Accelerated BScN — University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI)

SpaceCat Fit Notes

• CASPer: Yes — CASPer (Altus Suite) accounts for 30% of the admission score, with academic average at 70%. SpaceCat’s very high CASPer score is an advantage and can meaningfully offset a lower (but still above 75%) academic average.
• GPA window & upgrading strategy: The GPA is calculated on the 10 specific prerequisite courses (30 semester hours). If SpaceCat takes these 10 courses with strong grades (75%+ average, no course below 60%), she can fully establish her effective GPA for UPEI admissions. The 83% early-offer threshold is the target to aim for. This is a fully resettable window since it is based entirely on the prerequisite courses.
• Experiential / written advantage: There is no personal statement, no interview, and no written supplementary component. A resume/CV is required (for applicants not currently enrolled), but it is not clear how much weight it carries in the evaluation. The admission formula is 70% academic + 30% CASPer, leaving minimal room for experiential factors beyond what the resume may contribute. SpaceCat’s shelter work cannot be meaningfully showcased.

• Out-of-province: Ontario resident. - “Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of PEI and have completed all of the prerequisite course requirements, or those that have completed some and enrolled in the remaining prerequisite courses.”. - None — domestic tuition …

• Overall assessment: Moderate fit — The 30% CASPer weight helps and the prerequisite-based GPA is fully resettable, but PEI residents get priority for the small 28-seat cohort. As an out-of-province applicant, SpaceCat would need a notably strong application to secure one of the limited remaining seats. The low tuition (~$20,000 total) and January start date are appealing, but the residency priority and tiny cohort are significant barriers.

Quick Facts

• Institution: University of Prince Edward Island, Faculty of Nursing
• Program name: Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN)
• Degree granted: BScN
• City, Province: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
• Program type: Accelerated / Second-Entry
• Duration: 2 years (“two years with no breaks in the spring and summer”) Source
• Delivery format: In-person
• Full-time / Part-time: Full-time only. “Students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program are required to take the same courses and have the same number of clinical hours as students in the four-year BScN program.” Source
• Language of instruction: English
• Start date(s): January (“There is only one entry term which is January”) Source
• Intake frequency: Annual
• Application deadline(s): July 15 of the previous year (i.e., July 15, 2026 for January 2027 entry). “To meet this deadline, an applicant must, by this date, have their on-line application submitted and application fee paid.” Source
• Application system: UPEI online application (apply.upei.ca)
• Program URL: https://www.upei.ca/programs/accelerated-nursing
• Accredited: Yes — CASN accredited. “University of Prince Edward Island, Bachelor of Science Nursing with Advanced Standing Option and Accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing with LPN to BScN Pathway” listed on CASN Accredited Programs. UPEI underwent a CASN Accreditation site visit in March 2025.

Admission Requirements

GPA

• Minimum prerequisite average: 75% across the 10 required prerequisite courses (30 semester hours), with no individual course grade below 60%
• Competitive / Early Offer threshold: “An Early offer is made to applicants whose average for admission has been calculated to be 83% or greater.” Source
• GPA calculated on: The 10 specific prerequisite courses (30 semester hours) listed below
• GPA scale used: Percentage

Source

Prerequisites

All prerequisites must be “successfully completed at an undergraduate degree level at a recognized post-secondary institution.” Courses must have been completed within the past 10 years. Minimum average of 75% across all 10 courses, with no individual course grade below 60%.

Required: 30 semester hours from the following 10 courses:

Important notes on prerequisites: - “Required courses in Pathophysiology and Pharmacology can be taken during the Accelerated Program” — these are NOT prerequisites Source - “Previous course work will be recognized… but will not be assigned as transfer credit if completed outside of UPEI” Source - “If a condition of acceptance is the successful completion of prerequisite courses, the deadline to complete the course(s) is the end of the Fall semester” (i.e., before January start) Source

Can prerequisites be taken online? The official sources do not explicitly state whether online prerequisites (e.g., from Athabasca University) are accepted. The requirement is that courses be “completed at an undergraduate degree level at a recognized post-secondary institution.” The lab requirements for Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology may pose challenges for fully online completion. Recommend contacting the Faculty of Nursing directly to confirm whether online courses (especially those with virtual labs) are accepted.

Prereq source URL: https://calendar.upei.ca/current/chapter/accelerated-bachelor-of-science-in-nursing/

Prior Degree Requirement

• Minimum credits required: “successfully completed 60 semester hours of university-level credit” (equivalent to approximately 2 years of full-time study). A completed degree is NOT explicitly required — 60 semester hours suffices.
• High school prerequisites also required: “successfully completed Grade 12 Academic or equivalent courses in English, Math, Chemistry, and Biology” Source
• Degree field restrictions: Any field
• Specific undergraduate courses required beyond prereqs: No

Supplementary Requirements

• CASPer (Altus Suite): Required. “All applicants… are required to complete Altus Suite” — worth 30% of overall admission score. “The CASPer test can only be written once within an admission cycle and multiple test attempts are not permitted.” “CASPer test results are only valid for one admission cycle.” Source
• GRE: Not required
• Interview: Not required
• Personal statement / written component: Not required
• Resume / CV: Required — “Curriculum vitae/resume (if not currently enrolled)” is a required document Source
• References: Not mentioned in official sources; appears not required
• Volunteer / work experience: No stated minimum
• Language proficiency: “Applicants whose first language is not English must also satisfy the UPEI English Language Proficiency requirements” Source

Post-Acceptance Requirements

The Faculty of Nursing requires the following documentation forwarded no later than December 15 (before January start): - CPR (BLS Level) certification - First Aid certification - Immunization record - Certified vulnerable sector check

Source

How Applications Are Evaluated

Admission is scored on a 100-point scale: - Academic average (prerequisite courses): 70% of admission score - CASPer (Altus Suite): 30% of admission score

Process: 1. “An Early offer is made to applicants whose average for admission has been calculated to be 83% or greater” 2. “If an applicant is currently enrolled in courses, one condition of acceptance will be maintaining the admissions average of 83% or more” 3. “Once all applicants have been considered, further offers will be made to the highest ranked applicants who have not received an Early Offer” 4. “Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of PEI”

“Students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program are required to take the same courses and have the same number of clinical hours as students in the four-year BScN program.”

Source

Out-of-Province Considerations

• Residency restrictions or quotas: “Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of PEI and have completed all of the prerequisite course requirements, or those that have completed some and enrolled in the remaining prerequisite courses.” Source Out-of-province applicants ARE eligible but are ranked after PEI residents. The exact number of seats reserved/available for out-of-province applicants is not published.
• Out-of-province tuition differential: None — domestic tuition is the same regardless of province of residence. International students pay an additional $9,040/year. Source

SpaceCat note: The PEI residency priority is a significant consideration for out-of-province applicants. With only 28 seats total and PEI residents given priority, out-of-province applicants likely need to be substantially stronger to secure a spot.

Cost

• Tuition (per year, domestic): $7,630 ($3,815/semester, $763 per 3-credit course)
• Tuition (total program, approximate domestic): ~$15,260 over 2 years (tuition only)
• In-province vs out-of-province: No differential for domestic students
• Professional fee (Accelerated program): $1,200/year
• Canadian Nursing Student Association Fee: $11/year

Student Fees (per year, approximate):

Approximate total program cost (2 years, domestic): ~$20,286 (before textbooks, scrubs, equipment, etc.)

Deposit: “A non-refundable tuition deposit is required” upon acceptance. First-year domestic students pay a $250 deposit before registration.

Source, Source

Competitiveness

• Cohort size: 28 students accepted per year Source
• Acceptance rate: Not published
• Number of applicants: Not published
• Early offer threshold: 83% prerequisite average or greater
• PEI residents given priority

Program Structure

Students complete 81 semester hours of nursing-specific courses over 2 years with no breaks. The program uses NURS-1030 instead of NURS-1010 & 1020 (the first-year courses in the 4-year program), but otherwise students take the same courses as 4-year BScN students.

Year 1 (January start): - January-April: Fundamentals, Health Assessment, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology - May-August: Young Families, Adult Nursing, Childbearing Families nursing (clinical components) - September-December: Chronic Illness partnerships, Issues/Research Methods, Psychiatric nursing

Year 2: - January-April: Community partnerships, Leadership/Primary Health Care, elective - May-August: Integrated Clinical Experience - September-December: Integrated Clinical Experience II, Conceptual Models

Source

Academic Standards

• “The minimal grade for successful completion of any course with a Nursing acronym is 60%” Source
• Students must “achieve a grade of 85% on each assessment” for numeracy and clinical calculation exams Source
• “Students must complete their BScN degree within seven calendar years” Source

Fieldwork / Clinical / Practicum

• Placements guaranteed? Yes (built into curriculum)
• Total required hours: Same as the 4-year BScN program. Clinical hours are embedded in multiple courses throughout the program. Key clinical courses include:
• NURS 2130: 120 hours
• NURS 2230: 192 hours
• NURS 3060/3130 combined: 184 hours
• NURS 4010: 290 hours
• NURS 4020: 320 hours Source
• Placement settings / locations: PEI-based. Clinical placements in health care settings across Prince Edward Island.
• Can placements be done out of province? Not indicated; appears to be PEI-based
• Final clinical: Year 2 concludes with Integrated Clinical Experience courses (NURS 4010 and 4020)

Licensing & Career Path

• Licensing exam: NCLEX-RN
• Graduates eligible to practice in all provinces? Yes — “Graduates are eligible to write licensure examinations to practice nursing, and to hold membership in the College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island” Source. NCLEX-RN is accepted across Canada.
• Any known issues with credential recognition? None

Holland College Articulated Agreement

“Holland College Practical Nursing graduates who are interested in the accelerated program should refer to the Holland College Articulated Agreement in the Calendar” — an LPN-to-BScN pathway exists. Source

Reputation & Notes

• Small cohort (28 students) allows for close faculty interaction
• PEI is a small province; clinical placements may offer diverse rural and community health experiences
• Program is very compact — 2 years with no breaks (runs through spring and summer semesters)
• “Accelerated nursing students usually find their schedules to be very busy and challenging” Source
• No Reddit or AllNurses forum discussions found specific to the UPEI accelerated program — limited public student feedback available
• Lower tuition than many comparable programs (~$20,286 total domestic cost)
• CASPer is a significant component at 30% of the admission score — strong non-cognitive skills can compensate for a lower (but still above 75%) academic average
• The January start date is unusual — most accelerated programs start in September

Information Not Found

• Exact acceptance rate / number of applicants per year
• How many of the 28 seats go to PEI residents vs. out-of-province
• Whether online prerequisites (e.g., Athabasca) are accepted (especially for lab-required courses)
• Detailed student reviews or experiences
• CASN accreditation term/expiry dates

Sources

• UPEI Accelerated Nursing Program Page
• UPEI Calendar 2025-2026 — Accelerated BScN
• UPEI Calendar 2025-2026 — Nursing
• UPEI Calendar 2025-2026 — BScN
• UPEI Calendar 2025-2026 — Tuition and Fees
• UPEI Tuition and Fees Page
• UPEI Faculty of Nursing
• UPEI Application Deadlines
• CASN Accredited BScN Programs
• UPEI Accelerated Nursing Passport PDF
• ApplyBoard — UPEI Accelerated Nursing