School of Nursing

second degree program


Thank you for your interest in The College of New Rochelle School of Nursing. CNR has been preparing service oriented professionals for 100 years and Professional Registered Nurses for over 25 years. Our School of Nursing graduates are well prepared for the NCLEX-RN exam, and more importantly, prepared to practice in today’s challenging and dynamic health care environment. Our alumni are practitioners and leaders in some of the largest health care agencies across the nation. We welcome your consideration in joining this distinct community!

The School of Nursing at CNR offers a Second Degree track within the Undergraduate Program. This specific track provides an opportunity for men and women who possess baccalaureate degrees in other fields to pursue careers as Registered Professional Nurses.

Nursing is an adventure that lasts for a lifetime! We are excited you are considering starting your adventure with CNR! Our nursing program facilitates students’ development as nurse generalists enabling them to make important contributions to the world’s health and well being in a variety of clinical and community settings. Not only do our students establish caring practices with acute and chronically ill clients, but also learn to be persuasive with clients relative to the important issues of health promotion and disease prevention. Our students are also provided the foundation for graduate level education and advanced nursing practice.

At the completion of the curriculum, the students earn Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. The Undergraduate Program consists of 120 credits:

It is possible to transfer credits from previous academic work from accredited colleges/universities and credits earned through examination (CLEP and/or Excelsior College). However, within the Health Sciences and Professional Studies categories, transferability of credits is limited. In addition, CNR requires the minimum grade of C+ for all of the categories except Liberal Arts Electives, where a minimum grade of C- will be considered. ( If the institution you attended was not on the +/- grading scale, and you received a grade of “C” for a course, other than a Liberal Arts Elective, credit will be granted at the School’s discretion.)

If you attended a college/university outside of the United States, your credentials must first be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) on a course by course basis. To obtain more information about WES, please visit its website, www.wes.org, or contact WES by phone at 1-800-937-3895.

Second Degree students opt for one of the following two progression paths:

  1. Individualized Track students progress in the program with flexibility by attending on a full-time or part-time basis, beginning at the start of any semester, including a Summer Session. The timetable of completion varies from student to student.
  2. Accelerated Track students complete the program in 18 months, on a full-time basis, starting in the College’s Second Summer Session.

CNR does not offer an” evening/weekend” version of either Second Degree options.


Criteria for Admission:

  1. Baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing major;
  2. 300-500 word essay explaining your interest in the nursing profession;
  3. Evidence of U.S. citizenship, naturalized citizenship or documented alien status;
  4. Completion of the Nursing Entrance Test (NET) and assessment of critical thinking skills (please see #3 on page 4 for more information);
  5. Completion of the prerequisite courses from the following categories, specific to the option you are interested in. The School requires a minimum grade of C+:

    Individualized Option:

    • Scientific Foundations — 14 credits
      • Concepts in Biology*
      • Anatomy and Physiology I
      • Anatomy and Physiology II
      • General Chemistry
      • *Replacement credit will be granted if the applicant transfers in Anatomy and Physiology I, II.
    • Human and Social Analysis — 9 credits
      • General Psychology
        Developmental Psychology (must include the lifespan)
        Sociology
    • Communication — 6 credits
      • Writer’s Workshop (English Composition I)
        Critical Essay (English Composition II)
    • Logical Thinking — 3 credits
      • College Mathematics (Algebra/Trigonometry, pre-calculus or calculus)
    Accelerated Option:

If you have not fulfilled any/some of the requirements, for either option, it is possible to complete them at The College of New Rochelle as a non-matriculated student. You may also consider attending any other accredited college/university that offers such courses.

The Director of Enrollment Management’s office in the School of Nursing is available to offer academic advisement as you are fulfilling required courses in preparation for application. You are strongly encouraged to attend one of the CNR information sessions or the next School of Nursing Open House as listed on the enclosed flyers.

To apply to The College of New Rochelle, School of Nursing, please:

  1. Complete the application, with your essay, and return them in the provided self-addressed envelope.
  2. Have an official transcript from all colleges/universities you have attended, or an official WES evaluation for foreign graduates, sent to:

    • The College of New Rochelle
      School of Nursing-Second Degree Program
      29 Castle Place
      New Rochelle, NY 10805

  3. Complete the Nursing Entrance Test (NET) and assessment of critical thinking skills. You will be notified on how to prepare for these assessments and when they will be available for you to complete. These assessments are administered in the School of Nursing.

After the School has received all of your documents, you will be notified of a decision in 7-10 business days. If you have any questions, please call 800-948-4766.

Again, thank you for considering CNR!