Entry Level BSN

Admission into the entry-level BSN degree program is restricted. Entry-level students complete admission requirements as pre-nursing majors before formal admission to the BSN program. Admission to the University provides these students with the opportunity to complete a core of pre-nursing courses after which they may apply and compete for a position in the entry-level Nursing Program. Admission for the entry-level BSN program is held only once a year for Fall registration. Students who are scheduled to complete all admission requirements by the end of spring semester are eligible to apply for fall semester admission. Students who meet all requirements are encouraged to apply however attainment of the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission to the program due to a large applicant pool.

Guaranteed Admission Eligibility 

First-time freshman students who score a Composite ACT of 24 or an equivalent combined SAT score of 1190 and have an accumulative GPA of 3.4 or above, are guaranteed a position in the entry level BSN program. To maintain this guaranteed position in the entry-level BSN program, these students must maintain a pre-nursing GPA of 3.2 with at least a "C" in all required pre-nursing courses (with no course repetitions). In addition to these grade requirements, all other admission requirements must be met. Students who do not meet the criteria for maintaining their guaranteed position, but meet the general requirements for admission into the entry-level BSN program, will be considered for Fall admission with all other nursing applicants. 

Late Admission Eligibility

Students who are scheduled to complete all admission requirements by the end of summer semester are eligible to apply for late  admission. Late admission applicants will be considered if, and only if, there are program seats available after all earlier submitted applicants have been considered.

Transfer Students 

Applicants considered for advanced standing include transfer students who were in good standing at the previously attended nursing program and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). LPN applicants must have graduated from an accredited Practical Nurse program and hold a current Practical Nurse license. A total of 11 semester hours of course credit will be given after successful completion of a clinical competency exam. Admission for advanced standing applicants is on a space available basis. Advanced standing applicants must meet all entry-level BSN Admission Requirements. Military credit will be given for electives.

Applicants for the Entry-level BSN program must meet the following minimum requirements

1.  General University pre-college requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree.
2.  Completion of required pre-nursing courses with a grade of "C" or better and a cumulative GPA in these courses of 3.0.
3.  A cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all college course work.
4.  Evidence of current CPR for Health Care Provider Certification.
5.  Completed physical examination and immunization requirements.
6.  Annual fingerprinting and drug screen through corporate screening for BCI and FBI criminal records check.
7.  Photocopy of valid YSU ID.

 

Required Pre-Nursing courses for entry-level BSN students include

COURSE	TITLE	S.H
BIOL 1551 & 1551L	Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Anatomy and Physiology 1 Laboratory	4
BIOL 1552 & 1552L	Anatomy and Physiology 2 and Anatomy and Physiology 2 Laboratory	4
CHEM 1510 & 1510L	Chemistry for the Allied Health Sciences and Chemistry for the Allied Health Sciences Laboratory	4
PSYC 1560	General Psychology	3
PSYC 3758	Lifespan Development	3
ENGL 1550	Writing 1	3
ENGL 1551	Writing 2	3
SOC 1500	Introduction to Sociology	3
STAT 2625	Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning	4
Total Semester Hours		31

 

Admission to the University, meeting minimal program admission requirements, and completion of pre-nursing courses does not guarantee admission into the nursing program. Pre-nursing students are encouraged to seek advisement on a regular basis from the pre-nursing advisor in the Dr. Dominic A. and Helen M. Bitonte College of Health and Human Services Dean's office. 

Enrollment in the RN-BSN Online Completion Program

Students who are currently registered nurses and seeking a BSN degree are admitted on an individual basis. RN-BSN admission is held any semester depending on the student's transferable prerequisites.

See admission requirements at https://cms.ysu.edu/administrative-offices/distance-education/rn-bsn-admissions-information

Registered nurses in the RN-BSN Online Completion program must meet all of the above requirements in addition to being a registered nurse with a current license to practice in Ohio or in the RN's home state.

Course Enrollment/Scheduling

All nursing courses except NURS 2610 Contemporary Nursing are available only to students formally admitted into the entry-level BSN program. Courses identified in the Schedule of Classes for RNs only are limited to registered nurses enrolled in the RN-BSN Online Completion  program.

Many nursing courses include an off-campus clinical component. These courses are designated on the curriculum list with semester hours in parentheses. Example: NURS 3743 Professional Nursing 3 5(3+2). This course has three semester hours of lecture and two semester hours of clinical. Generally, one semester hour of credit is earned for each three clock hours of on-campus laboratory skills instruction and for each three off-campus clock hours of clinical instruction. The exceptions are NURS 3741 Professional Nursing 2 clinical, where it is 2.7 clock hours per semester hour and NURS 4853 Nursing Transitions clinical, where it is four clock hours per semester hour. Personal responsibility for transportation is required for travel to off-campus clinical sites.

Malpractice insurance is required for all clinical nursing experiences and is provided by the University when the student registers for the specified courses. Some risk is inherent to nursing students during their clinical education, but precautions are taken to minimize this risk.

Academic Requirements for the entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

For new students, the entry-level BSN program consists of 121 total semester hours; 71 semester hours are nursing courses plus 90 on-campus lab hours and 960 clinical contact hours at health care facilities and in the community. 

Students are responsible for adhering to the prescribed BSN curriculum sequence including, but not limited to, course prerequisites and mandated sequencing of nursing courses. It is also the students' responsibility to see that all graduation requirements for the BSN degree are satisfied. It is recommended that students frequently seek guidance from their nursing advisor. A copy of the BSN curriculum is available from the YSU Centofanti School of Nursing. This program can be completed in eight semesters if students adhere to a curriculum schedule of 14-17 credit hours per semester.

After admission to the program, a grade of "C" or better is mandatory for all nursing courses, required non-nursing support courses, required elective, and general education hours. Only one nursing or one non-nursing support course (BIOL 1560 Microbiology for the Health Professions and BIOL 1560L Microbiology Laboratory for Health Professions or FNUT 1551 Normal Nutrition) may be repeated. A repeated course must be successfully completed with a grade of "A," "B," or "C" and all incomplete grades must be removed before progressing in the nursing curriculum. A grade of less than "C" in a second nursing or required non-nursing support course will result in permanent removal from the nursing program.

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree will be granted to the student who has completed the required baccalaureate nursing curriculum with a minimum grade point average of 2.00.

The Centofanti School of Nursing reserves the right to remove a student from the program when that student's performance in any nursing course is deemed to be unsafe as characterized by dangerous, inappropriate, irresponsible or unethical behavior. The school reserves the right to dismiss a student who, for legal, ethical, academic, emotional, or physical reasons, cannot be advised to continue in the program.
 
Current immunizations, CPR for Health Care Professionals certification, annual drug screen and fingerprinting, BCI and FBI criminal background checks are required of all nursing students. If the criminal record check reveals an egregious felony, the Ohio Board of Nursing will not consider the applicant for licensure. Please refer to the Ohio Board of Nursing website for additional information. Some lesser offenses may impede student placement at a clinical site, which will affect the student's ability to progress in the program. Random drug testing may occur periodically. Students must adhere to a dress code which includes the wearing of specific nurse's uniform for nursing clinical courses. All policies/requirements stated in this Undergraduate Catalog and the BSN Undergraduate Handbook must be adhered to by students throughout the program.

Download Admission Requirements