Nursing, B.S.N.

Admission to Major

Nursing Program Requirements

Pre-Nursing Program for Traditional Entry Level and Accelerated Students

Persons interested in the nursing program must first complete an application to Cleveland State University, listing their college choice as the College of Health and intended major as Nursing.

Prospective students are encouraged to attend an advising session or to make an appointment with one of the school’s recruiter/advisers to discuss the nursing program and to plan a course of study.

For early admission to the Traditional Entry Level Track: Those students with an overall GPA of 3.25 and prerequisite GPA of at least 3.25 may apply for consideration of early admission status. They must have no prerequisite grades below a B and all prerequisites completed with a grade of B or better. Deadline for receipt of applications for early admission is January 1.

Admission to the Nursing Major

Selection of students for the Nursing major is based on a number of criteria including prerequisite and overall grade-point averages, essays, interviews and related health-care experience. The number of available spaces in the program is limited.

Students applying to the Traditional Entry Level Track are notified of their acceptance by the end of the spring semester for the fall cohort and by early October for the spring cohort. Those students with a previous undergraduate degree who are applying to the Accelerated Option track are notified of their acceptance by the end of the summer semester. Students who are accepted and who choose not to enter the program in the year for which they have been accepted may request to be deferred to the following year.

All admission requirements must be completed prior to beginning the Nursing major. Admission requirements include the following:

1. Admission to Cleveland State University and the School of Nursing. CSU Admissions Applications are available through the Office of Admissions and should be submitted six weeks prior to the application deadline of the program for which they are applying. Students must be matriculated to CSU before they can be accepted by the School of Nursing.
2. All application materials for fall-semester admission to the Traditional Entry Level Track nursing program must be submitted to the School of Nursing by March 1 of that year. The application deadline for the spring semester Traditional BSN track is September 1. Applications for all Nursing programs are available in the School of Nursing and on the School of Nursing’s website. All application materials for spring semester admission to the accelerated option track of the nursing program must be submitted to the School of Nursing by June 1st of the preceding year. Applications for the RN to BSN program are accepted year round.
3. Completion of all prerequisite courses by the start of fall semester (for Traditional Entry Level Track) or by start of Spring semester (for spring Traditional or accelerated tracks) with a prerequisite grade-point average of 2.75 or above and at least a C in each prerequisite course. Please note that all former grades earned in prerequisite courses are factored into the prerequisite GPA. Students who have two or more failing grades do not meet admission criteria and will not be considered for admission.
4. Successful completion of two of the following science courses (these CSU courses or their equivalent) by the application deadline prior to submitting an application: BIO 264 /BIO 265 , BIO 266 /BIO 267 , BIO 268 /BIO 269 , CHM 251 /CHM 256 , CHM 252 /CHM 257 .
5. Traditional Entry Level BSN Program - A cumulative overall grade-point average of 2.50 or above in all coursework at CSU and all other schools of higher education. Accelerated BSN Program - requires a cumulative overall grade-point average of 2.5 or above on the previously earned Baccalaureate degree.
6. Attending an advising session or speaking with the recruiter/adviser.
7. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Students who have received their secondary or tertiary education in a language other than English will be required to contact the English as a Second Language Program in the College of Public Affairs and Education and arrange for additional prerequisites that must be completed by the student prior to enrollment in the nursing program.
8. Candidates who have satisfied all other requirements for admission and who are competitively placed for admission will be interviewed.

Transferring From Other Nursing Programs

Students previously enrolled in a nursing program at another institution who are interested in transferring to Cleveland State University should contact the recruiter/adviser to begin a transcript evaluation. Acceptance of transfer students into the university’s nursing program depends on the student’s profile, prior standing in the previous nursing school, a nursing GPA above 2.5 each term in the nursing major from the previous school, and space availability. The level of the program into which the student transfers (sophomore, junior, or senior) depends on the evaluation of previous nursing coursework by the Admission, Progression, and Academic Standard Committee of the School of Nursing.

Students accepted via transfer must complete a minimum of 20 semester credits in the Nursing major at CSU. Students who need to complete a nursing course at Cleveland State in order to graduate from another institution will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Licensed Practical Nurses

LPNs follow the Traditional Entry Level student sequence but may have the opportunity to test out of selected skill portions of the curriculum.

Registered Nurse Students

Admission requirements include:

1. Completion of items 1 to 3, 5 to 7 from above list of admission requirements

2. Current active Ohio license as a Registered Nurse (or in the U.S. state of residence)

Credit for previous nursing coursework will be awarded based on the school’s participation in Ohio Nursing Articulation Model Agreements among Ohio Nursing Schools. Graduates from schools of nursing outside of Ohio will have their prior nursing coursework evaluated on an individual basis.

General Progression Requirements

In order to progress through the Nursing major, students must:

• Achieve a “C” grade or better in each Nursing course and required support courses
• Satisfactorily complete all Nursing Resource Lab skills checks

Hours Required for Degree

Minimum hours required for the degree: 120

Minimum hours required in the major: 69 hours for all pre-licensure students, 30 hours for R.N. students

College Requirements

See college page  for college requirements.

Major-Field Requirements

Note(s):

The RN to BSN program can be completed in three consecutive semesters. Capstone for RNs is scheduled in the final course. It is designed to enhance the students’ professional development and to provide new learning opportunities.

Honors Program/ University Scholars Requirements

Nursing Honors/Scholars Program Objectives

• Encourage academically talented students to pursue nursing as a profession
• Demand rigorous academic written work from honors/scholars students
• Support reflective professional practice
• Enhance existing educational coursework by developing opportunities for independent research
• Foster close relationships between an honors/scholars faculty advisor and honors/scholars students

Admission to the Nursing Honors/Scholars Program
The Nursing Honors/Scholars program is open to all honors/scholars students in good standing in the School of Nursing. Students must be enrolled in the Traditional Entry Level BSN Program. Students interested in applying to the program should contact the University Honors Program.

The Nursing Program
The Traditional Entry Level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a structured program, with no required electives. Each course must be completed in sequence prior to taking the next one. Each of the Honors/Scholars courses is part of the 69 credits required to complete the Traditional Entry Level BSN Program. Additional work is required for each of these designated honors courses. An Honors/Scholars contract must be completed for each of these courses.

The Honors/Scholars Contract
Honors/Scholars students have additional required assignments specified within the syllabus. These assignments are designed to challenge you and increase your knowledge of nursing to an advanced level, aiding you in your chosen nursing career and preparing you for further study. This additional work will constitute 20% of your grade for that course. These assignments are individualized in addition to the Traditional Entry Level requirements for the course.

Nursing Honors/Scholars Courses
The following courses are designated as the School of Nursing Honors/Scholars courses:

• Sophomore Year: No Nursing Honors/Scholars courses are offered during this academic year. Consult your Honors/Scholars Advisor in the Honors Program for this academic year.
• Junior Year Fall: NUR 305H  or NUR 312H  
• Junior Year Spring: NUR 310H  
• Senior Year Fall: NUR 415H  
• Senior Year Spring: NUR 420H