Undergraduate Degree

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) program is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (C.C.N.E.).  This program is designed to provide a broad professional preparation based on nursing science and is grounded in biological, physical and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities.  The College offers three paths to the B.S.N. degree: Traditional B.S.N.; Accelerated Second Degree B.S.N.; and B.S.N. for Registered Nurses. The program is designed to prepare the student for nursing practice with individuals, families, and populations in a variety of health states and health settings.

Opportunity for Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, Muskegon Community College, Oakland Community College, and St. Clair County Community College Associate Degree in Nursing Students

Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, Muskegon Community College, Oakland Community College, and St. Clair County Community College Associate Degree in Nursing students who have enrolled in clinical nursing courses in the nursing major at their respective college are eligible to apply for transfer admission to Michigan State University into the R.N. to B.S.N. program.

Students admitted to MSU and admitted to the R.N. to B.S.N. program may enroll in two summer sessions (one course each summer session) at MSU while simultaneously enrolled in the Associate Degree in Nursing program. Upon graduation from the Associate Degree in Nursing program at Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, Muskegon Community College, Oakland Community College, and St. Clair County Community College and successful completion of prerequisite courses for the B.S.N. and other program requirements, including but not limited to background check, drug screen, and fingerprinting, students will continue enrollment in the MSU R.N. to B.S.N. program.

Acceptance is determined by the applicant’s previous academic record. Admission to the program is competitive; the most qualified candidates are selected from the pool of candidates meeting the minimum criteria.

To complete the application process, the student must:

1. Apply to the College of Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. program using the Office of Admissions application form. It is recommended that students apply during the first semester they are enrolled in the Associate Degree in Nursing program.
2. Complete and submit the College of Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. supplemental application.
3. Complete all other undergraduate application requirements.
4. Have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.75 or higher upon admission and at time of completion of the Associate Degree in Nursing.
5. Earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in each science prerequisite course or its equivalent.
6. Complete the university’s Tier I writing requirement.
7. Complete  the university’s mathematics requirement referenced in item 1. under the Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree in Nursing.
8. Possess an active, unrestricted R.N. license to practice without probationary status prior to MSU clinical course work.

For additional information regarding transfer admission, refer to the Transfer Student Admission statement in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog.

Opportunity for Incoming Freshmen

While admission to the College of Nursing is competitive and determined after completion of at least 28 credits (see Admission to the College below), high achieving, incoming freshmen students have the opportunity to earn conditional admission to the college. Prior to applying for such consideration, a prospective student must first be admitted to the university, under the prenursing preference, via the standard freshman application process.

Students may apply to the College of Nursing prior to their initial enrollment at MSU in order to be considered for acceptance to a future fall cohort. Consideration for conditional admission is competitive. Application materials for a future fall cohort must be completed by December 1st for early application deadline but no later than March 1st prior to the initial fall semester of enrollment. Applicants will be notified of the decision in writing by April 1st.

Minimal criteria for application:

1. ACT composite score of at least 28 or SAT of 1240 (critical reading, mathematics, and writing).
2. High school grade point average of at least 3.8 on a 4.0 scale.
3. High school class rank will be considered when available.

If conditional admission to the College of Nursing is granted, the student must sign an agreement with the College of Nursing that the following academic conditions will be met in order to enter the nursing major as a sophomore:

1. Complete the prenursing curriculum in the first year.
2. Earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in each prenursing foundation course.
3. Maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average that is provided in the letter of agreement the student signs with the College of Nursing.

Students must be eligible and available to be admitted as a sophomore the fall semester of their second year of attendance. This includes successfully completing immunization requirements, criminal background checks, and drug screen reviews required of all nursing students prior to the start of clinical course work.

Admission to the College

Admission to the College of Nursing is competitive. Minimal criteria for application to the College are:

1. Completion of at least 28 credits acceptable to the College of Nursing with a cumulative grade-point  average of 2.75 or higher.
2. Completion of the following prenursing foundation courses with a grade of 2.0 or higher in each course:
   ANTR  350   Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionals  (3)
   BS       161   Cell and Molecular Biology  (3)
   CEM    141   General Chemistry  (4)
   MTH     103   College Algebra   (3)
3. Completion of the university’s Tier I writing requirement.
4. Satisfactory community service, work experience and letters of recommendation.

Applications for admission to the nursing major are reviewed twice each year.  A limited number of positions are available during each selection period.  Students may be admitted to the nursing major for either the fall semester or the spring semester.

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the nursing major must submit their applications to the College of Nursing by May 1 for admission to the fall semester and December 1 for admission to the spring semester. Applicants are encouraged to meet with a college undergraduate program advisor prior to the submission of their application materials.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
   
   The completion of Mathematics 103 or Mathematics 103A and 103B; and Statistics and Probability 200 referenced below will also satisfy the University mathematics requirement. Students who place into Statistics and Probability 200 on the mathematics placement test and complete Statistics and Probability 200 are not required to complete Mathematics 103.
   
   Students who are enrolled in the Nursing major leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in the College of Nursing complete an alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that consists of the following courses:  Biological Science 161, Chemistry 141 and 161, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 201 and 302, Human Anatomy 350, and Physiology 250 or 310.  The completion of Chemistry 161 and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 302 satisfy the laboratory requirement.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Nursing major is met by completing Nursing 342, 442, and 460, or Nursing 463.  Those courses are referenced in item 2. below.
2. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	All of the following Foundation courses with a minimum grade-point average of 2.0:
   	CEM	161	General Chemistry Laboratory				1
   	HDFS	225	Lifespan Human Development in the Family				3
   		or
   	PSY	238	Developmental Psychology: Lifespan				3
   	HNF	150	Introduction to Human Nutrition				3
   	MMG	201	Fundamentals of Microbiology				3
   	MMG	302	Introductory Laboratory for General and Allied Health Microbiology				1
   	PHM	350	Introductory Human Pharmacology				3
   	PSL	250	Introductory Physiology				4
   		Or
   	PSL	310	Physiology for Pre-Health Professionals				4
   	PSY	101	Introductory Psychology				4
   	STT	200	Statistical Methods				3
   b.	All of the following Nursing courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course:
   	NUR	205	Introduction to Professional Nursing				4
   	NUR	301	Clinical Pathophysiology				3
   	NUR	323	Nursing Care of Acute and Chronically Ill Patients I				5
   	NUR	333	Health Promotion				4
   	NUR	337	Nursing Care of Acute and Chronically Ill Patients II				6
   	NUR	342	Research Ethics,and Evidence-Based Practice I				3
   	NUR	371	Behavioral Health Nursing				4
   	NUR	434	Nursing Care of Acute and Critically Ill Patients				4
   	NUR	438	Nursing Care of Children and Their Families				3
   	NUR	439	Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family				3
   	NUR	442	Research, Ethics, and Evidence-Based Practice II				3
   	NUR	460	Leadership in Clinical Practice				5
   	NUR	471	Public Health Nursing				3

       3. Admission as a Registered Nurse

Registered Nurses who have graduated from a diploma or associate degree program in nursing with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.75, a minimum grade of 2.00 in all required science courses and who possess an active, unrestricted RN license to practice without probationary status will be granted 30 credits for successful completion of the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Students should contact the College of Nursing regarding the application process and deadlines. The following are the requirements for the major for students admitted as Registered Nurses.