1. RN TO BSN: A Comparison by: Jennifer Scott Faile, RN
James Madison University
Professional Role Transition – NSG 463

2. Course Requirements James Madison University
Virginia Commonwealth University
NURS 301 Nursing Informatics 3
NURS 307 Foundations of Professional Nursing I 3
NURS 308 Foundation of Professional Nursing II 3
NURS 309 Population Health 3
NURS 403 Evidence-based Practice in Health Care 3
NURS 406 Interprofessional Collaborative Practice 2
NURS 408 Ethics, Law and Public Policy: Application to Nursing Practice 3
NURS 409 Population Health: Application to Nursing Practice 2
NURS 462 Advanced Pathophysiological Concepts: Application to Patient Care 3
NURS 477 Leadership and Management in Health Care 4
NURS 488 Clinical and Management Decision-making (University Core Capstone) 3
James Madison University
NSG Strategies for Success 1
NSG Health Assessment 3
NSG Issues in Contemporary Nursing 3
NSG Concepts in Aging 3
NSG Professional Role Transition 3
NSG Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 3
NSG Introduction to Nursing Research 3
NSG Informatics 3
NSG Leadership and Management in Healthcare 3
NSG Community Health Practicum 1
NSG Caring for the Public’s Health: Community Health Nursing 4

3. RN to BSN Prerequisite and General Education Requirements for JMU
English 111 (English Composition I)
English 112 (English Composition II)
Biology 141 (Anatomy and Physiology I)
Biology 142 (Anatomy and Physiology II)
Psychology 230, 231, AND 232 (Developmental Psychology)
Philosophy 225, 226 or 227
Sociology 200, 201, or 215
Laboratory Science (4 credit Microbiology or Chemistry)
Nursing 108 (or equivalent)
Nursing 109 (or equivalent)
General Education Courses Required Prior to Graduation
Cluster 2 Requirements: (3 classes needed to fulfill requirement; 9 credits total)
Human Questions: (Choose 1 class from the following) HIS 111, HIS 112, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 215, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 101, PHI 102, PHI 200, PHI 211, PHI 212, REL 230 or REL 231
Fine Arts: (Choose 1 class from the following) ART 100, ART 101, ART 105, ART 111, ART 112, ART 201, MUS 121, MUS 122, CST 130, CST 141
Literature: (Choose 1 class from the following) ENG 230, ENG 233, ENG 236, ENG 237, ENG 241, ENG 242, ENG 243, ENG 244, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 249, ENG 250, ENG 251, ENG 252, ENG 253, ENG 254, ENG 255, ENG 256, ENG 257, ENG 258, ENG 260, ENG 267, ENG 268, ENG 270, ENG 271, ENG 272, ENG 273, ENG 274, ENG 276, ENG 278, HUM 111, HUM 112
Cluster 4 Requirements: (4 credits total)
The American Experience: HIS 121 AND HIS 122 (Both classes needed to fulfill Cluster 4 requirements)
-or-
Political Science: (Choose 1 class from the following) PLS 130, PLS 135, or PLS 211
Permission to Transfer Courses Form: Once admitted to JMU, students wishing to take general education courses at schools other than JMU must complete the PERMISSION TO TRANSFER COURSES form prior to taking classes. Forms are found at

4. RN to BSN Prerequisite and General Education Requirements for VCU
The following courses (17 credit hours) must be completed prior to enrollment:
 Statistics (3)
 Physiology (4)
 Anatomy (4)
 English composition (6)
A minimum of 24 credit hours from the following 36 credits must be completed prior to matriculation. All general
education courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the final nursing course:
 Introductory psychology (3)
 Developmental psychology (3)
 General sociology (3)
 Laboratory science (8)
 Microbiology (4)
 Nutrition (3)
 Philosophy (3)
 Humanities (9)

5. Cost per semester comparison
James Madison University
Undergraduate tuition & fees
In-State $ 5,439
Out-of-State $ 13,639
On-Campus Room Rent $ 2,499
14+ Meal Plan $ 2,354
Internet Connection Fee $ 96
Orientation Fee (one time) $ 180
Graduate tuition & fees (per credit hour)
In-State $ 473
Out-of-State $ 1,231
Virginia Commonwealth University
Undergraduate tuition & fees
In-State $ 5,670
Out-of-State $ 15,356
On-Campus Room Rent $ 5,753
Book and Supply Fee $ 1,464
Personal and miscellaneous $ 1,338
Fees $ 1,140
Loan Fee $ 70
Transportation $ 1,783

6. FORBE’S RATINGS JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY #125 Top Colleges
#75 America's Best Value Colleges
#29 in Public Colleges
#25 in the South
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
#430 Top Colleges
#176 in Research Universities
#141 in Public Colleges
#95 in the region
#79 America's Best Employers

7. JMU VS. VCU
VCU is a Much Larger School: (30,918 vs. 21,227 Total Students)
JMU is Slightly More Difficult to Get In: (72.6% vs. 79% Acceptance Rate)
JMU Offers Slightly Cheaper In-State Tuition: ($10,018 USD vs. $12,772 USD)
JMU Offers Considerably Cheaper Out-of-State Tuition: ($25,152 USD vs. $31,464 USD)
VCU Provides Much Better Freshmen Financial Aid: (79% vs. 63% of Eligible Freshmen Receive Aid)
JMU Students Graduate More in 6 Years: (81% vs. 57% Graduation Rate)
JMU Students Earn Considerably More Salary Post-Graduation: ($52,600 USD vs. $41,400 USD Median Salary)
JMU Has Slightly Smaller Class Sizes: (16:1 vs. 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio)
VCU Has Hotter Summer Weather: (77 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 72 degrees Fahrenheit)
JMU Has Colder Winter Weather: (32 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 40 degrees Fahrenheit)

8. REFERENCES:
Forbes. (2017). James Madison University. Retrieved from
Forbes. (2017). Virginia Commonwealth University. Retrieved from
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY. (n.d.). University Business Office. Retrieved from
James Madison University vs Virginia Commonwealth University - Colleges Comparis... (2017, January 22). Retrieved from University-vs-Virginia-Commonwealth-University
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY. Retrieved from