University of Washington

University of Washington Nursing Programs

University of Washington offers nursing education pathways for students at different points in their careers, from those preparing for initial nursing licensure to registered nurses pursuing advanced practice, leadership, education, or doctoral study. The best option depends on the student’s current education, RN licensure status, desired role, preferred learning format, and state licensure requirements.

This profile reflects currently published nursing offerings, primarily at the Seattle School of Nursing. Applicants should verify current program availability, requirements, costs, approval, accreditation, clinical expectations, campus requirements, and state eligibility directly with the university before applying.

School Contact and Location

Official Social Media

The university’s official admissions website identifies institutional channels for Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Nursing-specific profile links were not independently confirmed in the reviewed official sources.admit.uw

Nursing school accounts

Not publicly confirmed on the reviewed nursing-school pages

Campus and Program Images

No verified, reusable university image was identified for this listing.

Use only photos, logos, or other visual assets provided through an approved university media, brand, licensing, partnership, or trademark-permission workflow. Do not treat an image’s presence on an official page as authorization for third-party directory reuse.

Nursing Programs at a Glance

The nursing school currently publishes a traditional BSN, an Accelerated BSN, DNP specialty tracks, a PhD in Nursing Science, post-graduate APRN certificates, graduate non-matriculated study, and a Master of Science option in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies. The school’s current public academic pages do not identify an RN-to-BSN program.

Choosing the Right Nursing Path

• Choose the traditional BSN if you are not yet an RN and have completed at least 90 quarter credits or 60 semester credits of college preparation, including required natural-science and general prerequisites. nursing.uw

• Consider the ABSN if you already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, can complete an intensive four-quarter in-person program, and meet the GPA, prerequisite, and health-care experience requirements. nursing.uw

• Consider an ADN or BSN based on your educational goals, budget, timeline, transfer plans, and long-term graduate-study interests. An ADN program was not identified among the nursing school’s currently published offerings.

• Consider RN-to-BSN if you are an RN with an associate degree or diploma. An RN-to-BSN program was not identified among the nursing school’s currently published offerings.

• Consider an MS in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies if your goals center on informatics rather than initial RN licensure or APRN preparation. Confirm admission criteria and delivery requirements before applying.students.nursing.uw

• Consider a DNP or post-graduate APRN certificate if you are already a licensed nurse and can meet the degree, GPA, professional, clinical, certification, and state-eligibility standards of the exact specialty.

• Consider a PhD if your primary interest is nursing research, scholarship, and academic inquiry rather than a clinical advanced-practice credential.

Entry-Level Nursing Pathways

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Credential: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Who it is for: Students who are not yet RNs and have completed the required college-level preparation. Applicants enter as college juniors after completing either 90 quarter credits, 60 semester credits, or a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. nursing.uw

Format and location: Two-year Seattle program after prerequisite coursework. The nursing school is located in the Health Sciences Building on the Seattle campus.

Published academic requirements:

• Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA across completed college-level work.

• At least 90 quarter credits or 60 semester credits by the program start.

• At application, either at least three natural-science prerequisites completed with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or at least four completed with a cumulative 2.8 GPA.

• Minimum 2.0 grade in each required BSN prerequisite, including natural sciences, Lifespan Growth and Development, and Statistics.

• Satisfactory completion of natural-science prerequisites by enrollment. nursing.uw

Health-care experience: Applicants need at least 100 hours of supervised, hands-on health-care experience in one setting over three months within the 12 months before applying. The experience must include direct patient contact and opportunities to work with registered nurses. nursing.uw

Application process: Applications are submitted through the School of Nursing Application Portal. The school states that no separate nursing-school application fee and no TEAS exam are required. Applicants admitted to the school must also complete the separate university transfer or postbaccalaureate admission process, and admission to the nursing school does not guarantee university admission.

Licensure relationship: This pre-licensure program prepares eligible graduates to seek initial RN licensure. Washington’s nursing regulator publishes a list of approved in-state nursing programs.

Best fit for:

• Students who have completed required college-level preparation

• Transfer and postbaccalaureate applicants without an RN license

• Applicants able to complete a two-year Seattle nursing program

• Students who can document recent, supervised direct patient-care experience

Official links: BSN program · Admissions and application steps · School location

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Credential: Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Who it is for: Applicants who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and want an intensive entry-level BSN route. nursing.uw

Format and length: Full-time, in-person program completed over four consecutive quarters, beginning in spring or autumn. The school describes the route as a 12-month pathway. nursing.uw

Location: Seattle. Students should verify clinical-site locations, travel needs, clinical schedules, and any off-campus requirements with the program.

Published academic requirements:

• Non-nursing bachelor’s degree completed before the program begins.

• Minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA across all college-level coursework.

• At least three natural-science prerequisites completed by application time, each with a grade of 3.0 or higher.

• Minimum 3.0 grade in every ABSN prerequisite, including natural sciences, Lifespan Growth and Development, and Statistics.

• No stated expiration date for prerequisites. nursing.uw

Health-care experience: At least 100 hours of supervised, hands-on health-care experience in one setting over three months during the 12 months before applying. Nursing-assistant experience may meet the purpose of the requirement but is not required by name. nursing.uw

Application process: The school states there is no School of Nursing application fee and no TEAS requirement. If admitted, applicants must separately submit a university postbaccalaureate application and pay the university application fee; nursing-school admission does not guarantee university admission. nursing.uw

Licensure relationship: The ABSN is a pre-licensure pathway that prepares eligible graduates to seek initial RN licensure after meeting program and state requirements.

Best fit for:

• Bachelor’s-degree holders in fields other than nursing

• Applicants ready for full-time, in-person study over four consecutive quarters

• Students with strong prerequisite grades and recent direct patient-care experience

• Applicants who can complete both nursing-school and university admission steps

Official links: Accelerated BSN · Application steps · Costs and financial support

Other Entry-Level Pathways

• ADN/ASN/AAS nursing: Not identified among the university’s currently published nursing offerings. Confirm available pathways directly with the nursing school.

• Practical nursing/LPN: Not identified among the university’s currently published nursing offerings. Confirm available pathways directly with the nursing school.

• Nursing assistant certificate: Not identified as a nursing-school credential. The ABSN admissions page notes that many applicants complete nursing-assistant training or work, but it does not require that specific credential. nursing.uw

• Direct-entry or entry-level MSN: Not identified among the currently published nursing-school offerings. Confirm available pathways directly with the nursing school.

• Pre-nursing certificate: Not identified as a separate credential. The BSN and ABSN use prerequisite coursework and health-care experience requirements.

RN Completion and Degree-Advancement Options

A separately named RN-to-BSN, RN-to-MSN, or RN-to-DNP bridge was not identified among the current nursing school pages reviewed for this profile.

The school does publish DNP routes for nurses with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing and post-graduate certificates for appropriately prepared APRNs. These are graduate pathways, not undergraduate RN-completion programs.

Graduate Non-Matriculated Study

Credential: Non-degree graduate study.

Who it is for: Applicants seeking limited graduate nursing coursework without entering a degree program.

Published academic criteria: Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and have at least a 3.0 GPA in the last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 semester credits. A BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program may be required for some tracks. nursing.uw

Credit limit: Up to 12 credits earned as a Graduate Non-Matriculated student may be applied to a future degree program, subject to applicable rules. nursing.uw

Important limitation: Non-degree status does not guarantee later admission to a degree program or transferability of specific credits.

Official link: Graduate Non-Matriculated study

Graduate Nursing Programs

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Credential: Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Who it is for: Nurses with a completed bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program. The school accepts degrees accredited by CCNE, NLN, or ACEN. nursing.uw

Published DNP admissions requirements:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing completed before program start.

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, or 3.0 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter graded credits.

• Active, unrestricted Washington RN license or active license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state.

• Transcripts from every college or university attended.

• Current résumé covering education, clinical and professional experience, leadership, certifications, research, and community involvement.

• Required goal and clinical-expertise essays.

• Three recommendations submitted through the application system.

• No GRE requirement. nursing.uw

Delivery format: The DNP uses online coursework that combines required live online sessions with asynchronous work, plus up to one campus intensive each quarter for the standard DNP format. Individual specialty and clinical requirements vary.

Current specialty tracks publicly identified:

Clinical learning: DNP tracks have clinical or practice-learning requirements. The school’s descriptions should not be read as a promise of a particular placement, preceptor, site, schedule, or travel arrangement. Confirm the current clinical-placement process and state-specific eligibility for your intended track directly with the program.

Official links: DNP overview and admissions · DNP specialties · DNP costs

Master of Science: Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies

Credential: Master of Science.

Who it is for: Applicants interested in graduate study that combines clinical informatics and patient-centered technologies.

Program availability: The current student curriculum page lists both full-time and part-time plans for this MS program. Detailed public admissions, credit, format, practicum, and applicant-license requirements were not publicly confirmed in the reviewed source extract; prospective students should contact the nursing school directly. students.nursing.uw

Official link: Graduate curriculum

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science

Credential: Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science.

Who it is for: Applicants pursuing nursing research doctoral study. A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited university is required; it may be in progress at application but must be completed before the program begins. nursing.uw

Published admissions requirements:

• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, or 3.0 GPA in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter graded credits.

• Ability to meet Essential Qualifications and Behaviors.

• Curriculum vitae.

• Statement of goals and research interests.

• Three letters of recommendation.

• Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended. nursing.uw

RN license: RN licensure is not required for applicants who do not plan to take clinical nursing courses. Students planning clinical nursing coursework must hold an active, unrestricted Washington RN license by the program start. International applicants planning clinical nursing courses need an active, unrestricted U.S. RN license when applying. nursing.uw

Length and funding: The school states that the full-time curriculum can be completed in as few as three years and that full-time students receive a three-year funding package that includes tuition and a stipend. Confirm the current funding terms, eligibility, progress requirements, and part-time options directly with the program.

Official links: PhD in Nursing Science · PhD information sessions

Post-Graduate APRN Certificates

Credential: Post-graduate APRN certificate.

Who it is for: APRNs seeking to add another advanced-practice specialty or broaden their scope of practice. Applicants must request a gap analysis from the relevant specialty director before applying. nursing.uw

Published eligibility requirements:

• A prior graduate nursing degree or concurrent enrollment in an eligible DNP or PhD program at the school.

• For applicants not currently enrolled in the nursing school’s DNP or PhD programs, an accredited DNP, or an accredited MN/MSN plus current APRN practice.

• A gap analysis requested from the certificate specialty director, with an unofficial transcript acceptable for that initial review. nursing.uw

Current certificate specialties publicly listed:

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

• Nurse-Midwifery

• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care

• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care

• Women’s Health Nurse Leader

Selected published details:

• The AGACNP certificate is listed as 12–15 months of study. nursing.uw

• The AGPCNP certificate is described as full-time and in-person, with 12–15 months of study; its page states that graduates may apply for ANCC or AANP primary-care adult-gerontology NP certification and NP licensure, subject to external requirements. nursing.uw

• The Nurse-Midwifery certificate identifies the American Midwifery Certification Board examination as the relevant certification exam for successful graduates. nursing.uw

• The Women’s Health Nurse Leader certificate is described as completable in 12 months. nursing.uw

Completion of a certificate does not guarantee certification, state licensure, employment, clinical placement, or scope-of-practice authority.

Official links: Post-graduate certificates · AGACNP certificate · AGPCNP certificate · Nurse-Midwifery certificate

Admissions Requirements

Entry-Level and Pre-Licensure Admissions

BSN

• At least 90 quarter credits or 60 semester credits before the program begins.

• At least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

• Required prerequisite performance, including natural-science, Lifespan Growth and Development, and Statistics coursework.

• At least 100 recent hours of supervised, direct patient-care experience.

• School of Nursing application; admitted applicants must separately apply to the university as a transfer or postbaccalaureate student.

• No School of Nursing application fee and no TEAS requirement are listed. nursing.uw

ABSN

• Prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree.

• At least a 2.8 cumulative GPA.

• At least 3.0 in every ABSN prerequisite, including natural sciences, Lifespan Growth and Development, and Statistics.

• At least 100 recent supervised, direct patient-care hours.

• School of Nursing application plus separate postbaccalaureate university application if admitted.

• No School of Nursing application fee and no TEAS requirement are listed. nursing.uw

RN Completion and Degree Advancement

An RN-to-BSN, RN-to-MSN, and named RN-to-DNP bridge program were not identified among the currently reviewed nursing-school offerings.

Graduate non-matriculated study requires a bachelor’s degree and a 3.0 GPA in the last 90 quarter credits or 60 semester credits; some tracks may require a BSN. nursing.uw

Graduate Nursing Admissions

DNP

• Accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing.

• At least a 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.0 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter credits.

• Active, unrestricted Washington RN license or an active license from an NLC state.

• Transcripts, résumé, essays, and three recommendations.

• No GRE required. nursing.uw

PhD

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

• At least a 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.0 in the most recent 60 semester or 90 quarter credits.

• CV, research-goals statement, three recommendations, and transcripts.

• RN licensure only where the student will take clinical nursing courses. nursing.uw

Post-graduate APRN certificates

• Prior graduate nursing degree or eligible concurrent enrollment.

• Required gap analysis before application.

• Additional specialty and clinical requirements vary. nursing.uw

Clinical compliance: Detailed requirements for immunizations, background checks, drug screening, CPR, insurance, fingerprinting, and clinical-site onboarding were not publicly confirmed in the reviewed source excerpts. Applicants should request the current compliance checklist for their specific degree, specialty, and clinical location.

Admissions requirements and clinical-compliance standards can change. Confirm all current requirements and deadlines directly with the university.

Accreditation, Approval, and Licensure Considerations

Institutional Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The school identifies this as institutional accreditation and distinguishes it from nursing program accreditation. nursing.uw

Programmatic Nursing Accreditation

The nursing school states that the following programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education:

• Baccalaureate degree program in nursing

• Master’s degree program in nursing

• Doctor of Nursing Practice program

• Post-graduate APRN certificate programs nursing.uw

The school’s accreditation page identifies the accredited offerings as including the BSN, ABSN, MS, DNP, and PhD-related programs. Applicants should independently confirm current scope, location, accreditation dates, and specialty coverage through the CCNE directory and the school’s accreditation page.

State Approval

Washington’s nursing regulator publishes a current list of approved in-state nursing programs and identifies CCNE accreditation in that list. Use the Washington State Board of Nursing approved-program list to verify the current approval status of the exact pre-licensure Seattle program before enrolling. nursing.wa

Licensure and Distance Learning

Nursing licensure is regulated by states. Before enrolling in campus-based, online, hybrid, clinical, DNP, PhD, or certificate coursework, verify:

• Whether the nursing school may enroll students who live in your state.

• Whether the curriculum meets education requirements for the RN, APRN, NP, midwifery, or other credential you intend to pursue.

• Whether you must obtain Washington RN licensure or maintain another qualifying license before clinical courses begin.

• Where clinical, practicum, simulation, intensive, or residency requirements occur.

• Whether clinical sites, preceptors, travel, and scheduling requirements are feasible for you.

Program approval and national accreditation are related but distinct. Approval is a state regulatory matter, particularly for pre-licensure education; programmatic accreditation evaluates nursing education against national quality standards.

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Costs

The nursing school publishes 2026–27 tuition figures by program, residency category, credit model, and cohort. Rates are subject to change, and students should request current, program-specific cost information before enrolling. nursing.uw

• Nursing tuition and financial support

• Student Financial Aid

• PhD information and funding statement

Clinical Learning and Student Support

The nursing school provides academic, clinical, and advising resources, but no published information should be interpreted as a guarantee of a particular clinical placement, site, preceptor, schedule, or result.

• BSN and ABSN clinical preparation: Both entry-level programs include clinical nursing education. Applicants should confirm clinical-site locations, transportation, health and safety documentation, schedule expectations, and simulation requirements before enrolling.

• DNP clinical preparation: Clinical placements begin in spring quarter of year two for the PMHNP track. Other tracks have their own clinical and practice requirements. nursing.uw

• Clinical preceptor support: The school’s Husky Nurse Precepting resource describes practice-based nursing education and clinical and community partnerships. preceptors.nursing.uw

• Seattle learning location: The Health Sciences Building’s T-wing houses the nursing school on floors 3–6.nursing.uw

• Admissions advising: The nursing school publishes the general admissions contact asknursing@uw.edu and (206) 543-8736.nursing.uw+1

• PhD program support: The school publishes information sessions and a full-time funding package that includes tuition and a stipend for three years, subject to program terms.

• Tutoring, NCLEX preparation, disability support, career services, formal student organizations, and simulation-lab details: Not publicly confirmed in sufficient program-specific detail in the reviewed source set; prospective students should contact the nursing school and central university student-support offices.

Questions to Ask Before Applying

• Does my current education fit the BSN, ABSN, DNP, PhD, MS, certificate, or non-degree route?

• Is the program authorized for students who live in my state?

• Does the curriculum meet education requirements for the RN, APRN, NP, nurse-midwifery, or other license or certification I intend to pursue?

• What prerequisite courses, GPA standards, clinical-experience requirements, and application materials apply to my pathway?

• Are the nursing-school and university admissions processes separate?

• What will the full cost include beyond tuition, such as fees, clinical travel, campus intensives, technology, supplies, compliance requirements, and insurance?

• Which courses are online, synchronous online, asynchronous, hybrid, or campus-based?

• Where will clinicals, practica, simulations, and on-campus intensives occur?

• Does the school arrange clinical experiences, and what responsibility will I have for placement, travel, preceptors, or scheduling?

• Can I realistically work while enrolled given the program’s academic, clinical, and on-campus expectations?

• How are prior courses, graduate credits, and transfer credits evaluated?

• What accreditation and state approval applies to my exact program, track, site, and cohort?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which nursing programs are currently offered?

The school currently publishes a BSN, ABSN, DNP specialty tracks, a PhD in Nursing Science, post-graduate APRN certificates, non-degree graduate study, and an MS in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies.

Which option fits someone who is not yet an RN?

Students who are not RNs may consider the two-year BSN after completing required college coursework or the four-quarter ABSN if they already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.

Is an ADN or practical-nursing program offered?

An ADN/ASN/AAS pathway and practical-nursing/LPN program were not identified among the nursing school’s currently published offerings. Confirm available pathways directly with the school.

Is an accelerated BSN available?

Yes. The ABSN is a full-time, in-person four-quarter program for students with a completed bachelor’s degree outside nursing. Applicants need a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA, specified prerequisites, and at least 100 recent supervised direct patient-care hours. nursing.uw

Is an RN-to-BSN program available?

An RN-to-BSN program was not identified among the currently published nursing-school offerings. Registered nurses seeking advancement should contact the nursing school directly to confirm any newly launched or alternative pathways.

What DNP specialties are offered?

Current DNP specialties include adult-gerontology acute care NP, adult-gerontology primary care NP, family NP, nurse-midwifery, pediatric primary care NP, psychiatric mental health NP, population health and systems leadership, and women’s health nurse leader.

Are DNP programs online?

The school describes its standard DNP structure as online coursework with required live online sessions and up to one campus intensive each quarter. Individual specialty tracks also have clinical or practice requirements.

Is a PhD in Nursing Science available?

Yes. The PhD accepts applicants with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, has published GPA and application-material requirements, and states that full-time study can be completed in as few as three years. RN licensure is required only for students taking clinical nursing courses. nursing.uw

Are post-graduate APRN certificates available?

Yes. The school publishes certificates in adult-gerontology acute care NP, adult-gerontology primary care NP, nurse-midwifery, pediatric acute care NP, pediatric primary care NP, and women’s health nurse leader. A specialty gap analysis is required before applying. nursing.uw

How can I verify accreditation and Washington approval?

Review the School of Nursing accreditation page, the CCNE directory, and the Washington State Board of Nursing approved-program list. Confirm current details for the exact degree, specialty, location, and entry term directly with the nursing school.