Nursing-R.N., B.S.N.
Learning Outcomes
- Synthesize the knowledge and skills needed to begin professional nursing practice.
- Demonstrate cultural awareness, sensitivity, and competency in providing nursing care to individuals, families and groups within a diverse society.
- Make clinical judgments using reflection, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Use information and health care technologies for effective health care delivery.
- Exhibit professional behavior in all professional activities.
- Perform health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention care with their clients/patients.
- Work effectively as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.
- Assume leadership roles within the scope of professional practice.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
BSN Program (Pre-Licensure)
Lower Division
In order to be admitted into the College of Nursing, freshmen must meet all University and College of Nursing admission requirements. Acceptance into the University with a lower division classification does not guarantee progression into the upper division nursing major. Students who consider studying nursing at Carolina need to be aware that all UofSC undergraduates who seek a nursing degree are first admitted into the College of Nursing’s pre-nursing lower division. This does not guarantee later admission into the upper division.¹ Students enrolled in the lower division must meet minimum upper division admission standards set forth by the College of Nursing. Once minimum criteria are met, all qualified applicants are placed into an applicant group and are evaluated, using the same criteria, by their progression grade point averages and essay and/or interview criterion for a total evaluation metric. Based on the number of available seats and available clinical sites, students are admitted based on results of the total evaluation metrics. In recent years admission to the upper division has become highly competitive as demand for the program of study has increased and therefore, the average evaluation metrics will change from cohort to cohort.
To be considered for admission into pre-nursing lower division of the BSN in Nursing generic (pre-licensure) program, transfer students must have a minimum 3.000 overall GPA in their college level coursework. In addition, any below C grades in nursing or science courses will eliminate you from consideration. See major specific transfer information on the admissions website.
NURS courses will not be accepted for transfer to the BSN in Nursing generic (pre-licensure).
To be eligible to apply for the upper division, transfer students must meet the College of Nursing requirements for progression through completion of the lower division science and nursing courses. All entering students are expected to have basic computer skills.
Effective Fall 2020 and After:
- Prerequisite BSN science courses must be completed within 7 years of starting upper division coursework, or 8 years if have continuous fall/spring higher education enrollment. Every attempt at science courses within the last 7 years will be included in progression GPA calculation, or 8 years if have continuous fall/spring higher education enrollment.
- Once a student has begun upper division coursework, they must complete the BSN degree within 5 years.
- Every attempt at science courses within the last 7 years will be included in the progression GPA calculation.
Smart Start Program
¹Students entering the university and meeting South Carolina Honors College (SCHC) admission criteria have a one-time opportunity, at the point of freshman admission only, to enroll in the Smart Start Nursing Program, a partnership between the College of Nursing and the South Carolina Honors College. Students admitted into Smart Start are directly admitted into Upper Division of the Nursing Program contingent upon meeting all SCHC and College of Nursing academic standards criteria and completion of all upper division application progression requirements.
Smart Start students who are not successful with meeting upper division application requirements will lose their direct admit status but will remain eligible for admission under the competitive upper division admissions process.
RN-BSN Program (Post-Licensure)
In order to be eligible for the RN-BSN program, students must meet all the admission requirements of the College of Nursing and University. Specific RN-BSN program admission requirements are as follows:
- An Associate Degree in Nursing or Diploma in Nursing from an accredited ACEN (formerly NLNAC) program
- Official Transcripts from all schools attended
- Application
- Application Fee
- English Proficiency Requirement1
- Other Supporting Materials - Criminal Background check and drug screen
- Current unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license to practice professional nursing in the United States
- Minimum Nursing (Previous Associate or Diploma) Degree GPA of 3.0002
| 1 | International applicants must be proficient in the English language. A score of 550 or above on the paper version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required. (A score of 210 or higher on the computerized version is required, and a minimum score of 77 on the Internet version is required.) TOEFL scores are not required for international students from countries where the primary language of instruction is English nor from graduates of high schools in the United States. |
| 2 | Students with a life GPA between 2.8 - 2.99 may be conditionally admitted, provided they have not completed more than 120 hours of prior collegiate coursework and have met all other admission requirements. |
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 7 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 38-50 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 28 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-44 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6 hours)
Note: May substitute for STAT 201 for STAT 205.
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
| 1 | Pre-requisite course for nursing courses. |
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language by achieving a score of two or higher on the Foreign Language Placement Test or by completing one Foreign Language through 110 or 121.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
| 1 | Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements. |
2. College Requirements (7 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 250 | Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 250L | Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| PSYC 420 | Survey of Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 7 | |
3. Program Requirements (38-50 hours)
Supporting Course (3 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCY 101 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
Licensure Exam Credit (up to 38 hours)
After admission to the RN-BSN program and completion of all BSN degree requirements: Students awarded an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited (ACEN, formerly NLNAC) program or Students with a Diploma in Nursing from an accredited (ACEN, formerly NLNAC) program will be awarded up to 38 credits towards meeting educational competencies for their degree (RN Licensure). Number of credits awarded will be determined after careful review of the student transcript and program of study requirements (RN Licensure). Additional coursework may be needed to satisfy outstanding credits not met by ADN or Diploma degree. Education competency credits are held and will be awarded upon successful completion of all BSN degree requirements.
Electives (0-12 hours)
As needed to meet minimum 120 hours required for graduation. More than 12 hours may be required depending upon credit given for Licensure Exam.
4. Major Requirements (28 hours)
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
Major Courses (28 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Division Courses 1 | ||
| NURS 250 | Nursing Science in Professional Practice | 3 |
| NURS 309 | Nursing Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 313 | Nursing Care of the Older Adult | 3 |
| NURS 318 | Application of Pathophysiology and Pharmacology in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 400 | Evidence-based Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 420 | Emerging Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| NURS 428 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 4 |
| NURS 431 | Population Health Nursing | 3-4 |
| NURS 434 | Community-Based Clinical Practicum for RNs | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 28-29 | |
| 1 | Courses are offered in 7-week blocks in an online format |
USC Residency Requirements for BSN Graduation
The last 25% of a student’s degree must be completed in residence (meaning through USC Columbia coursework or other USC campus), and at least half of the hours in the student’s major and minor courses (if applicable) must be taken at the University, i.e.122 credits = 31 hours. Advanced placement exam credits or transfer credits do not meet this requirement. Students must meet these requirements to be eligible for BSN graduation.
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.