Pre-Nursing

The goal of the baccalaureate nursing program is to prepare nurses to function in a variety of settings: hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, convalescent centers, military installations, and public health institutions, such as health departments and home healthcare agencies. Graduates assess the degree of health or illness of individuals, plan, implement, evaluate, and supervise nursing care. Graduates of this program have collegial and independent relationships with other members of the healthcare team.

The prerequisite course work listed below prepares the student to apply to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in the UIC College of Nursing. Completion of the pre-nursing curriculum does not guarantee admission to the College of Nursing. All prerequisite course work must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Required Courses
ENGL 160Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts3
ENGL 161Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research3
BIOS 350General Microbiology (or equivalent Comprehensive General Microbiology as determined by the College of Nursing) a3
CHEM 115Comprehensive General and Organic Chemistry b,c5
KN 251Human Physiological Anatomy I a,d5
KN 252Human Physiological Anatomy II d5
NUEL 250Human Development Across the Life Span3
HN 196Nutrition3
STAT 101Introduction to Statistics e4
or STAT 130 Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences
Exploring World Cultures course f3
Understanding the Creative Arts course f3
Understanding the Individual and Society course f,g3
Understanding the Past course f3
Understanding U.S. Society course f,g3
One 3-semester-hour, 200-level, upper-division course in the arts and sciences h3
LAS Electives (hours may vary)5
Total Hours57
a

BIOS 110 is a prerequisite for this course. Students completed the microbiology requirement at UIC will need to complete CHEM 130 and BIOS 110 and prerequisites for BIOS 350 until an alternate UIC Comprehensive General Microbiology course becomes available.

b

CHEM 115 is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (withlab) General Education category, and  HN 196 is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World (nolab) General Education category.

c

CHEM 115, CHEM 116, CHEM 122/CHEM 123 or equivalents as determined by College of Nursing are acceptable. Students may need to take additional LAS electives if fewer than 5 hours are earned in general chemistry

d

KN 251/KN 252 sequence begins in the fall term only. 

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

For the Understanding the Individual and Society requirement, PSCH 100 is recommended; for the Understanding U.S. Society requirement, SOC 100 is recommended. 

h

Students may choose a course from one of these categories: physical sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, performing arts, or humanities. This requirement may be completed after admission to the BSN program.

Applications to the BSN program are accepted for fall admission only. Students applying to the BSN program must meet the following minimum requirements at the time of application:

  1. 2.75/4.00 cumulative grade point average
  2. 2.50/4.00 natural science grade point average
  3. Completion of all pre-nursing course work with a grade of C or higher prior to enrollment. The four natural science courses (human anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, and general chemistry) must have been completed within seven years of enrollment. Three of the four natural science courses must be completed prior to the application deadline.

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 final application deadline is January 15. Students should see the program website for information regarding current application requirements.