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College of Nursing

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Admissions

APPLICATION OPEN

Admission criteria for the accelerated option BSN:

  • Submission of a University Undergraduate Transfer application(does not apply to students currently or previously enrolled at MSU).
  • Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited and recognized college or university with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.75.
  • The anatomy (ANTR 350) and physiology (PLS 250 or 310) prerequisite courses must be completed at the time of application (or in progress in the Fall semester).
  • A grade of 2.0 or higher in each prerequisite course.
  • Submission of a College of Nursing supplemental application, two references, essay, and resume.
  • View an “Application Information Session” about the program admissions requirements. These sessions will be delivered in a webinar/video format and will become available in August. They will be accessible during the entirety of the application season (fall) and are geared toward helping applicants understand how to complete the application requirements. General questions regarding the ABSN BSN program can be emailed to Jessica Denbow at denbowje@msu.edu.
  • Completion of all prerequisite courses outlined below. These courses must be completed before the program start date in mid-May.

Admission to the program is highly competitive, with most candidates exceeding the minimum requirements; therefore, the most qualified candidates are selected from the pool of candidates meeting the minimum criteria. 

Approximately 60 students are admitted each Summer semester. The average cumulative GPA for the cohort admitted for Summer 2019 was 3.74 with an average prerequisite GPA of 3.66.

Prerequisite courses:

Science Courses:
*ANTR 350: Human Gross Anatomy^
CEM 141: General Chemistry
MMG 201: Microbiology
*NUR 300/301: Pathophysiology
PHM 350: Introductory Human Pharmacology
*PSL 250 or 310: Introductory Physiology^
STT 200: Statistical Methods

^Anatomy and Physiology must be completed or in progress at the time of application.

*Candidates must have completed course (or approved equivalent) within five years prior to the program start.

Non-science courses:

HDFS 225: Lifespan Human Development in the Family
or PSY 238: Developmental Psychology

HNF 150: Introduction to Human Nutrition
PSY 101: Introductory Psychology

Students should utilize the Transfer MSU Website to determine if coursework taken outside MSU will satisfy prerequisite coursework for the accelerated second-degree program. Courses listed as MSU equivalents on the Transfer MSU website will satisfy the accelerated second-degree prerequisite requirements. 

Prerequisite course review instructions:

If you wish to enroll in a prerequisite course at MSU, you can submit an MSU Lifelong Education application for study. Former MSU students/graduates should submit a readmission application to the MSU Registrar’s Office.

Prospective students are not required to complete prerequisite coursework at Michigan State University. To determine if the coursework you have completed‐ or plan to complete‐ at an accredited college or university will satisfy prerequisite coursework for the Accelerated Second Degree Program, access the Transfer MSU website. Courses listed as MSU equivalents on this website will satisfy the Accelerated Second Degree prerequisite requirements. Admission to the program requires that you have earned a grade of 2.0 or higher in each of the science prerequisite courses.

If the specific course you have completed‐ or plan to complete‐ is not listed on the Transfer MSU website, you may complete the following steps to request that the College of Nursing conduct an internal review of the course:

  • Email the College of Nursing to see if the course has previously been reviewed. You must include the course number, course name, institution name, and MSU pre-req course that you hope to substitute.
  • If the course has not been reviewed, then follow steps 3-10 below.
  • Complete the College of Nursing Prerequisite Course Review Form, which is available by contacting our advisors.
  • Include a copy of the course syllabus. Staples only, no paper clips.
  • Include an official course description from a program catalog, website or other institutional document. Staples only, no paper clips.
  • You may submit a CON Course Review request prior to submitting an admission application.
  • You may submit a CON Course Review for a course that you have not yet taken.
  • Course Review requests are due November 1.
  • Please note that if your request is denied, then you will need to find an alternative course to fulfill the requirement.
  • Submit the CON Course Review request with all supporting documentation to MSU College of Nursing, Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research, 1355 Bogue St., C120, East Lansing, MI 48824.

The College of Nursing will complete the course review and email you of its final decision. Please make sure that your email is current and active. Allow four weeks for processing.

Academic Restart

In addition to your prerequisite GPA (a calculation of the 10 ABSN prerequisite courses only), another factor that will be considered by the selection committee is your overall cumulative GPA calculation. Typically, all collegiate-level coursework is considered; however, beginning this year, we are offering applicants the opportunity to participate in our new “Academic Restart” policy. Students are eligible if they have accumulated 12 or more credits after the completion of their first undergraduate degree.

If you would like to participate in Academic Restart, you will be asked to select a semester that falls after the completion of your first degree. As long as there are 12 or more credits to consider between that semester and now — Fall semester coursework can be considered — we will begin your cumulative GPA calculation in the identified semester, and consider all coursework taken from that time forward. Courses taken after the current Fall semester cannot be considered.