BSN - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Frequently Asked Questions

What are my chances of getting into the College of Nursing?

Admission to the College of Nursing is competitive. Students must have completed, or be in the process of completing all pre-requisite courses and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 2.7 with a required "C" or higher in all prerequisite courses. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the College. The admissions committee selects the best-qualified applicants from all candidates. An average of 80 students are admitted to study each fall and spring semester. The number and quality of the applicants determine competitiveness of the applicant pool.

Does taking my prerequisite courses at Iowa help my chances of getting into the College of Nursing?

Where you take your pre-requisites has no affect upon your admission to the College of Nursing. The important thing is that the prerequisites are met and that the content is mastered! Students can be in the process of completing the prerequisites when applying; however, all prerequisites must be completed by the time the student starts classes in the College of Nursing.

How and when do I apply?

Students apply for admission to the College of Nursing one of two ways. If the student is currently at The University of Iowa, students will complete a "Collegiate Transfer Application" and indicate Nursing on the application. Students who are transferring from another college/university will apply to The University of Iowa and indicate Nursing on the application. Both processes will trigger the student receiving a "Supplemental Application" for admission to the College of Nursing. Students who desire to begin study in the Fall semester must apply by April 1. No late applications will be considered.

Do I have to maintain a certain GPA while in the College of Nursing?

Students must earn a "C" or higher grade in each individual nursing course. A student who earns less than a "C" will be required to repeat the course in order to progress in the College of Nursing. Students can repeat non-clinical nursing courses only one time and can repeat only one clinical nursing course one time.

Can I graduate with a BSN degree in four years from The University of Iowa?

Yes. A student can graduate with a BSN degree in four years from The University of Iowa, given the student is admitted to the College of Nursing in the third semester of their college work, and the student successfully carries an average of 16 hours per semester to meet the 128 credit hour requirements.

Are nursing courses offered in the summer?

Very few nursing courses are taught at The University of Iowa during the summer session. Students can take general education and elective courses during the summer to lighten the academic load during the normal academic year.

Can I go to school part time and get my degree?

Going to school part-time is an option although not encouraged. It is possible to obtain your BSN degree in this manner. Students who choose to do this might be delayed in progression if space is not available in a particular clinical course.

Does the program really take me three years once I am admitted to the College of Nursing?

Yes. Due to the intense clinical demands of the coursework, it is impossible to "double-up" clinical courses and have maximum learning and preparation for the national board exams.

How much does it cost to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree?

Please refer to the Cost of Attendance figures on The University of Iowa Financial Aid web site.

http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid

Is Chemistry required in the nursing curriculum?

The required course is 004:007 General Chemistry I or its equivalent at an accredited institution.

What are the general education requirements?

It is our belief that the professional nurse needs a strong foundation in liberal education coursework to understand the world in which we live. Thus, 6 semester hours in Humanities, Fine Arts or Philosophy, three semester hours in Foreign Civilization, and three semester hours in Cultural Diversity, three semester hours in Statistics as well as meeting the minimum of two years of the same foreign language in high school are required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

How much foreign language do I need to take for a BSN?

Two years of the same foreign language in high school is required to meet the foreign language requirement for the BSN degree. If the student does not meet this requirement, then one year of college foreign language will be required.

Will all of my courses transfer from my community college or other University?

No more than 64 hours of community college credit is accepted and counted toward a BSN degree and most courses from a four-year college/university will transfer. There may be some General Education requirements that need to be met in addition to nursing courses after transfer.

Students can do a transfer institution search at the web site noted below. From the drop down menu select the course you are going to transfer the course from, then select College of Nursing from the second drop down menu, select search and a list of the courses from the other institution and a list of comparable courses will appear on your screen.

http://isis5.uiowa.edu/isis/courses/transfer.page

What if I did not have physics in high school?

A high school physics course or equivalent is required for admission to the College of Nursing. If a student did not take physics in high school, there are two options available. One is to take a high school equivalency course from a local community college, or two is to take College Physics. Many students opt to take the community college course if they are in this situation.

Do I need to own a computer?

A personal computer is not required although it could make the student's life easier. The University has many Instructional Technology Centers throughout the campus and one is located in the College of Nursing building. An extensive amount of information for nursing courses is made available on the Internet as well as the use of e-mail for communication.

Do I need a car?

Access to transportation, (i.e. a personal vehicle, public transportation (bus), car pool, or car rental) is necessary during the last four semesters of the program for the clinical experiences.

Can I "specialize" in an area of nursing?

The flexibility of the curriculum will allow for undergraduate BSN students to cultivate and develop a curriculum that could result in greater knowledge in one particular area of nursing. The BSN curriculum prepares the student for the broad based knowledge necessary to be successful on the national licensure exam. Ideally, specialization in nursing takes place at the level of graduate study.