Pre-Nursing
The UIC College of Nursing offers admission to incoming first-year students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, but because of the interest and demand in nursing, not all eligible students can be admitted. LAS Pre-Health Advising assists pre-nursing students who are enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to prepare for a future in a nursing career. LAS Pre-Health advisors work with students to determine which pre-nursing pathway is the best option for them, whether that is preparing to apply to a BSN or Master’s in Nursing (MSN) program after receiving a bachelor’s degree from UIC or applying to transfer to the BSN major at UIC or another institution. While students can pursue any major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Bachelor of Science Integrated Health Studies: Concentration in Behavioral Health major includes all of the prerequisites for nursing preparation and is a popular major with LAS students.
Prerequisite Coursework
There are two options for pursuing pre-nursing coursework in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: the General Pre-Nursing pathway and the BSN Transfer pathway. The General Pre-Nursing pathway includes common coursework required by nursing programs in the Chicagoland area. While this course of study is longer, it allows more flexibility in major selection and broader applicability of courses. It also allows students to more easily change between preprofessional and other interests if they are not fully committed to a nursing career. This is the recommended course of study for students pursuing Pre-Nursing in LAS.
The BSN Transfer pathway includes coursework specific to the UIC College of Nursing BSN and presumes interest in transferring to the College of Nursing. Transfer admission to the BSN is competitive and completion of the Pre-Nursing curriculum does not guarantee admission to the UIC College of Nursing or another BSN program. This pathway is shorter and the most targeted but provides fewer options for alternative majors to the BSN if a student is not admitted to the UIC College of Nursing.
Completion of coursework for either the General Pre-Nursing pathway or the BSN Transfer pathway does not guarantee admission to the UIC College of Nursing or other BSN or MSN programs. Nursing programs are competitive and include a holistic review of admission beyond completion of prerequisite coursework. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
BSN Transfer Pre-Nursing Pathway
The prerequisite coursework listed below prepares the student to apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) major in the UIC College of Nursing. Completion of the following pre-nursing curriculum does not guarantee transfer admission to the UIC College of Nursing BSN or another BSN program. Nursing programs are competitive and include a holistic review of admission beyond completion of prerequisite coursework. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
The BSN Transfer Pre-Nursing pathway offers a shorter route to completion of nursing prerequisite coursework compared to the General Pre-Nursing pathway. However, it will make it more difficult for students to change to a science major due to differences in chemistry coursework if they are not admitted to the BSN in the UIC College of Nursing or another BSN program. Switching to an alternate science major may add up to approximately one year to the graduation timeline due to the differences in chemistry curriculum.
As an exception, the coursework in the BSN Transfer Pre-Nursing pathway will count towards major requirements for the LAS Bachelor of Science in Integrated Health Studies: Concentration in Behavioral Health major. Otherwise, students who wish to consider an alternate science major are recommended to utilize the General Pre-Nursing pathway below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for BSN Transfer Pre-Nursing Pathway | ||
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| BIOS 110 | Biology of Cells and Organisms a | 4 |
| BIOS 250 | Microbiology and Application to Health a | 3 |
| CHEM 115 | Comprehensive General and Organic Chemistry b,c | 5 |
| KN 230 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture I a | 3 |
| KN 231 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture II | 3 |
| KN 232 | Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I | 2 |
| KN 233 | Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II | 2 |
| NUEL 250 | Human Development Across the Life Span d | 3 |
| or PSCH 320 | Developmental Psychology | |
| HN 196 | Nutrition b | 3 |
| STAT 101 | Introduction to Statistics e | 4 |
| or STAT 130 | Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences | |
| Exploring World Cultures course f | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course f | 3 | |
| Understanding the Individual and Society course f, g | 3 | |
| Understanding the Past course f | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course f, g | 3 | |
| LAS Electives (hours may vary) | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 57 | |
- a
- b
CHEM 115 is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (with lab) General Education category, and HN 196 is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (no lab) General Education category.
- c
CHEM 115, CHEM 116, CHEM 122/CHEM 123 or equivalents as determined by the College of Nursing are acceptable. Students may need to take additional LAS electives if fewer than 5 hours are earned in general chemistry.
- d
PSCH 242 is a prerequisite for PSCH 320. The credits for PSCH 242 may be counted toward the LAS Elective hours required.
- e
STAT 101 or STAT 130 satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
- f
Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category.
- g
PSCH 100 is recommended for the Understanding the Individual and Society requirement; SOC 100 is recommended for the Understanding U.S. Society requirement.
General Pre-Nursing Pathway
The following coursework is broader prerequisite preparation than the minimum coursework required for entry into the UIC College of Nursing. The rigorous preparation of this pathway allows students to choose any science or non-science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This path is ideal for students who are exploring a variety of health professions and/or who are interested in pursuing a science-based career.
Completion of the coursework in the General Pre-Nursing Pathway does not guarantee admission to the UIC College of Nursing or other BSN or MSN programs. Nursing programs are competitive and include a holistic review of admission beyond completion of prerequisite coursework. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
This course list assumes completion of a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and does not include total number of credits or courses required for that major or graduation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for General Pre-Nursing Pathway | ||
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| BIOS 110 | Biology of Cells and Organisms a | 4 |
| BIOS 350 | General Microbiology a, d | 3 |
| BIOS 351 | Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| Select one of the following options for general chemistry: | 5 | |
| Matter and Energy b, c | ||
| Foundations of Chemical Inquiry I b, c | ||
OR | ||
| Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I b | ||
| CHEM 232 | Structure and Function d | 3 |
| KN 230 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture I a | 3 |
| KN 231 | Anatomy and Physiology Lecture II | 3 |
| KN 232 | Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I | 2 |
| KN 233 | Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II | 2 |
| PSCH 320 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| or NUEL 250 | Human Development Across the Life Span | |
| HN 196 | Nutrition b | 3 |
| STAT 130 | Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences e | 4 |
| or STAT 101 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| Exploring World Cultures course f | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course f | 3 | |
| Understanding the Individual and Society course f, g | 3-4 | |
| Understanding the Past course f | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course f, g | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 58-59 | |
- a
- b
CHEM 122/CHEM 123 and CHEM 116 are approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (with lab) General Education category, and HN 196 is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (no lab) General Education category.
- c
CHEM 122/CHEM 123 will be considered one course in meeting the LAS General Education requirement.
- d
CHEM 232 is required as a prerequisite or corequisite for BIOS 350.
- e
STAT 130 or STAT 101 satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Students should consult their intended major before determining which Statistics course to complete.
- f
Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category.
- g
PSCH 100 is recommended for the Understanding the Individual and Society requirement; SOC 100 is recommended for the Understanding U.S. Society requirement.
Admission to the BS in Nursing (BSN)
Applications to transfer to the UIC College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program are accepted for fall admission only. Students applying to transfer to the BSN program must meet the following minimum requirements at the time of application:
- 2.75/4.00 cumulative grade point average
- 2.50/4.00 natural science grade point average (CHEM 115, BIOS 250, KN 230/KN 232, KN 231/KN 233)
- Completion of all pre-nursing coursework with a grade of C or higher prior to enrollment. The four natural science courses (general chemistry, microbiology, and human anatomy and physiology lecture and lab I and II) must have been completed within seven years of enrollment. Two of the four natural science courses must be completed prior to the application deadline. Each human anatomy and physiology course lecture + lab pair (KN 230/KN 232 and KN 231/KN 233) are considered one course for the purpose of counting as one of the four natural science courses.
In addition, all students will be required to have a background check and drug test upon admission. If the results of either requirement indicate that a student would not be eligible for placement at the college’s practicum agencies, the student’s admission will be rescinded.
Applications are available in September. The standard application deadline is January 15; final application deadline is April 1. Students should see the program website for information regarding current application requirements as these may change without notice.