different, but if you choose our ABSN program, you’ll reach your goal faster. After completing the nursing prerequisites, you can earn a BSN in as few as 16 months. Most students take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam within a couple of months of graduation. If you pass it on your first attempt and obtain licensure from the state, you can start applying to nursing jobs.
Why Switch From a Biology Degree to Nursing?
There are many reasons to turn your biology background into a nursing degree. A nursing career offers plenty of benefits, such as:
- Competitive median annual salary, at $93,600 as of May 2024
- Flexible range of work settings
- Opportunity to choose from many different nursing specialties
- Robust job growth rate, at 5% through 2034
How a Biology Degree Applies to Nursing
Biology underpins healthcare. You may have planned on medical school, and nurses often take similar prerequisites as biology majors.
As a nursing student, you will draw on biology to:
- Identify genetic factors that influence patient health.
- Compare treatment options based on personal and family health histories.
- Analyze patient physiology to provide holistic care.
A biology degree can translate well to the nursing field, but why choose the Madonna University ABSN program for your transition?
Discover why a BSN is important for your patients and your nursing career.
Why Choose Our ABSN Program?
Health systems in the Metro Detroit area recognize that Madonna University nurses are different, thanks to our values-based education that emphasizes academic rigor, community service, and ethical leadership. Our nursing education shapes students into compassionate, competent nurses who advocate effectively for their patients.
Our curriculum covers leadership, critical thinking, healthcare policy, advocacy, and communication that can help prepare you for graduate-level nursing studies if you choose to further your education.
Nursing Career Opportunities After Graduation
After graduating and passing the NCLEX-RN, you can choose from a range of career opportunities. Gain clinical experience at the bedside as a medical-surgical, pediatric, orthopedic, or cardiac care nurse, among many other specialty options.
After gaining clinical experience, you might choose to move into a new nursing specialty that requires experience, such as flight nursing. You could pursue advancement by earning professional certifications and graduate degrees, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). With a graduate degree, you might pursue advancement as a:
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
- Nurse administrator
- Nurse educator
- Nurse manager
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Nurse researcher
Switch From Biology to Nursing at Madonna University
Now that you know how to become an RN with a biology degree, it’s time to get started. Madonna University delivers values-based nursing education aligned with our Franciscan heritage, with a focus on graduating effective patient advocates and future nurse leaders. While you’re enrolled, you’ll benefit from cutting-edge technology in our labs, small class sizes, and comprehensive support, including Academic Success Coaches.
Request information and connnect with an admissions representative to get started switching from biology to nursing today.