Pathway to Nursing Program in Manhattan
This unique dual degree program offers you a valuable opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Kansas State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) from Wichita State University. Both programs are conveniently located on the K-State campus in Manhattan, KS.
A degree from K-State will accelerate your nursing career toward your specialty area of interest and allow you to have twice the impact on patient care. For example, if you’re interested in mental health, pairing your BSN with a degree in psychology can provide valuable insights into mental health, while a degree in business can equip you with entrepreneurial skills essential for navigating healthcare systems.
The Wichita State BSN program is the first and only BSN program in Kansas located at two state universities. Students develop their skills in our state-of-the-art simulation laboratories and diverse clinical rotations. With small class sizes, students are personally mentored by faculty members who are experts in their field.
Contact us to learn more about the benefits of the dual degree program and find out which degree pairings are popular for nursing careers.
Key Program Features
- Receive two bachelor’s degrees in 5 years. This dual degree gives students the opportunity to earn two degrees from two prestigious universities in approximately five years. Nurses who complete the Pathway to Nursing program can customize their nursing practice. By earning a second degree in addition to nursing, you have the opportunity to individualize your expertise and enter practice with an edge. For example, if you’re passionate about working with Armed Services Veterans, you may consider majoring in Kinesiology at KSU. Similarly, you may consider earning a Psychology degree at KSU if you plan to serve those with mental illness.
- Earn professional qualifications. Students completing this program are qualified for entry-level nursing positions in all healthcare settings. The BSN degree also prepares students for graduate-level study.
- Receive national preparation. The BSN degree prepares students to take the national RN licensing exam and become registered nurses.
- Receive full coursework and clinical experience. This program encompasses the same amount of coursework and clinical experience as our traditional program but in a compressed time frame.
- Small class sizes. Students will enjoy learning intimately with their expert instructors and peers. Nursing lectures will never exceed 20 students for one instructor, and practicums will never exceed 10 students for one instructor.
- Expert faculty. The instructors teaching in the KSU Pathway are often practicing in the community. They bring their real-time real-life experiences to class to help illustrate important concepts.
Conditional – Admission Criteria
- Minimum criteria must be met in order to be admitted to the traditional nursing program:
- Admitted to WSU as a degree bound, active, undergraduate student
- No more than 6 credit hours of general education or elective courses left to complete at the start of the nursing program
- Must remain a current undergraduate student at Kansas State University. You cannot graduate from Kansas State University while pursuing the dual degree.
- Meet application deadline of February 1 (fall start) or September 1 (spring start)
- Fully completed application packet submitted by application deadline
- Minimum overall GPA of 2.75
- If student has taken courses at WSU, they must have a minimum 2.00 institution GPA
- 3 of the 5 required science courses must be transcripted (grade awarded) to be eligible
to apply to the undergraduate prelicensure programs. The required courses include:
- Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Microbiology
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Selection Rubric
GPA Total
- Points in this criteria will be given by calculating your GPA total multiplied by
10
(e.g. 3.65x10=36 points). - Maximum of 40 points allowed.
Science Grade
- Using the most recent grade, 6 points will be awarded per science grade with a 2.00 (C) or better.
- A maximum of 30 points can be allowed.
Healthcare Experience
- Points are awarded on qualifying experience detailed in the application packet.
- Maximum 3 points allowed.
Diversity Experience
- Points are awarded on qualifying experience detailed in the application packet.
- Maximum 2 points allowed.
Typed Essay
- Submit no more than a 350-word essay describing the following:
- Your understanding of the role of the nurse
- Why you want to be a nurse.
- Both prompts must be answered.
- Maximum 3 points allowed.
Note: Failure to meet all the above conditions will result in forfeiture of your final admission to the nursing program.
Program FAQs
- Students apply to K-State and declare pre-nursing.
- Students work on nursing pre-requisites while simultaneously working to complete K-State degree.
- After completing pre-requisites, students apply to Wichita State University and the WSU Traditional BSN program.
- Students graduate at the same time with both bachelor's degrees.
All students are assigned a health professions advisor in the College of Health and
Human Sciences that work in conjunction with the students’ academic advisor. Students
begin the program working towards their bachelor’s degree from K-State while fulfilling
the requirements needed for the nursing program. Once requirements are met, students
submit an application for WSU’s Traditional BSN program. Accepted students will spend
the next two years in the Traditional BSN program and earn a BSN degree from WSU.
Both degree programs are based in Manhattan, Kansas.
This information can be found on the Tuition and Fees web page.
The Kansas State Board of Nursing granted approval for WSU to accept students to its Traditional BSN program in fall semester 2022.
This dual degree program gives students the valuable opportunity to earn two degrees from two prestigious universities in approximately five years. A degree from K-State will advance your nursing career toward your specialty area of interest and allow you to have twice the impact on patient care.
This program is available to any student who is admitted to K-State. Students will apply to K-State and declare their major of choice as well as declare pre-nursing. Students who meet the eligibility requirements established will be eligible to apply to the WSU Traditional BSN program. Please visit the WSU School of Nursing website for information about the Traditional BSN program’s eligibility requirements.
The Pathway to Nursing program may be completed in as little as five years, but may require additional time depending on the K-State major selected by the student. There are some majors whose coursework requirements are better suited for this program. Students should work with the health professions advisor to review their long-range plan to determine the time it would take to complete both degrees.
In addition to the program requirements for students enrolled at WSU's main campus in Wichita, students must also be an active, degree-seeking student at KSU to apply. Please visit the WSU School of Nursing website for information on the Traditional BSN program and graduate programs.
There are several majors specifically coordinated with the nursing program designed for program completion within five years. These majors include human development and family science, integrative human sciences, nutrition and health, and kinesiology. However, students in the pathway program may choose to enroll in any of the 250 majors offered at K-State.
Before selecting any major, students should visit with a College of Health and Human Sciences representative to create a long-range plan with the student's selected major to understand the course load and sequence of courses that will be required to fulfill both the K-State degree and the nursing pre-requisite courses.
All courses will be on the K-State campus in Manhattan, Kansas. Clinical rotations will be held at various clinical sites across the state of Kansas.
Please visit the WSU Traditional BSN Program website to learn more about required prerequisite courses.
All students applying to the WSU Traditional BSN program will complete the same application. Please visit the WSU Traditional BSN Program website to learn more.
Students who enter the Pathway to Nursing program will meet with an academic advisor, (sometimes called a major advisor) specific to their major, and a health professions advisor in the K-State College of Health and Human Sciences. Academic advisors help students understand what they must do to complete the requirements of their major (degree). Health professions advisors help students understand what they must do to become competitive applicants to health professional schools and programs.
Once a student applies and is accepted into the WSU Traditional BSN program, students will transition to a WSU nursing advisor as they complete the nursing portion of the program.
20 students will be admitted into the program each semester.
There are two Program Entry Points for the Traditional BSN Program: Spring and Fall. Application deadlines are Feb. 1 for fall entry and Sept. 1 for spring entry.
Please visit the WSU Traditional BSN Program website to learn more about coursework.
No, admission to the traditional BSN program at WSU is not guaranteed. All students will apply to the traditional BSN program and admission is competitive. Please visit the WSU Traditional BSN Program website to learn more.
Students in the program will have met the general requirements to apply to other nursing programs. However, specific nursing programs may require additional courses that were not required for this program. Required courses for certain nursing programs should be discussed with your health professions advisor.
If a student already has their RN license and holds an Associate’s Degree, the program that would fit their interest is WSU’s RN-BSN completion program. The RN-BSN program is completely online and can be completed in three semesters as a full-time student.
WSU's Traditional BSN program will be offered at K-State’s Manhattan campus. The Accelerated (ABSN) program is offered on WSU’s main campus in Wichita, Kansas. Please visit WSU’s School of Nursing website for information about the Accelerated BSN program, Traditional BSN program and Graduate programs.