College of Nursing and Health Science

Nursing, B.S.N.

The B.S.N. degree prepares graduates to function as professional nurses in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the community. The community-based program may be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Special accelerated pathways for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) take into account the needs of the working RN and LPN. A twelve-month, full-time accelerated pathway for students with a baccalaureate degree outside of nursing also is offered. (The Med-U-Net scholarship students complete this program in a 15-month sequence.) Students interested in these pathways must contact the nursing program before admission. All pathways lead to completion of the objectives of the undergraduate program.

Clinical nursing begins at the junior level. Students must complete a prenursing curriculum and be admitted to junior standing or to one of the accelerated pathways.

Acceptance Into Junior Standing in Nursing

A student who is interested in pursuing a major in nursing must make an additional and separate application for junior standing through the College of Nursing and Health Science.

To be eligible to apply for junior standing, traditional prenursing students must complete the 39 credits of required general education, which apply to the degree, by the end of the spring semester. LPN students who desire to be full-time students must complete all prerequisite general education requirements by the end of the semester preceding entry into the nursing major.

Students must earn a C or better in psychology (6 credits); sociology or anthropology (3 credits); BIOL 124 and 125 (8 credits); and BIOL 246 and 306 (4 credits).

Admission to the nursing program is competitive. It is based on a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000 in the prerequisite general education course work (wherever taken) required for the degree (excluding electives, U.S. history, western civilization, information technology, and English 302). The acceptable GPA may increase each year based on the number of spaces available in the nursing program.

Transfer students and those changing their majors to nursing are ranked downward from 4.000 on the basis of the number of junior spaces available in any given year. Students admitted as prenursing freshmen must have a minimum GPA of 3.000.

Students are accepted for junior standing each fall. The application deadline is April 1, and students are notified of their status in early June. LPN students desiring to be full-time students in the spring semester must submit an application by November 15. Part-time LPN students are admitted in the fall and spring semesters.

Permission to register for NURS 330, 331, 332, and 333 requires prior acceptance into junior standing in nursing.

Full-time nursing requires carrying a heavy schedule; therefore, outside obligations should be limited to ensure success.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the degree must present at least 120 credits. Specific requirements for the B.S.N. are as follows.

Students pursuing a B.S.N. must take BIOL 124 and 125. This will meet the natural science portion of the general education requirements. Nursing students are exempt from the general education requirement of a fine arts course.

Nursing students must take an approved synthesis course (3 credits).

The university provides opportunity for credit by examination in several courses for students presenting evidence of previous education. Programs of study are based on student needs.