BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
Program Overview
The overall goal of the College of Nursing’s baccalaureate education is to prepare a generalist practitioner capable of providing professional nursing care to individuals and families with diverse health needs in a variety of settings. The program will build on a foundation of knowledge in the liberal arts, supportive sciences, and professional education. It will provide a sound foundation for obtaining leadership skills, utilizing nursing research in clinical settings, and for pursuing graduate education in nursing.
The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing will offer an undergraduate program of study designed to provide students with the knowledge, skill, and understanding necessary to function effectively in all areas of professional nursing. Approval from the Texas Board of Nursing must be completed prior to beginning these programs.
The curriculum, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, will offer three tracks for study:
- Generic BSN which requires two years of prerequisite coursework (58 credit hours) to be completed at any accredited college or university followed by two years of upper division courses (65 credit hours) in the College of Nursing;
- Second Degree Accelerated Option (or “fast track” program) for students with a previous bachelor’s degree requires completion of 25 hours of prerequisite coursework followed by 18 months of upper division courses (65 credit hours);
- RN-BSN Option for registered nurses with an associate’s degree or diploma in nursing.
Admission Criteria
Admission to the College will be competitive. Applicants will be required to have a minimum overall grade point average of a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a minimum grade of “C” in each of the prerequisite courses. At the time of application, students must be enrolled in or have completed all prerequisite course requirements. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to entry into the program.
The curriculum leading to the BSN degree requires students to engage in diverse, complex, and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of critical nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these roles. The Essential Functions of the Student Nurse are required for successful admission and completion of the program.
The ideal applicant will clearly demonstrate a strong academic history as well as a commitment to the ideology of nursing and service to others. Students are selected on the basis of several factors to include academic records, performance in science courses, application content, professional references, and your written response to specific essay question(s). Students will not be required to take a Nursing Entrance Test. Applicants will not be interviewed; as such, the application must represent you as optimally as possible.
