Nursing, Bachelor of Science In Nursing
Program Overview
This program leads to a profession which requires an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001. This requires that all applicants seeking to become licensed must undergo a criminal background check prior to licensure.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is generic and is designed to enable students to integrate knowledge from theory and research, high-level skills, and concepts of leadership into the practice of professional nursing care of individuals, families, groups, and communities. The BSN Program provides a foundation for graduate study.
BSN generic graduates are eligible to apply to the Texas Board of Nursing to take the National Council Licensure Examination. After successfully completing this examination, the graduate is issued a license to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Texas.
Admission requirements for this program beyond university admission requirements.
Although students may be eligible to apply based on minimum criteria, admission is competitive; therefore, meeting minimum application criteria does not guarantee admission. Students will be rank ordered by the School of Nursing Undergraduate Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee and admitted based on space availability.
Application Eligibility
Students are eligible to apply to the program when they have completed 45 semester credit hours towards the degree and achieve a 75% or higher on the required components of HESI Admission Assessment Exam (English Language, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Math, Anatomy and Physiology, and Critical Thinking). The 45 semester credit hours must include the following courses and must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better:
Minimum Admission Requirements
1. Meet UTRGV’s admission requirements.
2. Students must complete 63 hours towards the degree to be officially admitted to the program. The 63 semester credit hours must include the courses needed to apply plus the following courses:
- ENGL 1301 Rhetoric and Composition I
- ENGL 1302 Rhetoric and Composition II or ENGL 1305 Writing Cultural Studies
- HIST 1301 U.S. History I or HIST/MASC 2327 Mexican American History I
- HIST 1302 U.S. History II or HIST/MASC 2328 Mexican American History II
- POLS 2305 U.S. Federal Government & Politics
- POLS 2306 Texas Government & Politics
- Core Curriculum Category 040-Language, Philosophy and Culture – 3 SCHS
- Core Curriculum Category 050-Creative Arts – 3 SCHs
- Core Curriculum Category 090-Integrative/Experiential Learning Option – 3 SCHs
- HRPT 2303 Medical Terminology
- NUTR 2351 Introduction to Clinical Nutrition
The cumulative GPA for the 63 hours completed towards the degree must be a minimum of 3.0 to be considered for admission.
The GPA will be calculated using all institutional and transfer coursework applicable to the degree including repeated courses.
3. Pass math quiz [grade of 100].
4. Provide proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers.
5. Provide documentation verifying absence of active (infectious) pulmonary disease.
6. Provide documentation verifying current immunization or immunity status for specified diseases (hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus/diphtheria or tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, varicella, flu/influenza, meningitis if <age 22, etc.).
7. Submit evidence of being cleared by the Texas Board of Nursing’s criminal background check.
8. Be admitted by the School of Nursing Undergraduate Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee after being rank ordered using the admission criteria based on space availability.
Progression requirements for this program.
Students:
- Must provide annual documentation verifying absence of active (infectious) pulmonary disease.
- Must provide annual documentation verifying current immunization or immunity status for specified diseases (hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus/diphtheria or tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, varicella, flu/influenza, and, if <22, meningitis, etc.).
- Must provide annual proof of current certification in CPR (health care provider).
- Must maintain and submit proof at least $1 million in professional liability insurance.
- Must achieve a minimum grade of ‘C’ in all courses on the degree plan. The criteria to earn a grade of ‘C’ in a NURS course is established by the School of Nursing and differs from non-NURS courses.
- Can only repeat an individual NURS course once (i.e., total maximum enrollment is two).
- Can only repeat two total courses to remain in the nursing program.
- Who earn a grade of ‘D’ or ‘F’ or drop more than two courses may be dismissed from the program and must reapply for admission.
- Must satisfactorily complete BSN courses in approved sequence.
- Must seek academic advisement each semester regarding program progression.
- Must abide by and adhere to all requirements stipulated in the BSN Student Guide.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
- Students must achieve a minimum grade of "C" in all courses on the degree plan.
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
020 Mathematics - 3 hours
Choose one:
030 Life and Physical Sciences – 6 hours
080 Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 hours
Choose one:
090 Integrative & Experiential Learning - 6 hours
Major Requirements - 76 hours
Required Courses - 57 hours
RN Core Nursing Core - 57 hours
Support Courses - 19 hours
Free Electives - hours will vary
Free electives credit hours required may vary to achieve the institutional minimum of 120 hours for a degree.
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120