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Pre-Nursing

What is Pre-Nursing?

Pre-nursing is the first of the four years required to earn a bachelor of science in nursing. The pre-nursing year consists of general education courses that are designed to be a foundation for the nursing course work required in the nursing major. Upon successful completion of the required pre-nursing courses, students will apply for competitive admission to the nursing major, which begins in the sophomore year of the program.

Success Factors

Individuals who have a stong desire to help others,a committment to lifelong learning and an ability towork withpeople of all cultures can besuccessful in the field of nursing. Career opportunities in nursing allow for multiple work enviornments, so the nursing field isideal for those who prefer to have flexibility in their career path.

Career Possibilities

Career opportunities in nursing are as unlimited as one's imagination. Professional nurses are assuming new and greater responsibilities in hospitals, schools, industry and community agencies. Nurses are employed as caregivers, teachers, counselors, managers and researchers. Additionally, nurses now can create careers out of striking combinations of interests such as: computers, music and art, law, politics, business, publishing and the media, among others.

Where you obtain your education can be as important as what you learn. You want to be well prepared to enter the job market or to engage in graduate study. The faculty of the College of Nursing are well known and respected in the community for their teaching, research and service.

Majoring in Pre-Nursing

Students pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing will complete four years of full-time study consisting of general education and nursing clinicals and course work. Upon completion of thepre-nursing freshman year program, students apply directly to the nursing major, which begins the sophomore year. This application process is competitive in that there are more applications received than clinical spaces available in the program. Once admitted to the sophomore year, students will begin their nursing clinical and course work, which takes three full-time years to complete and results in an earned bachelor of science in nursing.

Curriculum

This curriculum information is intended as a general information guide for students considering enrollment in this program. These online tools are designed to assist you, but are not a substitute for planning with an academic or faculty advisor.

If you are currently confirmed or enrolled, you can check your degree requirements online. If you are considering transferring to this major from another school use the Course Applicability System (CAS) to see how credits you have earned will apply to this major at UC. For course descriptions by college, click here.

Pre-Nursing (Freshman Year)
Success in College and Nursing I,II	4
Anatomy and Physiology with Laboratory I,II, III	12
General Chemistry with Laboratory I,II,III	12
Freshman English I,II	6
Introduction to Psychology I,II	6
Introduction to Sociology I	3
History & Cultural DiversityElectives	6
TOTAL	49

UC Advantages and Special Opportunities

The UC College of Nursing offers first-time freshmen the opportunity to enter the pre-nursing year as Acadaemic Scholars. Students are determined to be Academic Scholars if they meet the following criteria upon entry to the pre-nursing program:

• a class rank in the upper 33 percent
• at least an ACT of 23 or SAT of 1120

The advantage of being an Academic Scholar is that you are guaranteed admission to the sophomore year as long as you completeall pre-nursing required courses with a grade of "C-" or better and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 at the end of the spring term of your freshman year. The guarantee is your reward for choosing the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing to begin your nursing education!

The first college in the United States to award a university degree in nursing, the College of Nursing is a component of the University of Cincinnati. As such, it is part of the internationally recognized University Medical Center that includes the University Hospital and the Colleges of Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy and Medicine. Health care institutions and agencies in the region provide excellent in-depth educational and clinical opportunities for students.

In keeping with its pioneering role in nursing education, the college added the master of science in nursing program in 1956 and the doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in 1990.

Special Programs

The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing offers a learning environment in which students have every opportunity to succeed academically. Beginning in the freshman year, students have the opportunity to be a part of a nursing Learning Community: a community of students who schedule classes together to provide a network of peers with whom they can learn throughout the year. As part of the Learning Community experience, students will have regular group advising sessions with the pre-nursing advisor, focusing on their success in the freshman year.; Additionally, the pre-nursing advisor is available for one-on-one advising for students who need academic or social counseling.

The pre-nursing curriculum requires two Success in College and Nursing courses in which students discuss skills required for success in college as well as in the field of nursing. Career exploration is also part of this course, so students receive a wealth of information to help themfurther define their career goals within the field of nursing. The College of Nursing also offers free peer tutoring for pre-nursing students who would like to receive supplemental academic assistance in any of their courses.

Admission Requirements

Pre-Nursing (Freshman) High School Applicants

1. Graduation from an accredited high school or preparatory school
2. Successful completion of 16 units of college-preparatory subjects: English (4 units); biology and chemistry (2 units); college-prep mathematics (3 units); social sciences (2 units); fine arts (1 unit); additional college preparatory subjects (4 units)

Recommended: physics, foreign language, anatomy and physiology or a third unit in social science with a grade of 2.0 or better in all required courses.

Freshmen may be admitted as Academic Scholars or for general admission.

• Academic Scholars (a class rank in the upper 33 percent and at least an ACT of 23 or SAT of 1120) are guaranteed admission to the nursing major if they maintain grades of at least "C-" in all required pre-nursing courses with a GPA of 2.75 in these courses.
• General admission to pre-nursing requires either a class rank in the upper 65 percent, minimum high school GPA of 2.6, and at least an ACT of 21 or SAT of 990. If class rank is not available, students must have a minimum 2.6 GPA and at least and ACT of 22 or SAT of 1030.
• Completed application and official high school or preparatory school transcripts.

Admission to the College Nursing Major (Sophomore Year)

To be considered, a student should apply no later than the spring quarter of the pre-nursing year and must complete all required pre-nursing courses with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 with no grade below a "C-" in each pre-nursing course. Completion of minimum requirements does not assure admission unless the student was admitted to pre-nursing as an Academic Scholar.

Transferring to UC Requirements

Transfer students wishing to enter pre-nursing must show evidence of grade point averages of at least 3.0 or better in current college courses.

Changing Majors within UC Requirements

Students changing majors from other programs or colleges within UC will be considered based on the same criteria as outside transfers.

International Student Requirements

International students applying to the pre-nursing year must meet all requirements as listed for Ffreshman and transfer students as well as meet University of Cincinnati minimum standards for TOEFL.

Graduation Requirements

The requirements for conferring the bachelor's degree in nursing are:

1. Successful completion of:

a. required courses in the program of study of the College of Nursing;
b. senior year nursing courses;
c. degree requirements within seven years from date of matriculation;

2. A minimum of a 2.0 current and cumulative grade point average;

3. Filing of the appropriate degree application forms with the college's Office of Student Affairs by the defined deadline;

4. Payment of all delinquent university/college obligations;

5. Recommendation by the faculty of the College of Nursing.

Application Deadlines

Application to the freshman pre-nursingprogram are the same as those listed for University of Cincinnati quarterly admission. Upon completion of pre-nursingrequired courses,application to the sophomore year is available from May 1 -- June 30 each year. June 30 is the deadline for submission of the application for consideration for the sophomore year.

Accreditation

The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education through 2010.