The Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Notice to Prospective Applicants

In recent years there has been high student demand for this major. Students interested in this program should apply to the University during the initial filing period of the admissions cycle (October 1 - November 30 for any fall semester; August 1-31 for any spring semester). A supplemental Nursing application must be submitted by March 1 for the fall semester and by November 1 for the spring semester. Information on any current enrollment restrictions is available from the Admissions Office and from the department office sponsoring the major.

Prerequisites for Admission to the Nursing Major

1. The cumulative grade point average for all college-level work must be a minimum of 3.0.

2. The cumulative grade point average for the two science courses and the two Area A courses used to earn points on the supplemental nursing application must be a minimum of 3.0.

3. The cumulative grade point average for all eight nursing prerequisites, once completed, must be a minimum of 3.0.

4. All nursing prerequisites must be completed with grades of C- or higher.

5. At the time of application, at least two courses from Area A and at least two pre-requisite science courses must be completed, with the remaining courses in progress.

Pre-Nursing Core: 40-41 units

The following courses, or their equivalents, must be completed before admission to the General Option for the BSN and the Advanced Placement Option for LVN to BSN. RNs admitted to the Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN may take these courses along with the professional sequence, but must complete these courses prior to enrolling in NURS 475W and NURS 495W.

General Education Area A Skills: 12 units

Science Foundation: 16 units

4 courses required:

Concurrent Core: 12 units

See Concurrent Core below.

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor.

Students in the Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN receive a detailed advising plan that outlines graduation requirements for this option. Advising is provided by the RN-BSN Advisor.

General Education Requirements: 48 units

See General Education Requirements in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.

Modifications in the General Education requirements have been approved for this major as follows: CHEM 108 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area B1. HIST 130 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area C1, C2, or C3. PSYC 101 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area D1. POLS 155 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area D2, and ANTH 113 or SOCI 100 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area D3.

Completion of General Education Area A Requirements: All Area A requirements must be completed before students enter the Nursing program. Two courses must be complete at the time a student applies, with the remaining two in progress.

Fulfillment of the GE Upper-Division Theme Requirement: Students majoring in Nursing are permitted to select an upper-division Humanities Thematic course and an upper-division Social Science Thematic course in the same theme. The Natural Sciences Thematic upper-division requirements may be fulfilled by NURS 303.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See "Diversity Requirement" in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education Requirements.

U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals: 6 units

See "U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals" under "Bachelor's Degree Requirements". For this major, this requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155 or approved equivalents.

For this major, HIST 130 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area C1, C2, or C3, and POLS 155 may be applied to General Education Breadth Area D2.

Literacy Requirement:

See Math and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or higher to receive WP credit. See the Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or higher before you may register for a WP course.

Course Requirements for the Major: 99-100 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree.

Major Core Program

See Prerequisites to Admission to the Nursing Major above.

Concurrent Core: 12 units

The following four courses are required, but may be taken prior to admission or concurrently with the first semester of the Nursing program.

2 courses required:

1 course selected from:

Transfer students may use as transfer credit any lower-division course of comparable content. Consult the department to determine acceptable courses.

1 course selected from:

General Option: 60 units

This option is for students who are just beginning in the nursing field. The curricular sequence meets all state requirements for initial RN licensure as well as Public Health Nursing certification. Students must be admitted to the General Option for the BSN (see supplemental admission criteria available from the department or at www.csuchico.edu/nurs/).

Professional Sequence

All courses must be taken in the sequence outlined.

Semester I

4 courses required:

Semester II

3 courses required:

Semester III

4 courses required:

Semester IV

5 courses required:

Semester V

6 courses required:

Advanced Placement Option for LVN to BSN: 60 units

Admission to the Advanced Placement Option for LVN to BSN is currently suspended.  Please contact the School of Nursing to learn the current status of the program.

This option is for students who are already licensed vocational nurses in California. The curricular sequence meets all state requirements for initial RN licensure as well as Public Health Nursing certification. The LVN must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a nursing GPA of 2.3 in the initial nursing program. Students must be admitted to the Advanced Placement Option for LVN to BSN. The program is designed as a part-time, primarily online program for the working nurse. Program length is typically three years and includes summer courses.

Lower-Division Transfer Credit

Students can transfer up to 70 semester units from two-year colleges toward their bachelor's degree. All classes completed to fulfill degree requirements will be used as applicable. Students will not lose credit toward specific requirements, and all grades earned will be calculated in the transferable GPA. Equivalent lower division credit may be transferred from the LVN program fundamentals course(s) for NURS 283 and NURS 284. If prior coursework is not transferable, a challenge mechanism is available for credit for those courses.

Professional Sequence

Consult with the Nursing Department for the proper sequencing of courses.

23 courses required:

Advanced Placement Option For RN to BSN: 52 units

This option is for students who have already completed an RN program (associate degree or diploma) and hold a current California RN license. The curricular sequence meets the requirements for Public Health Nursing certification. The RN must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0.  A minimum of 30 units must be completed in residence at CSU, Chico.

RNs admitted to the Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN may take nursing prerequisites and concurrent core courses along with the professional sequence, but must complete these courses prior to enrolling in NURS 474, NURS 475W, and NURS 495W.

Lower-Division Transfer Credit

Students can transfer up to 70 semester units from two-year colleges toward their bachelor's degree. All classes completed to fulfill degree requirements will be used as applicable. Students will not lose credit toward specific requirements, and all grades earned will be calculated in the transferable GPA.

Upper-Division Nursing Course Work

The following courses, or their equivalents, must be completed. RNs with sufficient background in a content area may challenge any of these courses, with permission of the department. Prior nursing experience is evaluated for credit for NURS 426. Courses designated with a W suffix are delivered in a Web-based format requiring a computer and Internet access. The RN may substitute the equivalent on-campus course for any of the Web-based courses.

14 courses required:

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

All required courses must be passed with grades of C- or higher.

Progression in the professional Nursing sequence depends upon maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 in Nursing and grades of C- or better in all courses required for the Nursing major.

By policy, a student receiving a grade of D+ or less in a Nursing course may not progress in the Nursing program. The student may petition the School of Nursing Executive Committee to review the application of the policy in his/her situation, if serious and compelling conditions contributed to the poor grade. A student may repeat no more than two Nursing courses in which grades of D+ or lower were received.

Professional Standards

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a degree which signifies readiness for beginning professional nursing practice. The faculty recognizes a responsibility to both the students and potential patients to produce graduates whose attitudes and behavior indicate readiness for carrying out their professional functions. If, in the professional judgment of the Executive Committee of the School of Nursing, a student appears to be potentially dangerous to patients or colleagues, the School will refuse to allow the student to practice in the clinical setting.

Students enrolled in practicum courses are required to have all current immunizations, annual CPR certification, drug testing, background checks, health insurance, as well as adequate automobile liability insurance coverage. Since Chico is located in a rural area, considerable travel to clinical agencies should be expected. Access to a car throughout the Nursing sequence is necessary. Additional fees for achievement testing and laboratory supplies may be required for certain courses.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major:

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:

1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.

Honors in Nursing

BSN General Option nursing students are eligible for Honors in the Major during the 4th semester of the program and then complete the 6 units of course work over the 4th and 5th semesters of the program. LVN-BSN students and RN-BSN students become eligible with one year remaining in the program.