A student who meets at least one of the following criteria is eligible to enroll in the pre-nursing course:

• A minimum non-weighted cumulative high school gpa of 3.0 or greater;
• A composite ACT score (without the writing section) of 20 or greater;
• A combined SAT score (critical reading and math) of 940 or greater;
• Established proficiency in college-level science courses (minimum of two).

Students must maintain a minimum overall cumulative grade point average (cgpa) of 2.5 to progress through the nursing program. A grade of C or higher is required for each of the 22 nursing courses and for each of the 7 support courses. Students must also maintain a minimum cgpa of 2.5 for selected nursing courses (NURS 211, 212, 221, 311, 312, 353, 354, 402, 411, and 412). Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCII) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks are required to enroll and maintain enrollment in clinical nursing courses. In addition, students are required to submit documentation of health exam, immunizations, drug screenings, and CPR certification. Students are referred to the School of Nursing Student Handbook for additional criteria regarding admission to Sophomore nursing courses, progression to Junior nursing courses, admission to the major, progression to Senior nursing courses, and requirements for program approval prior to application for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN). Criteria for completion of the BSN Program and for graduation include a cumulative gpa (cgpa) in the nursing major of 2.5 or greater.  

The nursing major curriculum for the basic program consists of 59 required semester hours of professional nursing courses.