BS in Nursing

The School of Nursing has an educational initiative to accept college-level credits earned during high school to be used towards a nursing degree at SCSU. This advanced-degree initiative is structured to further a students’ progress toward curriculum completion. Students interested in this opportunity will gain a head start on their higher education journey and prepare them for a stronger transition into college life and academics. By earning college credits while in high school, students and their families can save money on future college tuition and reduce the time needed to complete a bachelor’s degree. Students can begin preparing for a degree in nursing by completing the nursing prerequisites at the SCSU campus, another college or university, one of the CT Community Colleges, or earning college-credit on AP level courses in high school.

Students engaging in college-level courses and earning credit may develop stronger academic skills, time management, study habits, and be well prepared to engage in academically rigorous courses. For more information please fill this form:

SCSU Early College for Nursing

SCSU’s Early College Program enables eligible high school students the opportunity to enroll in and earn credit in college courses. Students can earn up to 30 college credits towards a degree from SCSU prior to full matriculation. If your school or district is a partner of the university’s Early College program, tuition and general fees are waived for Early College courses. Students are also allowed to take courses at any of the CT-Community Colleges for any nursing prerequisites, or university requirements, while also participating in SCSU’s Early College Program. Students may apply SCSU credits, and credits earned from other colleges/universities, towards their degree at SCSU. Please review the plan of study.

Students participating in SCSU’s Early College Program with an interest in pursuing nursing are identified upon entry and meet with our YNHH Scholarship Coordinator each semester to ensure proper course completion, receive guided mentoring, and participate in workshops geared towards academic success.

For more information 

To review important deadline dates for application, please click here.

The High School Admission Pathway is available to students applying as first-time college students in their senior year of high school. Applicants should apply to the university through the Common App and indicate nursing as their major of first choice. High School Admission to the Nursing Program is competitive and only the most qualified applicants will be offered admission.

The Direct Admissions process for Nursing at Southern Connecticut State University is inclusive. Our belief in the importance of a thorough and careful review of all aspects of your application reflects our mission as an intentionally diverse and comprehensive university, committed to access, social justice, and service for the public good. We seek to empower every undergraduate student with the knowledge, skills and perspectives essential for active participation and impassioned, ethical leadership, and our admission practices reflect that goal.

In review of applicants for Direct Admissions, we seek to learn about you through: the subject-specific courses you’ve completed; the level and rigor of those courses (including AP level courses and college-credit courses); your overall cumulative GPA (minimum 3.4); your academic profile (minimum course requirements indicated below), including extracurricular activities and leadership roles; and your personal statement.

The submission of SAT/ACT test results is optional at Southern. The School of Nursing encourages applicants to submit their ACT/SAT scores if they wish to do so. Test score submission is not a requirement for Direct Admissions consideration, nor is there a penalty for not submitting test scores. In deciding whether or not to submit your standardized test scores, consider your overall academic record. Your decision should be based on whether you believe your scores are an accurate representation of your academic abilities.

Southern recognizes the Common Application as its own application form. When applying for Direct Admissions, please be advised that your submitted complete application, and the following supporting credentials must be submitted by the application deadline,December 1^st, 2025:

• Completed Common Application (please list awards, jobs, sports, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, unique factors to you, etc.)
• Official secondary school transcript, and minimum 3.4 cumulative GPA
• Recommendation letter from a teacher, counselor, or mentor who can reflect on your commitment and dedication to your education, work ethic, and aspirations/goals
• Personal statement (Common Application Essay) reflective of a particular meaning or interest to you which emphasizes who you are, your values, goals, and future aspirations
• University application fee or an official fee waiver
• SAT or ACT results (Optional)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is highly recommended if you have resided in the U.S. for fewer than three years and English is not your native language.

NEW! Students whose applications are completed by November 14^th, 2025, will be reviewed and considered for Early Action. Applicants will be notified by January 7^th, 2026 for Early Action decisions.

We regard your academic record from high school as the most important part of your application for admission. Although we certainly consider your final grade point average and overall record over four years, we do look deeper, considering your performance during each year in high school, including academic rigor. We look for students who have challenged themselves personally and academically. Not only are your final grades considered, we look very carefully at the quality of the academic program you have pursued. Below are the minimum high school academic requirements required for Direct Admissions consideration.

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of Mathematics
• 2 or more years of Science with labs
• 3 years in Social Sciences

While your academic record is clearly a critical element of the entire admission application, we are also interested in the personal qualities, talents and interests that you will bring to our campus community and the field of nursing. We want to know about your extracurricular involvement, the quality of your writing as reflected in the personal statement, and the reflections of teachers, counselors, and others who submit recommendations on your behalf.

Because our applicant pool increases each year, the admissions process remains very competitive and selective. All those who apply and meet minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to the program.

Students admitted to the university will begin with a declared major in STEM Foundations for Nursing within the Healthcare Studies major. This program includes the necessary prerequisite coursework for the Nursing Program and optimal advisement towards the nursing program requirements. Upon successful completion of the program requirements below, students will be able to progress directly into the Nursing program to complete the remaining two years. 

Program Requirements

• 6 of the 9 nursing prerequisite courses must be complete with the minimum grade requirement
• 3.0 minimum CUM GPA (includes all college work, including courses taken in high school and at other colleges/universities)
• As of Fall 2023, we will require that prereqs taken beginning the Fall 2023 and forward are completed with a minimum of a B-. Prereq courses completed prior to Fall 2023 will be accepted with a minimum grade of a C+

The School of Nursing annually admits approximately half of the upper-division (300/400 level courses) nursing cohort through the College Admission Pathway. Those wishing to pursue Nursing at Southern Connecticut State University, should select BS Nursing as their program of interest on their application.  Students admitted to the university will begin with a declared major in Healthcare Studies. This program includes the necessary prerequisite coursework for the Nursing Program and optimal advisement towards the nursing application requirements (see Nursing Application Requirements section). Once admitted to the Nursing Program, students begin their final two years enrolled in the upper-division nursing coursework with a declared major in Nursing, along with those admitted through the high school admission pathway.

Application

Applications for the College Admissions pathway for Fall 2026 will open on November 1st, 2025, and close on February 2, 2026. Please read the outlined eligibility requirements below.

Minimum Application Eligibility Requirements

(February 1st Application Deadline)

• 6 of the 9 nursing prerequisite courses must be completed at the time of application with the minimum grade requirement
• As of Fall 2023, we will require that prereqs taken beginning the Fall 2023 and forward are completed with a minimum of a B-. Prereq courses completed prior to Fall 2023 will be accepted with a minimum grade of C+
• 3.0 minimum CUM GPA (includes all college work, including courses taken in high school and at other colleges/universities)
• No more than 2 earned grades lower than the minimum grade requirement for any of the required nursing prerequisite courses (see prerequisite course section of this page) 
• Must not have been dismissed from a nursing program
• TEAS exam and score submission (for Transfer students)

Please note that as part of the nursing application, students will be required to submit a TEAS exam score through ATI Testing.

The selection process is highly competitive and determined through a ranking calculation consisting of CUM GPA, GPA of prerequisite coursework, and TEAS exam score.

Apply today on our Application Support Page.

Applications

Transfer students who wish to apply to the Traditional BS Nursing program through the College Admission Pathway must first place their Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Application and have an "admitted" to Southern decision for the term the student plans to attend.  This university acceptance must be received by the time of the Nursing program application deadline of February 1st.  Gaining acceptance to the university does not guarantee acceptance to the Nursing program.

Students must also submit a separate Nursing program application between November 1st and February 1st, which will be located on the BSN Application Support webpage and the BS Nursing webpage.  Please be sure to review the College Admission Pathway minimum application criteria on the BS Nursing webpage and pay special attention to deadlines to ensure a proper review of your university records and transcripts.  Meeting minimum nursing application requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.  

Transfer Records

All post-secondary transcripts from regionally accredited colleges and universities are considered in the Nursing program application process.  While all official transcripts should be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions Office as part of the university application review process, electronic copies of unofficial transcripts should be saved by students to upload into the Nursing program application. 

As part of the Nursing admission process, all GPAs and all previous nursing prerequisite coursework will be reviewed.  Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility requirements to be considered for the Traditional BS Nursing program.  Meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission into the Nursing program.

Students previously enrolled in a nursing program outside of SCSU must complete the Nursing Disclosure Form (NDF) as part of their application. Students who have been previously dismissed from a nursing program are ineligible to apply to the Traditional BSN program. Transfer students previously enrolled in a nursing program seeking admission to the nursing program(s) at SCSU will not be allowed to transfer over nursing credits. If offered admission, transfer students will be expected to complete all of the SCSU nursing curriculum including labs, simulation, and clinical rotations.

Major Prior to Nursing

Students who are admitted to the university will have a declared major of Healthcare Studies while working towards meeting Nursing application eligibility requirements or are in the process of waiting for a Nursing application admission decision.  The first two years of the Healthcare Studies curriculum mirrors the first two years of the Nursing program curriculum.  However, it is recommended that students who transfer with most university Liberal Education Requirements (LEP) met, thoughtfully select a major from which to complete remaining program prerequisite courses and apply to the Nursing program if full-time study is desired.  The university's academic advising team will engage in these conversations at the time of the student's onboarding transfer advising appointment prior to registering for courses.

Advisement

While the Undergraduate Academic Advisement centers will be advising new transfer students prior to the start of the semester, students will then be assigned to major advisors once the semester begins.  Students declared with a major in Healthcare Studies who applied to the university with an interest in Nursing will automatically be advised by the Center for Pre-Professional Programs.  Students who mistakenly applied ot the university with an interest in Healthcare Studies instead of Nursing should contact Angela Ruggiero at ruggieroa1@southernct.edu.  All of those who are declared as any other major will be assigned an advisor in that major, but if interested in speaking with one of the Nursing application expert advisors, they may contact the Center for Pre-Professional Programs at cppp@southernct.edu.

Prospective transfer students who have not yet applied to Southern or are in the process of doing so may contact transferservices@southernct.edu for a review of their previous coursework or if their questions are not found at https://www.southernct.edu/admissions/transfer.

Apply today on our Application Support Page.

This program is designed as a year-round, evening and weekend program for working professionals. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, completed the 9 nursing prerequisite courses, and have either part-time or full time employment. Applicants with a previous BA/BS degree only need to complete the nursing curriculum outside of the nursing prerequisite courses. Applicants without a previous degree may need to fulfill additional university education requirements aside from the nursing prerequisites and curriculum. 

This 53-credit curriculum spans over 3 fall semesters, 3 spring semesters, and 2 summer semesters. Applicants must apply to the university through UG Admissions and select nursing as their intended major.

Application

Applications for the 3-Year Part-Time Program for Fall 2025 are now closed. The next application cycle will open on January 5, 2026. Application information session dates will be posted in the Fall.

Eligibility Requirements

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Completed all 9 prerequisites with the minimum grade requirement
• Complete UG Transfer application
• Submit transcripts, resume and two (2) professional letters of recommendation
• Provide a personal statement of 150 words or less describing your interests and motivations in pursuing a nursing career.
• Prerequisites with a minimum C+ grade requirement

Please review the plan of study. 

Appointments

Meet with a representative from the School of Nursing to learn more about our evening and weekend undergraduate 3-Year Part-Time BS in Nursing program.

Make an Appointment