• The Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing (BSPN) Degree Completion program is a part-time online program designed for Registered Psychiatric Nurses. Registered Nurses who have an interest in psychiatric/mental health nursing and desire a Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing degree can apply (applications will be assessed on an individual basis).

• Applications can be submitted online and the application fee of $30.00 (subject to change) can be paid by Visa or MasterCard. After applying, fax a clear copy (enlarged if possible) of your current RPN license to the Registrar's Office at 604 777 6068 to the attention of the Admissions Officer, Psychiatric Nursing program. You will receive a letter confirming acceptance into the program.

• Current practicing RPN or RN license is required for admission to the program. If you wish to receive possible credit for associate courses or course work taken at another educational institution and apply this to your degree, you will need to submit this transcript and apply for transfer credit through the registrar's office.

• In the Calendar, you will find the list of courses required to complete the BSPN depending on when and where you completed your Psychiatric Nursing Diploma. Douglas College offers the Psychiatric Nursing courses online as well as Philosophy for Psychiatric Nurses (PHIL 3125).

  The Associate Studies courses (non-Psychiatric Nursing courses) are not offered online. They can be taken on campus at Douglas College, at a post secondary institution in your community or through an online university such as Athabasca University or Thompson Rivers Open University. If you are taking these courses at Douglas College, you will need to confirm that you meet the prerequisites for each course.

  If you are planning to take the Associate Studies courses at another post secondary institution, an academic advisor will be able to confirm if the course you are planning to take elsewhere will transfer to Douglas College as the required course toward completion of the BSPN.

• You will receive a post card in the mail alerting you to go onto the website to check your registration date and time. All courses are not offered every semester and limited seats are available in each course.
• Be sure to go online on the date and at the time your registration period begins in order to increase your chances of being able to secure a seat in a particular course.

• If you have taken the Associate Studies courses (English, Psychology, Science, Statistics and elective) previously and wish to apply to transfer these courses to Douglas College, please forward your official post secondary transcript along with a Transfer Credit Request form to the Registrar's Office.
• You may need to send detailed course outlines along with the Transfer Credit Request form.
• Note: Courses used toward completion of your Psychiatric Nursing Diploma cannot be used a second time toward completion of the Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing.

• The BSPN Online Degree Completion Program course rollout is listed in the Course Schedule  on the website.
• These may be subject to change due to seat availability. An email will be sent out to applicants prior to registration each semester outlining which courses are being offered and the corresponding Course Reference numbers (CRN) that you will use during the registration process.
• Before deciding which order you take your classes, confirm which category you are in (see BSPN Degree Completion Program course requirements document) or check the calendar.
• The first Psychiatric Nursing course that is recommended to register into is PNUR 3700 - Psychiatric Nursing Concepts. This course is considered to be the prerequisite for the remaining PNUR courses and it is recommended that you take this first.
• Note: if you are a Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing Diploma graduate from 2009 and beyond or an Advanced Diploma graduate, you do not need this course, so please check your category first.

• Each semester, Douglas College publishes a Registration Guide.
• Here is where you will find important information regarding the upcoming semester, including important dates, tuition information, tutorials for using the web registration system, deadlines to drop courses and more.

Timelines

• It takes two years to complete the BSPN when taking one course each semester. If you choose to complete the degree over a longer period of time, all courses must be completed within six years.

• Most of our students take up to three courses in a semester at the most. Online course work is different from in class delivery and it is recommended that you start with one course.
• You will be expected to have sufficient computer skills to manage online learning because students who are new to online learning will need some time to adjust to the new technological challenges it presents.

• If you have not taken courses for one year or three semesters, you need to re-apply.

Associate Studies courses

• Associate Studies courses are required courses separate from Psychiatric Nursing courses and are part of the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing.
• These courses are designed to add more breadth of knowledge and understanding outside the psychiatric nursing field of focused study, therefore these courses do not include health sciences, health studies or medical science courses.

• Many students take online courses at other educational institutions. Thompson Rivers University and Athabasca University offer online versions, but make sure courses taken can be transfer credit courses to our required associate courses for degree completion

• Most students take the Biology 2401 course here at Douglas College as their science course. Some courses can be substituted in place of it, but these must also be science courses.
• Other science courses include: astronomy biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth science, environmental science, biomedical physiology/kinesiology, mathematics, physics, and statistics.
• A few courses in Geography and Psychology may be accepted as a science, but always check any course you plan to take is transferable to Douglas College before you register.