“Castleton, along with the staff, have helped me shape the nurse that I desire to be."
Earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) will allow you to stand out in the job market and pursue a graduate degree in nursing. And earning your BSN in one of the longest-running programs at Vermont’s oldest college will help you stand out even more. Transfer students can also bring course credits into both program options.
Request more information about Castleton's Bachelor of Science in Nursing →
A BSN is quickly becoming a new minimum requirement for many nursing jobs. The Institute of Medicine has stated that 80% of RNs across the globe should hold BSN-level qualifications by 2020. Some states now require RNs to complete a BSN within 10 years of licensure.
A bachelor’s degree in nursing makes you stand out from candidates who hold a diploma or associate’s degree, helps you earn higher salaries, positions you for leadership roles and greater responsibility, and allows you to pursue graduate degrees. With a BSN and a graduate degree, you can become a nurse practitioner (NP) or build a career in medical education, public health, research, informatics, healthcare policy, and/or healthcare leadership. The Castleton BSN will qualify you to pursue a nursing graduate degree such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DPN). Castleton also offers an online MSN with Clinical Nurse Leader and Nursing Educator concentrations.
ALUMNI PROFILE: Find out how PK Scheerle, RN ‘80, went from Castleton to Harvard Business School and founded her own nursing agency.
The Castleton University Nursing program prepares you to think and act like a professional registered nurse (RN), which means exercising strong clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills. Our nursing courses have been carefully designed to provide you with learning experiences in the classroom, in our nursing simulation centers, and in clinical experiences off-campus at several of our clinical affiliate sites in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. By the end of the program, you will have acquired 600 hours of clinical experience.
You will have direct access to professors who are doctorally trained nurses, leading nurse educators, advanced practice nurses, and experienced clinical nurse leaders. Through in-person or virtual office hours, you will work closely with faculty who care deeply about your success.
Meet our nursing faculty →
FACULTY PROFILE: See how Helen Papeika's love of teaching led her to Bennington
Castleton’s Simulation Centers at both our Castleton and Bennington campuses give you a hands-on way to learn procedures, activities, and valuable patient interaction skills by “practicing on plastic” patients in a room designed to look like a hospital ward. Your simulated learning experience will begin in the spring semester of your first year, helping you to apply your classroom learning right away.
Learn more about our Simulation Centers →
Launch Bennington Nursing Campus
Gain clinical experience with top medical centers across the region, including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH; University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM-MC) in Burlington, VT; Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) in Bennington, VT; and others. Your clinical experience will begin in the spring semester of your sophomore year and include 600 hours — more hours than any other nursing program in Vermont. Many of our clinical affiliates offer tuition assistance for students who agree to work for them after graduation!
Learn more about our clinical affiliates →
Eight out of 10 Castleton students receive a scholarship and Castleton offers some scholarships specifically for nursing students. Castleton is also the third-most affordable college in Vermont and almost every student receives some form of financial aid.
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First-year students need no prior nursing experience but must have B- grades or above in high school math and science courses. Transfer students must have completed their science courses within 10 years prior to admission or they can take a standardized exam to demonstrate their knowledge base.
Learn about nursing program admissions →
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing program at at Castleton University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001. Phone: 202-887-6791
The Bachelor Degree in Nursing at Castleton University is approved by the Vermont State Board of Nursing. Email: SOS.OPRLicensing1@Vermont.gov
Office of Professional Regulation, 89 Main Street, 3rd Floor Montpelier, VT 05620-3402. Phone: 802-828-2396