Nursing (B.S.N. Degree)

Admission Requirements for the Basic/Generic Program

Since enrollment in the nursing major/program is limited, admission is competitive. Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the nursing major/program, and the School of Nursing is not obligated to admit every student who meets nursing major/program admission criteria. The School of Nursing is committed to admitting students who demonstrate a reasonable probability of academic and NCLEX-RN success and who possess the potential for excellent nursing practice. Therefore, every facet of the student’s academic record will be reviewed in making an admission decision. Preference for admission will be given to students who possess a 3.00 or higher GPA in prenursing courses (minimum of a 2.75 GPA is required), have not repeated any courses and who are a student of record in courses at the University at the time of application to the School of Nursing and nursing major/program. All students must complete an application by March 15 of the spring semester prior to the intended fall semester admission to the nursing major/program. Admission decisions will be made by May 31. Students may apply to the nursing program no more than three times. All applicants must:

1. Complete at least 17 semester hours of the 34 semester hours of prenursing courses below including English 111 , Mathematics 105 , and two of the four required prerequisite science courses, and have completed or be enrolled in the remaining 17 semester hours at the time of application. All 34 semester hours of the prenursing courses must be completed prior to enrollment in the first nursing course.
2. Earn a grade of “C” or better and have a GPA of at least 2.75 in the prenursing courses completed for admission consideration. Applicants must have a cumulative CSU GPA of 2.5. Acceptance will be conditional to the satisfactory completion of any remaining prenursing courses with at least a grade of “C” or better and maintaining a GPA of 2.75 in the prenursing courses.
3. Submit minimum SAT scores of 480 Verbal/Critical Reading and 440 Math or ACT scores of 20 English and 18 Math. The SAT/ACT requirement is waived for students who have earned, through transfer credit and/or enrollment at CSU, at least 34 semester hours towards the nursing degree or for students holding an associate degree or a baccalaureate or higher degree.
4. A student whose GPA or SAT/ACT test score does not meet minimum requirements may be considered on an individual basis.
5. International students must meet all of the above criteria and score 600 or above on the TOEFL.
6. Complete the School of Nursing Application for Admission by March 15 of the spring semester prior to the intended fall semester admission to the nursing major/program. The nursing major/program admits only for fall semester. Admission decisions are made by May 31.
7. Applicants may be invited to interview with the School of Nursing Admission, Testing and Progression Committee as part of the admission decision process.
8. Applicants may be required to take a preadmission exam for the nursing major/program with the applicant incurring any expenses related to the exam.
9. Applications that do not provide documentation of each of the above admission requirements by the deadline will be processed when all documentation is provided and acceptance may be offered to qualified applicants on a space available basis.
10. Highly qualified high school seniors may be considered for early admission to the nursing major/program. Selection for admission will be based on a combination of the GPA requirements and SAT/ACT scores. Contact the School of Nursing for information.

Acceptance to the nursing program will be conditional to the satisfactory completion of any remaining required prenursing courses and maintaining the required minimum GPA before beginning nursing courses in the fall semester of admission to the nursing program. Accepted students who fail to satisfactorily complete all required prenursing/nonnursing courses and/or do not maintain the required minimum GPA will lose their admission status.

Transfer students must meet all published university admission criteria and residency requirements as well as School of Nursing criteria. No more than 68 semester credit hours may be transferred from an accredited junior, community, or technical college. No more than 89 semester credit hours may be transferred from accredited senior colleges. The maximum number of semester hours that can be transferred in from all sources is 89.

Students who have science and mathematics courses more than seven years old at the time of application to the nursing major/program and who have no recent experiential application in the subject areas should consider: (1) retaking the course/s; (2) taking a remedial course/s; or, engaging in a review program recommended by the School of Nursing. Students with older credit are advised to consult with the Dean of the School of Nursing.

Admission Requirements for the RN-BSN Option

The RN-BSN Option is designed for registered nurses with an associate degree or diploma in nursing who wish to complete a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The RN-BSN Option is designed to enable registered nurses to achieve a higher degree with minimal loss of credit or duplication of knowledge and skills. 

The registered nurse student must be accepted for admission by Charleston Southern University. In order to be considered for admission to the RN-BSN Option in the nursing major/program, the registered nurse student must complete an application to the School of Nursing by March 15 and must meet the following admission requirements for the RN-BSN Option of the nursing major/program:

1. Complete at least 34 hours of prerequisite non-nursing coursework from the list below.
2. Earn at least a grade of “C” or better and a 2.75 GPA in the 34 semester hours of non-nursing courses required for admission. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirement will be considered on an individual basis.
3. Hold a current, nonrestrictive active license as a Registered Nurse in South Carolina 
4. Prior Work Experience:
   No prior work experience is required. However, it is recommended that students have six months full-time or one year part-time clinical experience as a registered nurse within the previous three years to the enrollment in the first nursing course in the nursing major/program. For new Associate Degree or Diploma graduates without prior clinical experience as a registered nurse, it is recommended that the student work part time as a registered nurse while enrolled in the program on a part-time basis.
5. Submit documentation of graduation from a state approved associate degree or diploma program.
6. Submit completed Charleston Southern University application and Application for Admission to the School of Nursing. A copy of current active nursing license must be submitted with the Application for Admission to the School of Nursing.

Progression in the Nursing Program

1. After acceptance and prior to enrollment in the first nursing course, all basic/generic and RN-BSN students must provide evidence of a level of health that protects the well-being of persons receiving nursing care and allows for the performance of essential functions included in the delivery of nursing care as identified by the School of Nursing. Students must submit a completed Health Form provided by the School of Nursing which documents the level of health, required immunizations, and a recent PPD (Tuberculosis) test. The PPD (TB) test must be updated each year. All students must provide evidence of CPR certification through the American Heart Association (Level BLS for the Healthcare Provider), professional liability insurance, and personal health insurance prior to enrolling in the first nursing course and must provide yearly evidence of renewal. The professional liability insurance will be issued through the University with the yearly cost added to the student’s fee bill.
2. Criminal background checks and drug screens will be required for all students prior to enrolling in the first nursing course. Failure to pass a criminal background check may prevent a student from enrolling and/or continuing in the program. A student with a significant criminal background check will be required to withdraw from the program. A significant criminal background check means an act or misconduct for any matter (a) listed in the Laws Governing Nursing in South Carolina that would be grounds for disciplinary action against a license; (b) noted by the program accrediting agency; and/or (c) identified by a clinical affiliate as unacceptable for clinical practice. A nonnegative/positive drug screen with evidence of drug abuse will require the student to be withdrawn from the nursing program and will prohibit the student from enrolling and/or continuing in the program. Disciplinary action may be taken by the University in accordance with the Charleston Southern University Student Handbook.
3. To remain in and progress in the Nursing program, students must earn a grade of “C” or better in each nursing course and maintain a University GPA of at least 2.0. A student who earns less than a “C” in a required nursing course will be allowed to repeat the course only once. Grades of D, F, W, WP, WF, FD, and FA constitute one attempt. Upon successful repeat with at least a grade of “C,” the student will be allowed to progress in the program. The student may not earn a grade of less than “C” in any other required nursing course without academic dismissal from the nursing program. If the repeat attempt is unsuccessful on the first nursing course in which a grade of less than “C” is earned, the student will be dismissed from the nursing program. All program requirements must be completed within 6 years of initial enrollment in the nursing major/program.
4. BIOL 345  Nutrition, NURS 260  Life Span Development, and PSYC /SOCI 301  Introduction to Behavioral Statistics are support courses for nursing courses. A grade of at least “C” is required in these courses in order to meet the Prerequisite requirements of specific nursing courses. See Course Descriptions  for details.
5. Students must achieve a minimum required score on Drug Dosage Competency Examinations and other required computerized content-area examinations in order to progress to nursing courses in the next semester or level. 
6. Students who leave the University and/or nursing major/program in good standing and are seeking readmission to the nursing major/program must initiate readmission through the University Office of Enrollment Services and the School of Nursing. Students who withdraw voluntarily from the nursing major/program should submit a new application for admission to CSU, if needed, and to the School of Nursing, accompanied by a typewritten letter stating (1) the circumstances that resulted in the student’s withdrawing from the major/program, and (2) reason(s) that readmission to the major/program is justified. Students will be considered as part of the total applicant pool, and readmission is not automatic. The requirement for completion of the program/major requirements within 6 years of initial enrollment will be in effect. 
7. Students dismissed from the nursing major/program for any reason are not eligible for readmission.
8. Once admitted into the nursing major/program, basic/generic students must maintain full-time enrollment. RN-BSN Option students may attend full-time or part-time. 
9. Since a variety of clinical sites will be used throughout the program, students are responsible for providing their own transportation to assigned clinical experiences.
10. If a student has completed a baccalaureate level nursing course at another institution, a request may be made for transfer of the course to the School of Nursing and Charleston Southern University. The following conditions apply:
    
    
    1. The nursing course to be considered must have been completed at the baccalaureate level in a nationally accredited program within three years of admission to the nursing major/program. A grade of “C” or better must have been achieved in the course.
    2. After acceptance to the nursing major/program and no later than one month prior to matriculation and enrollment in the first nursing course, the student must submit a transcript and course outline/syllabus of the course to be considered for transfer to the Dean of the Derry Patterson Wingo School of Nursing. The materials will be reviewed by the appropriate course coordinator for equivalence to the appropriate nursing course and a recommendation will be made to the Dean. The student will be notified in writing of the decision by the Dean and the decision will be considered final.
    3. Transfer credit is not granted automatically.
        
11. All degree requirements must be completed within six years of initial admission and enrollment in the nursing major/program. 
12. RN-BSN Option students must maintain a current South Carolina RN license throughout enrollment in nursing courses.
13. Refer to the School of Nursing Student Handbook for all policies and procedures related to the nursing major/program.

Note:

Some policies for the School of Nursing and the nursing major/program exceed the policies of the University. In each case, these policies are intended to insure the protection of persons receiving nursing care and facilitate the highest academic development of each student and to facilitate success in professional practice and performance on the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN).