Chamberlain admits without entrance exams on a calendar built for momentum: 16-week semesters split into two 8-week sessions, up to six start dates a year. The gates are program-specific and honest: an active unrestricted RN license plus a 2.0 for the RN-to-BSN, a nursing bachelor's plus a 3.0 for the NP tracks with a provisional path at 2.5 to 2.99, and a bachelor's plus 3.0 for the MPH with its own provisional ramp. The rule people miss: your RN license must be valid in your practicum state, with documentation due by the end of semester one or registration locks.
The fast facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Entrance exams | None. No GRE anywhere in the online programs. |
| Starts | Up to six per year; verified 2026 dates include May 4, July 6, August 31, October 26 |
| Session structure | Two 8-week sessions per 16-week semester; online students typically take one course per session |
| Classroom | Canvas via the My Chamberlain portal, deadlines on Mountain Time |
| Accreditation | CCNE for BSN/MSN/DNP, CEPH for the MPH, CSWE for the MSW |
The calendar, and why it favors deciders
Six intakes a year means the cost of waiting is never more than a few weeks, and the two-session semester means a single course finishes in eight weeks flat. That tempo cuts both ways: enrollment is quick, but so is every deadline that follows, which is why the smartest pre-enrollment move is reading the grading rules before your first session rather than during it.
Gates by program, with the provisional paths
RN to BSN. ADN or diploma, a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and an active unrestricted RN license. The program grants 77 proficiency credits automatically and accepts up to 15 in transfer, which is how the as-few-as-10-months marketing becomes arithmetic.
MSN-NP tracks. A nursing bachelor's with a 3.0. Between 2.5 and 2.99 there is a real provisional route via the free NP placement assessment, and scoring under 70 percent on it adds NR-545 as a ramp course, a fair warning about the writing load ahead rather than a rejection.
MPH. A bachelor's with a 3.0; provisional admits at 2.5 to 2.99 add MPH-599 Professional Writing, which tells you exactly what the program thinks decides success.
The license-and-state rule that catches people
Clinical programs require your RN license to be valid in the state where you will complete practicum hours, and the documentation deadline is the end of your first semester, missing it places a registration hold. Compact-license nurses usually clear this easily; nurses planning to sit practicum in a different state than their license need the paperwork conversation before enrolling, not after. It is the least glamorous item on this page and the one most likely to cost a semester.
The process, step by step
Pick program and start date
With six starts, pick the one that gives you two clear weeks to set up, not the one that starts tomorrow.
Apply and send transcripts
No exam, no essay wall for the flagship programs; provisional paths exist where GPAs run low.
Clear the license and state paperwork early
For clinical programs, start the practicum-state documentation immediately; semester one ends faster than it sounds.
Stack the grants before you pay list price
Chamberlain's published grants and employer discounts are unusually aggressive; the tuition guide walks the stack.
Meet Canvas, convert the clock
Orientation lands you in the portal; convert every deadline to your local time on day one, because the classroom runs on Mountain Time.
Enrolling now?
Tell us your program and start date and we will map your first session before it begins, free sample included.
Sources and verification
Facts on this page come from official and independent sources, and anything that matters is worth checking against the originals:
- www.chamberlain.edu: Chamberlain University's official site, the primary source for program and tuition facts
- www.chamberlain.edu/academics/academic-catalog: the official academic catalog, where grading and progression policies live
- www.hlcommission.org: Higher Learning Commission, the institutional accreditor
- www.ccneaccreditation.org: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the nursing accreditor
- apastyle.apa.org: APA Style, the official style authority behind the formatting rules