ADN-BSN Collaborative Program

Cal State LA student nurses.

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is a collaborative, dual-enrollment program between 13 local community college partners and Cal State LA that facilitates seamless academic progression to Cal State LA for ADN-BSN Collaborative Program students. Students must be enrolled in the ADN program at a community college partner and successfully complete the first and second semesters in the ADN program before starting the first Cal State LA Summer Session. Collaborative Program students who successfully meet the Cal State LA program requirements will continue after graduation from the ADN program to complete their final year of BSN coursework. This Collaborative Program enables the ADN RN to earn a BSN degree in one year after graduating from a community college. Successful Collaborative students maintain a reserved space in their cohort throughout the BSN program.

MORE INFORMATION

To qualify for the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program at Cal State LA, students must meet these requirements.

To determine if you meet the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program eligibility requirements, please see the ADN-BSN Collaborative Student Eligibility Form.

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program application is a two-step process.

Step 1: Apply at your community college

Students in their first or second semester of the ADN program during the fall semester are eligible to apply to the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program through their community college nursing program.

Each of the 13 community college partner schools evaluates and selects the students they will send forward to Cal State LA to be part of the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program. Each college identifies qualified selected and alternate students. The number of students from each college may vary.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program, please let your community college nursing counselor and/or director know. They will let you know what the specific application process is at your college. While each community college may have a different application process, all students must meet the same Cal State LA eligibility requirements. Read the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program Eligibility Requirements for more information regarding specific program eligibility requirements.

Once all 13 community colleges have submitted their lists of accepted students, the Cal State LA ADN-BSN Collaborative Program Office will compile them into the final list of 80 accepted students; all remaining alternate students will be compiled into a single list as well. If any selected students withdraw from the program prior to the beginning of Summer 1, Cal State LA will fill the vacant space with the next student from the alternate list (ranked by GPAs and number of outstanding prerequisite courses remaining).

Step 2: Apply to Cal State LA

Students who have been admitted into the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program will be notified when to apply to Cal State LA through the Cal State Apply website for formal enrollment. The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program has a special time window for students to apply to Cal State Apply after students have completed Summer 1. Additional information about this application process and timeline will be provided to each cohort individually.

Read how the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is structured.

For information about the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program timeline and requirements during each term, please see the Student Timeline Checklist.

For more information about the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program, see the Program Purpose/Background and Program Brochure.

Which courses do ADN-BSN Collaborative students take at Cal State LA?

BSN Courses

  • Health Assessment + Lab
  • Pathophysiology
  • Development for Professional Practice + Lab
  • Informatics/Information Literacy
  • Leadership/Care Management + Clinical
  • Introduction to Nursing Research
  • Community/Public Health + Clinical*

*required for CA Public Health Nursing (PHN) Certificate

University Requirements**

  • Directed Upper Division General Education Courses:
    • Biology of Human Aging
    • Engaged Philosophy: An Intersectional Approach
    • Race, Gender, and Poverty in the US

**Students with a previous bachelor’s degree do not need to take these courses

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is a self-support program offered through the College of Professional and Global Education (PaGE). In self-support programs, student fees cover all direct and indirect expenses associated with offering classes and services. Once students enroll in the fall semester of the program, they are considered matriculated students. Matriculation simply means that students are enrolled in a degree-granting program and will be eligible to receive a BSN degree from Cal State LA. This does not mean that students will be considered state-side students. 

Tuition

Tuition for the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is $525/unit.

The Student Health Center fee is $149.19 per semester* (Summer 2, Fall, and Spring only)

The University Student Union fee is $137.25 per semester* (Fall and Spring only)

*These fees allow students access to services provided by the Student Health Center and University Student Union.

During the first two Cal State LA Summer Sessions (Summer 1 and 2) of the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program, students are considered “continuing education” students. Because of this classification, the only financial assistance students are eligible to apply for are private educational loans from outside lenders. These loans will be facilitated through the Cal State LA Financial Aid Office and the College of Professional and Global Education. These departments will work directly with the bank or lender to certify the loan, facilitate tuition payment, and disburse any remaining funds back to the student.

Once ADN-BSN Collaborative students begin the fall semester (and continuing spring semester), they are considered fully enrolled students in the College of Professional and Global Education at Cal State LA as they are no longer taking courses at the community college level. At this time, students may be eligible for additional forms of financial assistance. Eligibility for financial aid is determined by the information submitted on each student’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and will vary for each student. Below is a list of the types of aid ADN-BSN Collaborative students may potentially be eligible for beginning in the fall semester:

Available Financial Aid Options for ADN-BSN Collaborative Students:

  • Subsidized Federal student loans
  • Unsubsidized Federal student loans
  • Pell Grant
  • Scholarships
  • Private loans

Because of the self-support structure of the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program, there are certain types of financial assistance that students enrolled in the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program will not be eligible for:

Unavailable Financial Aid Options for ADN-BSN Collaborative Students:

  • State University Grant
  • Cal Grant
  • Cal-Vet Fee Waiver

**Please note the California College Promise Grant (CCPG, formerly the Board of Governor’s (BOG) Fee Waiver) available at community colleges is not available at the CSU level**

Cal State LA Roadmaps

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program curriculum is outlined in each of the roadmaps listed below. Please select the appropriate roadmap below for more information:

Roadmap for students with a previous bachelor’s degree.

Roadmap for students without a previous bachelor’s degree.

Community College Roadmaps:

The roadmaps below provide a general guideline for students to complete the ADN prerequisite, major, and associate degree requirements, as well as the BSN requirements at Cal State LA. Please see the Cal State LA roadmaps above for more detailed information about the Cal State LA BSN curriculum.

How is the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program different from the RN-BSN Program at Cal State LA?

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is different from the RN-BSN Program in several ways. The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program is a self-support program offered through the College of Professional and Global Education (PaGE). In self-support programs, student fees cover all direct and indirect expenses associated with offering classes and services. This enables the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing to significantly increase access and capacity to advance more BSN-prepared RNs into the nursing workforce. The RN-BSN Program is a state-supported program, which means that the total costs, including faculty compensation, are covered by the state general fund as well as student tuition. (Please see the Tuition / Fees / Financial Assistance drop-down menu for more information about ADN-BSN Collaborative Program tuition costs.)

In the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program, students begin their BSN coursework while they are still in the ADN program at one of our 13 partner community colleges. Students in the RN-BSN program must be graduated from an accredited ADN program and hold an RN license before beginning the BSN program.

To determine which program you may be eligible for, please review our program comparison diagram.

Please visit the RN-BSN Program website for additional information.

ADN-BSN Collaborative Program:
  • Self-supported (self-funded)
  • Students attend one of 13 community colleges partnered with Cal State LA
  • Begin BSN program while still in ADN program
  • Full-time program, one additional year after ADN program

RN-BSN Program:

  • Partially state-supported
  • Students graduate from an accredited ADN program
  • Must have an RN license before beginning BSN program
  • Full-time program, one year (may apply any time after receiving RN license)

Representatives from the Cal State LA ADN-BSN Collaborative Program will host information sessions with each of our 13 community college partners during the fall semester. Students interested in attending one of these information sessions should inquire with the Nursing department at their community college regarding the dates and times of these information sessions.

Please read the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program Frequently Asked Questions document.

Please read Cal State LA's Non-Discrimination Policy.

Join our interest list to learn more about the ADN-BSN Collaborative Program.

The ADN-BSN Collaborative Program Office is located in:

Simpson Tower 411
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Fax: (323) 343-6454

Joe Kastely, MSN, RN, CMSRN
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
(323) 343-5947

Brittany Brooks, MSIDT
Administrative Support Coordinator
[email protected]
(323) 343-4742

Tom Lau
Financial Aid Advisor
University Student Union Room 105
[email protected]
(323) 343-4905

PaGE Registration Office
University Student Union Room 105
[email protected]
(323) 343-4900