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The Many Degrees of an RN

There are a variety of ways to obtain an undergraduate degree and become an RN. What follows is a simple glossary to help you sort out your options. The degrees listed below will help prepare you to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX), the licensing exam for professional nurses, in most states.

Diploma

Diploma programs are two- to three-year courses of study offered by a hospital, usually in conjunction with a local junior or community college. Not currently as popular as they once were, there are now fewer than 100 diploma programs in the U.S.

Associate's degree

An associate's degree, considered a "technical" degree, focuses more on practical nursing applications than on theory. Students who complete a two- or three-year associate's program are prepared for staff positions, usually in inpatient settings. If they choose to, they can later use their associate's degree to enter an accelerated RN-to-B.S.N. program (see below).

LPN-to-associate's

Licensed practical or vocational nurses who want to become RNs can enter an accelerated program to earn an associate's degree. These programs often give clinical practice credit for work experience, thus shortening the length of time students spend earning their degree.

Bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.)

The most common degree for RNs, the B.S.N., prepares students for professional staff and management positions in a variety of care settings. The program usually takes four years to complete and includes both practical and theoretical courses. Those who want to pursue a post-graduate degree in the field will need to earn their B.S.N. first.

LPN-to-B.S.N.

Similar to the LPN-to-associate's program, this four-semester course of study enables licensed practical nurses to obtain a B.S.N. degree and sit for the NCLEX.

RN-to-B.S.N.

Nurses who have obtained their RN license and hold a diploma or associate's degree are eligible to enter accelerated two-year programs to pursue their B.S.N. These programs offer the additional nursing theory and liberal arts courses not required in the associate's program.

Second-degree B.S.N.

Students who hold a bachelor's degree in other fields may choose to change their career later in life to become a nurse. Second-degree programs are accelerated two-year (or less) programs that include all the nursing and science coursework students may not have received when obtaining their first degree.