This page is to be used as a planning tool. Your degree audit is the official record of degree requirements. Updated August 2023.
Nursing-Interest designation policy: If after two semesters of course work (including summer) the student’s cumulative GPA is below 3.00, the Nursing-Interest designation will automatically change to Open (or be removed if the student has a second major declared).
Coursework
| Natural Science* |
|---|
| CHEM:1070 General Chemistry I (3sh) |
| CHEM:1080 General Chemistry II (3sh) |
| BIOL:1141 Human Biology: Health Professions (4sh) |
| ACB:3110 Principles of Human Anatomy Fall only (3sh) or HHP:1100 Human Anatomy (3sh) or HHP:1150 Human Anatomy Lecture w/ Lab (4sh) (Bio is a recommended pre-req) |
| MICR:3164 Microbiology & Human Health (4sh) Spring only (Bio is a pre-req) |
| HHP:2310 Nutrition and Health (3sh) |
| HHP:1300 Fundamentals of Human Physiology (3sh) or HHP:1350 Fundamentals of Human Phys with Lab (4sh) |
| Physics: one year of high-school physics or PHYS:1200 Physics of Everyday Experience (3sh) |
| * The College of Nursing will accept higher level equivalents in place of these specific courses. BIOL:1411 and 1412 are needed in place of BIOL:1141. MICR:2157 and 2158 are needed in place of MICR:3164. |
| Social Science |
|---|
| PSY:1001 Elementary Psychology (3sh) |
| SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology Principles (3sh) or SOC:1030 Contemporary Social Problems (3sh) (SOC:1030 can be used for either this requirement or Diversity & Inclusion gen ed, not both) |
| NURS:1030 Human Development and Behavior (3sh) Spring only |
| General Education Requirements |
|---|
| RHET:1030 Rhetoric (4sh) |
| International and Global Issues |
| Values and Culture or Diversity and Inclusion or ANTH:1401 or 2100 (3sh) |
| Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts or ENGL:1200 Interpretation of Literature (3sh) |
| World Language (fourth-level proficiency in one language or second-level proficiency in two different languages or second-level proficiency in one language and one additional IGI, VC, or DI gen ed course) |
| Other Courswork |
|---|
| STAT:1020 Elementary Statistics and Inference (3sh) or STAT:2010 Statistical Methods and Computing (3sh) |
| NURS:3111 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Health Professions (3sh) Spring only |
| Electives (as needed to reach the total semester hours required at time of application and of matriculation) |
Application Requirements
| Apply by March 1 to begin the following Spring semester. |
| If applying Spring 2024: Have four of the natural science courses completed by the March 1 deadline. |
| If applying Spring 2025 or later: Have Gen Chem I, Gen Chem II, Bio, and one more natural science completed by the March 1 deadline. |
| Be “on track” to earn a minimum of 48 sh of graded coursework by the end of the term of application, with no more than 2 natural sciences and no more than 2 social sciences incomplete. |
| At time of matriculation into the program: A minimum of 64 sh of coursework must be completed (ideally 67), of which a maximum of 6 sh can be “S” credit. |
| A minimum grade of a “C” is required in all required courses. |
| A 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA is required to be eligible to apply and matriculate. |
| TOEFL score of 81 (or 550 on the paper-based exam) or completion of ESL coursework for students for whom English is not a first language. |
| Completion of application, including responses to supplemental questions. Please review the College of Nursing website for more information about the application: https://nursing.uiowa.edu/admissions/bsn/standard-admission |
Additional Notes
▪ Career/Technical credit from community college is ungraded and will not count toward the hours required for admission or fulfillment of the BSN.
▪ Although it is ungraded, AP and other credit by exam will count as graded hours toward the requirements for admission and fulfillment of the BSN.
▪ High school completion programs’ physics courses (such as the one offered by Kirkwood) do not count against the “no more than two natural sciences incomplete” rule, and the grade does not factor into GPAs. College-level physics courses, even when taken at community colleges, will count in that rule, and the grade does factor into GPAs.
▪ NURS:3111 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Health Professions is currently only offered at the University of Iowa.
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RN:
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Registered Nurse. Certification that follows successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) at the conclusion of a program, such as an ADN, BSN, MSN.
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ADN:
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Associate Degree in Nursing. Usually a two-year program at a community college.
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BSN:
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A four or five-year program taken at a university or college. In some cases, students must be admitted to the university or college as an undergraduate and subsequently apply for admission to the nursing program. (UI program)
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RN to BSN:
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A program for licensed nurses to earn their BSN through mostly online courses. (UI program)
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Accelerated BSN:
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Typically designed for students pursuing nursing as a second career, these programs usually require that a student has already completed BA or BS in a discipline other than nursing. Students must also complete all nursing prerequisite coursework. Some programs may admit a student without a BA or BS if all nursing prerequisites are completed.
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MSN EIP:
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The University of Iowa’s Master of Science in Nursing: Entry into Practice (MSN EIP), sometimes referred to as a “direct entry” program, is specifically designed for individuals who have already earned a four-year degree in a field other than nursing. After completing the MSN EIP program, students are able to sit for the RN licensure exam and either enter the field of nursing directly or pursue additional coursework toward advanced-practice nursing careers such as Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Anesthetist, or Certified Nurse Widwife. (UI Program)
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Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN):
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Students holding a BSN and nursing experience can proceed to an MSN to become advanced practice nurses or clinical specialists in particular areas.
General Terms / Degrees
The College of Nursing also offers DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) programs, as well as post-graduate certificate programs. These types of programs are where nurses specialize in things like anesthesia, midwifery, pediatrics, mental health care, administration, research, and more.