RN-BSN Program

Applicants are required to attend one informational session/advising session as part of the application process. During the advising session, we will review program information, admission criteria, and application processes for Chico State’s RN-BSN Program. Please register by emailing RN-BSN Program Advisor, Cinnamon McDonald at cmcdonald@csuchico.edu.

Advising Sessions are hosted online using Zoom. Zoom is free and can be accessed from your computer, tablet, or phone as long as you have Internet access. You may need to download the Zoom app, so allow approximately 15 minutes for setup.

Upcoming Informational Meeting Dates

• January 7th, 2026 at 10am on Zoom
• January 8th, 2026 at 3pm on Zoom
• January 12th, 2026 at 4pm on Zoom
• January 13th, 2026 at 9am on Zoom
• January 15th, 2026 at 3pm on Zoom
• January 21st, 2026 at 11am on Zoom
• January 22nd, 2026 at 2pm on Zoom
• January 26th, 2026 at 1pm on Zoom
• January 29th, 2026 at 12pm on Zoom

Unofficial Transcripts

Email your completed Transcript Information Form and all unofficial transcripts to Cinnamon McDonald at cmcdonald@csuchico.edu. Sent transcripts will not be evaluated until we have received your Transcript Information Form.

Official Transcripts

Request physical copies of official sealed transcripts to be mailed to yourself. Do not open them. When all of your transcripts have arrived, mail them together in one envelope to Chico State Admissions. Please do not send electronic transcripts.

Transcripts mailed through the US Post Office should be addressed like this:

Cinnamon McDonald
School of Nursing
400 W. 1st St.
Chico, CA 95929-200

Transcripts being shipped by DHL, FedEx, UPS, or other carriers should be addressed like this:

Cinnamon McDonald
School of Nursing
940 W. 1st St.
Chico, CA 95929-200

We invite those who meet all program admission criteria, have completed the transcript evaluation process, and attended an advising session to apply to the RN-BSN program. The RN-BSN Application will be available starting August 1st.

Access the Application Form

Application Scoring
When the number of applications from qualified candidates exceeds our capacity to accommodate space in our program/clinical placements, applications will be scored for admission.

Priority points are given in the following areas:

• Residence in one of the following Northern California counties: Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Lake, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, or Yuba counties (5 points)
• Nursing employment in above counties (5 points)
• ADN program graduation in above counties (5 points)
• Cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher (4 points)
• Cumulative GPA of 3.25-3.49 (2 points)
• UD GE Course Completion (1 point each for RELS 332 and QTST 310)
• Documented Veteran status is a tie breaker; other ties go to the earliest qualified candidate.

Minimum Qualifications
Applicants to the RN-BSN Program must complete or have in progress the following Admission Requirements:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)*
• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Pass all 8 prerequisites with a grade C or higher**
• Complete all lower division general education courses
• Complete a total of 70 CSU transferable units
• California resident
• Pass NCLEX***
• Be employed as an RN (strongly recommended, but not required)

*Applicants in the final semester of an ADN program or those still attempting to pass NCLEX and secure employment as an RN may be admitted to the program conditionally.

**Up to one science prerequisite course can be taken concurrently through a community college while enrolled in the first summer semester of the RN-BSN program.

***Admitted students must pass NCLEX prior to starting classes in the spring semester of the RN-BSN program.

Prerequisite Coursework
All applicants to the RN-BSN Program must complete the following prerequisites:

• Chemistry (general, integrated, inorganic, or organic) (Area 5A & C) with lab, 3-5 units
• Human Physiology with lab (Area 5B & C), 3-5 units
• Human Anatomy with lab (Area 5B & C), 4-5 units
• Microbiology with lab, 3-5 units
• Oral Communication (Area 1C), 3 units
• Written Communication (Area 1A), 3 units
• Critical Thinking (Area 1B), 3 units
• Statistics – Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (Area 2), 3 units

Lower Division GE Requirements
All applicants to the RN-BSN Program must complete the following lower division general education requirements:

• Arts (Area 3A) – 1 course (e.g., Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music, Theatre)
• Humanities (Area 3B) – 1 course (e.g., Literature, Philosophy, Foreign Languages)
• Social Sciences (Area 4) – 2 courses (e.g., Intro Sociology & Intro Psychology)
• Learning for Life – 1 course (e.g., Nutrition or Child Development)
• Ethnic Studies (Area 6) – 1 course
• S. History – 1 course
• US Government/Political Science – US constitution/gov/local/CA state/national – 1 course

California Community College Articulation

For information on prerequisite coursework when transferring from a California Community College, visit the Assist site. Assist is the official course transfer and articulation system for California’s public colleges and universities and is best used in combination with guidance from an academic advisor/counselor.

Community College Transfer Worksheets
There are six main feeder colleges in Northern California for the RN-BSN program. We have worked closely to develop course roadmaps for students completing prerequisites and transferable coursework from each of these institutions. Please inquire with your community college for the most up to date version of their program's roadmap to the RN-BSN program at Chico State.

Please follow the links below to find a transfer worksheet for each college listed. It is always recommended that you meet with your community college advisor and the RN-BSN advisor as you make plans to transfer to Chico State.

Transfer Worksheets

• Butte College
• College of the Redwoods
• College of the Siskiyous
• Mendocino College
• Shasta College
• Yuba College

If you have taken coursework from multiple colleges, use this worksheet:

• General Transfer Worksheet

You will apply to Chico State following special instructions from the Office of Admissions after you have been accepted to the RN-BSN Program. Please do not apply to Chico State before being admitted to the RN-BSN Program and receiving a special email from the Admissions Office.

Respond to all emails/communication from the RN-BSN Program and the University regarding your admissions status and complete all tasks and steps to begin your clinical clearance.

All notifications will be sent to applicants via the email address provided on the RN-BSN application in November. You MUST check your email and complete all remaining steps for Admission to the University including applying to Cal State Apply with special instructions from the Admissions Office and setting up your student account to receive email through your Wildcat email address.

Next Steps

Once you have submitted your application and after you have been admitted, please check your email daily and respond promptly. You will be receiving additional information regarding required tasks you need to complete to finalize your admission to the program and to get started successfully. Applicants/new students will be contacted through the Wildcat email by the RN-BSN program, the School of Nursing, the Admissions Office, and/or Professional & Continuing Education with important information and deadlines regarding admissions, course registration, and beginning the first phase of clinical clearance. You will receive communication regarding but not limited to the following:

Your reply to the admission decision

• Returning requested documentation and/or signatures
• Submitting all updated/final official transcripts, if applicable
• Finishing any pending requirements
• Registering for classes
• Beginning the clinical clearance procedures

The RN to BSN Program at Chico State is an Advanced Placement Degree Completion Option for ADN graduates and RNs. Students are admitted to the RN-BSN program once each year. Applications are available starting August 1 and due October 31st. The 15-month program begins in June each year and ends in August of the following year.

In order to be considered for the program, you must have your college transcripts evaluated (allow approximately 3-4 weeks) and attend an advising session. Advising sessions for the RN-BSN Program are held each semester. Attendance to an advising session is mandatory for all applicants.

The School of Nursing and RN-BSN program is an integral part of the College of Natural Sciences and is in accord with the University's primary goal to provide a quality education. As a self-supported program, the RN-BSN program is also under the auspices of Chico State’s Professional & Continuing Education (PCE). Therefore, the RN-BSN Program is subject to the policies and procedures of PCE as well as the University. To make yourself aware of those requirements, please become familiar with the most current version of Professional & Continuing Education (PCE) RN-BSN program overview.

Contacts

Robbin Solomon
RN-BSN Coordinator
530-898-4151
rsolomon@csuchico.edu

Cinnamon McDonald
RN-BSN Program Advisor
530-898-4151
cmcdonald@csuchico.edu

Accreditation

The BSN and MSN programs at Chico State are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

Public Health Nursing Curriculum

Additionally, the RN-BSN curriculum meets the requirements for the California Public Health Nursing certification.

• 7 Nursing Theory courses – online, asynchronous
• 2 Upper Division General Education Courses* – online, asynchronous
• 1 On-site Clinical Placement in or near student’s county of residency in final semester

*Waived for students entering the RN-BSN program as a post-baccalaureate student

• Quality and affordability
• Flexibility and convenience for working nurses
• Reach distant and rural communities
• Become eligible for California’s Public Health Certification
• Increase your ability to practice and promote evidence-based nursing to improve patient care
• Increase your knowledge and clinical skills through hands-on experiences
• Increase your professional standing and marketability; increase your earning potential and career opportunities
• Preparation for other advanced nursing degrees and certification programs