BSN Admission Requirements

• The total academic performance is critically evaluated with attention given to the source, course load, and trends in performance, as well as, to the general commitment of scholarship. See table below for pre-requisite courses.
• BSN applicants are required to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher or a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 earned during the applicant's most recently completed degree program. A 2.6 or better for science pre-requisite GPA is required.
• Required science prerequisite courses: Anatomy and Physiology I & II and Microbiology (calculation is based on the highest grade achieved on the first or second attempt); Applicants must earn a C or better on all pre-requisite science coursework. Science prerequisite courses (Human Anatomy & Physiology I, II, and Microbiology) must be completed within 5 years of the entry term. Any science pre-requisite course description that states not applicable or no credit towards science and/or biology majors is not acceptable for admission.

Non-Nurses (Pre-licensure): Non-nurses (prelicensure) must have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a non-nursing field from a regionally accredited college or university (or approved international equivalent) upon entry to the program.

 

Courses	Non-nurses (pre-licensure) with Bachelor's Degree
General Education Courses
English Composition	3 credits
English Literature*	3 credits
Humanities/Fine Arts**	3 credits
Social/Behavioral Sciences**	3 credits
American History***	6 credits
	Subtotal
General Education Electives
Elective courses Natural science/Mathematics Statistics (preferred - 3 credits)	30 credits
Prerequisite courses
Human Anatomy & Physiology I/II (with lab)****	8 credits         (with lab)
Microbiology (with lab)****	4 credits         (with lab)
	Subtotal
Minimum total semester credits completed prior to enrollment*****	Bachelor's Degree or higher
Required GPA	3.0

*English Composition I and II and First Year Writing coursework may be evaluated for consideration of 6 hour English Composition and Literature requirement. Courses in literature maybe used to fulfill the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement.

**Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a state of Tennessee regionally accredited public institution are considered as having met the general education requirements, but must complete the required microbiology, and human anatomy & physiology courses. Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a private, regionally accredited institution or out-of-state, regionally accredited institution may be considered to have completed all general education requirements, but this is not guaranteed and they must complete the required microbiology, and human anatomy & physiology courses.

 ***Students lacking the required one unit (one year) of American History from high school must complete six (6) credit hours of American History or three (3) credit hours of American History and three (3) credit hours of Tennessee History to fulfill the requirements in General Education.  Students who successfully completed one unit (one year) of American History in high school will need to complete six (6) credits of elective to have thirty (30) credit hours in General Education.  These six (6) credit hours may be, but are not required to be, in American History.

**** Pre-licensure BSN applicants must have completed their science pre-requisites within 5 years of the entry term. 

*****The preadmission semester credit requirements represent post-high school, non-nursing, collegiate academic studies with a grade of “C” or higher, from regionally accredited colleges and universities. The prerequisite courses in the tables are not offered by UTHSC College of Nursing.

^ The prerequisite semester credit requirement represents post-high school, non-nursing, collegiate academic studies with a grade of “C” or higher, from regionally accredited colleges and universities. The prerequisite courses in the tables are not offered by UTHSC College of Nursing.

• The total academic performance is critically evaluated with attention given to the source, course load, and trends in performance, as well as, to the general commitment of scholarship. See table below for pre-requisite courses.
• BSN applicants are required to have a cumulative grade point average of 2.6 or better for science pre-requisite courses: Anatomy and Physiology I & II and Microbiology (calculation is based on the highest grade achieved on the first or second attempt, only one science course may be repeated); Applicants must earn a C or better on all pre-requisite science coursework.
• Science prerequisite courses (Human Anatomy & Physiology I, II, and Microbiology) must be completed within 5 years of the entry term. Any science pre-requisite course description that states not applicable or no credit towards science and/or biology majors is not acceptable for admission.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on all collegiate work, if the cumulative GPA is less than 3.0, the last 60 credit hours may be used to determine a GPA of at least 3.0. The GPA for the last 60 credit hours will include the last 60 credit hours earned while completing the general education requirements. 

  Applicants must have sixty (60) credit hours of non-nursing course work from an accredited***** US higher education institution (or approved international equivalent) upon entry to the program.

  Prerequisite courses, including courses that meet general education requirements, are listed in the following table.

Courses	Non-nurses (pre-licensure) with either  60 credit hours or bachelor's degree
General Education Courses
English Composition	3 credits
English Literature*	3 credits
Humanities/Fine Arts**	3 credits
Social/Behavioral Sciences**	3 credits
American History	6 credits
General education subtotal	18 credits
General Education Electives
Recommended Elective Courses Chemistry with lab General Psychology Algebra Nutrition Growth and Development Natural Science/Math/Statistics
General Education Elective Subtotal	30 credits
Prerequisite courses
Human Anatomy & Physiology I/II with lab	8 credits with lab
Microbiology with lab	4 credits with lab
Prerequisite subtotal	12 credits
Minimum total semester credits completed prior to enrollment	60 credit hours or bachelor's degree or higher
Required GPA	3.0

*English Composition I and II- and First-Year Writing coursework may be evaluated for consideration of 6-hour English Composition and Literature requirement. Courses in literature maybe used to fulfill the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement.

** Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a state of Tennessee regionally accredited public institution are considered as having met the general education requirements, but must complete the required microbiology, and human anatomy & physiology courses. Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a private, regionally accredited institution or out-of-state, regionally accredited institution may be considered to have completed all general education requirements but this is not guaranteed and they must complete the required microbiology, and human anatomy & physiology courses.

 ***Students lacking the required one-unit (one year) of American History from high school must complete six (6) credit hours of American History or three (3) credit hours of American History and three (3) credit hours of Tennessee History to fulfill the requirements in General Education.  Students who successfully completed one unit (one year) of American History in high school will need to complete six (6) credits of elective to have thirty (30) credit hours in General Education.  These six (6) credit hours may be, but are not required to be, in American History.

 **** Pre-licensure BSN applicants must have completed their science pre-requisites within 5 years of the entry term.

*****All prerequisite courses, transfer course credits, and degrees (where applicable) from US higher education institutions must be awarded from an institution accredited by one of the following accreditors:

• Higher Learning Commission
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• New England Commission of Higher Education
• Northwest Commission on College and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and School, Commission on Colleges
• WASC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
• WASC Senior Colleges and University Commission

All prerequisite courses, transfer course credits, and degrees (where applicable) from international institutions must be evaluated by an approved equivalency agency.

 All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to beginning studies at the UT Health Science Center (UTHSC), but do not need to be completed prior to application. Students who have been dismissed from another nursing program are not eligible for admission.

Official transcripts from every college/university you have attended will be needed to complete your on-line application through NursingCAS. In addition, you will need to request that a copy of your transcript also be sent to NursingCAS for verification.

Transcripts from any non-U.S. institution must be sent to and verified by a NACES accredited agency, for example, the World Education Services (WES).

Professional recommendations allow further insight into the values and motivation of the applicants.Two recommendations from academic and work related professionals are required to support the applicant’s ability to successfully complete the program and perform in the role. Applicants are required to provide NursingCAS with the names and addresses of two (2) persons who can address their ability to successfully complete the program – one (1) is a faculty member and one (1) is an employer.

 APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR REFERENCES:

Please provide this information to assist your recommenders to complete your letters of recommendation. References are submitted through NursingCAS.

• Describe why you believe the individual would be a good candidate for UTHSC College of Nursing accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
• Provide three strengths that will make the individual a success in the program.
• Provide three areas for improvement for this student to be successful in the program.
• If you did not complete the “RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING ADMISSION” rating in Nursing CAS, please describe if you recommend or not in your letter of reference.

APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR ESSAY: 

Please address each item below.

• Describe why you are choosing nursing as a career.
• Describe your professional goals for the next 5 years (career plan).
• Describe three strengths that will make you successful as a student in an accelerated program.
• Describe three challenges that may impede your success in an accelerated program.

THE INTERVIEW:

Interviews are conducted using an online platform within the admission application in NursingCAS. All applicants must complete the KIRA  interview assessment before submitting the application in NursingCAS.

• Applicants who were previously enrolled, but did not complete a nursing program, must submit a letter of good standing from the Director of the Nursing Program.
• Applicants dismissed from other nursing programs are not eligible.
• Applicants are required to disclose any misdemeanor or felony conviction.
• Applicants must complete a successful criminal background check within the stated College of Nursing BSN program deadline.
• Applicants are advised that extensive background checks (including fingerprinting) are conducted as part of the nursing licensing application process.
• Applicants must complete a drug screen within the stated College of Nursing BSN program deadline.
• Background checks and/or drug screens may be repeated during the student’s program of study.

• Critical thinking sufficient for clinical judgment;
• Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, groups, and populations from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds;
• Communication abilities sufficient for verbal written interaction with others. Speak, write and comprehend the English language proficiently;
• Use computer to word process, email, and access the World Wide Web;
• Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room, walk in hallways, maneuver in small spaces, and the strength necessary to lift and transfer patients, including the ability to exert up to 50 lbs. occasionally and 25 lbs. of force frequently. Physical activities include climbing, pushing, standing, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion;
• Gross and fine motor abilities with good balance and coordination sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
• Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs;
• Visual ability, with close visual acuity including color, depth perception, and field of vision sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care;
• Tactile ability and manual dexterity sufficient for physical assessment and to provide nursing intervention including manipulating equipment necessary for providing nursing care.
• Computer literacy and adequate computer skills are required.

If a student cannot fulfill these Technical and Performance Standards, with or without accommodations, at any time in the program, the student will be ineligible for admission or continued progression in the BSN Program.  In addition to assuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotional, and physical criteria for the BSN Program, it is of utmost importance that students have the ability to provide for the safety and welfare of their patients and others. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, when appropriate, to help students meet these Technical and Professional Standards. Determination of eligibility and recommendations of accommodations must be made by the Disability Services.   Any student wishing accommodations must contact the university’s Office of Disability Services at tlc@uthsc.edu. 

• Current Basic Life Support for Health Care providers ( CPR Certification) provided by the American Heart Association is required prior to UTHSC enrollment and maintained throughout enrollment. 

• Must own a web-connected device capable of running modern software and streaming media including web-conferencing applications such as ZOOM.
• Computer/web-based literacy skills expected.

• Evidence of English proficiency is mandatory part of application process
• Official minimum TOEFL Score earned within two (2) years prior to application to College of Nursing
• Three versions of TOEFL: Paper-based Test (minimum score 550), Computer-based (minimum score 213), and Internet/web-based (minimum score 80).
• Non-US citizen applicants must provide photocopy of immigration documentation showing “legal immigration status” (e.g., “Green Card”).

NursingCAS fees are $50 for BSN. After acceptance, students are required to submit a $75 Application Processing Fee and a $200 Guaranteed Enrollment Deposit (GED). The GED, a non-refundable fee due within 30 days of acceptance, is held in escrow and applied to the student’s first term of study.

The criminal background check and drug screen fee is $162 for accepted RN to BSN students. Background checks and drug screens must be repeated during the student’s program of study.