Nursing Requirements

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The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) Program through Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) is to prepare bachelor level Registered Nurses who value and strive to be leaders in professional roles and contribute to continuing the growth of the Registered Nurse profession through education and commitment to improving health care of the people and communities we serve. Priorities of the program will include:

  • Provide the highest quality academic program and experiential teaching by incorporating evidence-based practice and research into all aspects of the curriculum to produce competent health care professionals.
  • Graduates of the Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree will be prepared to assist physicians and other healthcare providers who practice in the state of Illinois and the surrounding region.
  • Provide specialized nursing services to the citizens, students (via education), state, region, and country.

The Bachelor of Science Nursing (B.S.N.) program has three tracks and each has their own admission requirements.

Freshman applicants:

  • Submit an undergraduate application to SIUC at admissions.siu.edu/apply; select Nursing from the major drop-down box. The Nursing Program utilize a competitive admission process and admission to SIUC does not guarantee admission to the Nursing Program. Nursing applicants are placed in an applicant pool and the School of Health Sciences notifies students once they are accepted to the Nursing Program. The selection process begins in the first week of December annually.
  • Register for and take the HESI-A2 Admission Assessment. Detailed instructions are available on the Nursing Homepage at https://sah.siu.edu/undergraduate/nursing/. Follow the instructions carefully. Failure to carefully follow instructions could result in SIUC BSN program being unable to access your test scores.

Sophomore or transfer applicants:

  • Submit an undergraduate application to SIUC at admissions.siu.edu/apply; select Nursing from the major drop-down box. The Nursing Programs utilize a competitive admission process and admission to SIUC does not guarantee admission to the Nursing Program. Nursing applicants are placed in an applicant pool and the School of Health Sciences notifies students once they are accepted to the Nursing Program. The selection process begins in the first week of December annually.
  • Ensure your eligibility to apply to the nursing program by reviewing the pre-requisites listed below.
  • Make an appointment with the Nursing Program Advisor at NURSINGadvisement@siu.edu.
  • Verify a cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Verify completion of pre-requisite courses or registered to complete pre-requisite courses with a C or higher by end of summer session preceding fall nursing courses.
    • AH 105 - Medical Terminology
    • MICRO 201 – Elementary Microbiology
    • HND 101 – Personal Nutrition
    • CHEM 140A or CHEM 200/CHEM 201 – Chemistry or Intro to Chemical Principles/Gen. Chemistry Lab
    • PHSL 240A and PHSL 240B - Anatomy & Physiology for Nursing I and II
    • MATH 108 or MATH 106 - College Algebra
  • Register for and take the HESI-A2 Admission Assessment. Detailed instructions are available on the Nursing Homepage at https://sah.siu.edu/undergraduate/nursing/. Follow the instructions carefully. Failure to carefully follow instructions could result in SIUC BSN program being unable to access your test scores.

Accelerated BSN applicants:

  • Submit an undergraduate application to SIUC at admissions.siu.edu/apply; select Nursing from the major drop-down box. The Nursing Programs utilize a competitive admission process and admission to SIUC does not guarantee admission to the Nursing Program. Nursing applicants are placed in an applicant pool and the School of Health Sciences notifies students once they are accepted to the Nursing Program. The selection process begins in the first week of December annually.
  • Ensure your eligibility to apply to the nursing program by reviewing the prerequisites listed below.
  • Make an appointment with the Nursing Program Advisor at NURSINGadvisement@siu.edu.
  • Verify a cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Verify completion of a minimum of 70 credit hours
  • Completion of pre-requisite courses or registered to complete pre-requisite courses with a C or higher by end of summer session preceding fall nursing courses, with * courses less than 5 years old.
    • Intro to Psychology
    • College Algebra
    • Anatomy & Physiology I (or Anatomy)*
    • Anatomy & Physiology II (or Physiology)*
    • Organic Chemistry*
    • Microbiology*
    • Nutrition
    • Medical Terminology
    • HCM 310 (prerequisite to HCM 340), Healthcare Services & the Consumer
    • All University Core Curriculum (UCC) must be complete
  • Register for and take the HESI-A2 Admission Assessment. Detailed instructions are available on the Nursing Homepage at https://sah.siu.edu/undergraduate/nursing/. Follow the instructions carefully. Failure to carefully follow instructions could result in SIUC BSN program being unable to access your test scores.

Bachelor of Science Nursing (B.S.N.) in Nursing

B.S.N. Nursing

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing is a 120 credit hour program consisting of 39 credit hours of University Core Curriculum requirements, and 81 credit hours of combined nursing and prerequisite courses. Students may be required to purchase and develop an account within a clinical management system for clinical placement. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

665 K Street, NW, Suite 750
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202-463-6930
www.ccneaccreditation.org

B.S.N. Nursing Degree Requirements

Degree RequirementsCredit Hours
University Core Curriculum Requirements 39
To include: UNIV 101, PSYC 102, MATH 106 or MATH 108, CHEM 140A (4 CH), MICR 201 (4 CH), HND 101,  PHIL 105, CMST 301I
Nursing Requirements 53
NUR 200, NUR 300, NUR 300L, NUR 310, NUR 320, NUR 320L, NUR 330, NUR 330C, NUR 335, NUR 335C, NUR 345, NUR 400, NUR 400C, NUR 405, NUR 405C, NUR 410, NUR 410C, NUR 415, NUR 415C, NUR 425, NUR 435, NUR 435C, NUR 440, NUR 445, NUR 445C, NUR 450, NUR 450C, NUR 455 1
Additional Requirements 28
PHSL 240A and PHSL 240B 8
Please see HCM Program for HCM Minor Requirements 20
Total 120

1 NUR 455 is the capstone course and must be taken during the student’s final semester.

B.S.N. Nursing - RN to B.S.N. Completion Track

The RN to BSN Completion degree is a 43 credit hour program consisting of University Core Curriculum requirements and combined nursing, health care management, and prerequisite courses. Students in this track earn a minor in Health Care Management. Courses in this option will be delivered via hybrid/online or wholly online formats.

B.S.N. Nursing - RN to B.S.N. Completion Track Degree Requirements

Degree RequirementsCredit Hours
University Core Curriculum Requirement (UCC) – Must be met - Remaining UCC will be dependent on previous education. 39
Nursing Requirements 16
NUR 320, NUR 320L, NUR 425, NUR 435, NUR 435C, NUR 445, NUR 445C, NUR 455 1
Additional Requirements 27
HCM 310, HCM 320, HCM 340, HCM 360, HCM 365, HCM 366, HCM 388, HCM 395, Elective (300-400 level)
Total 2 43

1 NUR 455 is the capstone course and must be taken during the student’s final semester.

2 The total credit hours will vary depending upon student's remaining University Core Curriculum. AAS Degree and RN to B.S.N. Completion Track requirement. Total credit hours must equal minimum of 120 hours.

B.S.N. Nursing - B.S.N. Accelerated Track

The BSN Accelerated Track is open to students who have successfully completed a minimum of 70 credit hours towards a bachelor’s degree, as well as meeting the program selective admission process. This track will primarily be delivered through face-to-face format with some courses in an online format. The BSN Accelerated Track is designed to be completed within 12 months.

B.S.N. Nursing - B.S.N. Accelerated Track Degree Requirements

Degree RequirementsCredit Hours
University Core Curriculum Requirement – (Typically satisfied with incoming Bachelor’s Degree. If no Bachelor’s Degree, University Core Curriculum must be met)
Nursing Requirements 57
HCM 340, HCM 365, NUR 200, NUR 300, NUR 300L, NUR 310, NUR 320, NUR 320L, NUR 330, NUR 330C, NUR 335, NUR 335C, NUR 345, NUR 400, NUR 400C, NUR 405, NUR 405C, NUR 410, NUR 410C, NUR 415, NUR 415C, NUR 425, NUR 435, NUR 435C, NUR 440, NUR 445, NUR 445C, NUR 450, NUR 450C, NUR 455 1
Prerequisite Requirements 26
PHSL 240A and PHSL 240B 8
AH 105 (Medical Terminology) 2
MATH 106 or MATH 108 (College Algebra Enhanced or College Algebra) 3
HND 101 (Human Nutrition and Dietetics) 2
MICR 201 (Intro to Microbiology) 4
CHEM 140A (Organic Chemistry) or CHEM 200/ CHEM 201 (Chemical Principles and Laboratory) 4
PSYC 102 (Introduction to Psychology) 3
Total 2 83

1 NUR 455 is the capstone course and must be taken during the student's final semester.

2 The total credit hours will vary depending upon students remaining University Core Curriculum. Total credit hours must equal a minimum of 120 credit hours.

Capstone Option for Transfer Students

The SIU Capstone Option may be available to eligible students who have earned an associates degree or the equivalent. The Capstone Option reduces the University Core Curriculum requirements from 39 to 30 hours, therefore reducing the time to degree completion. See the Capstone Option section for more information on this option.