Nursing School Requirements: What They Are and Why They’re Important

If you are considering starting nursing school, you’ve likely spent a reasonable amount of time researching how to get into a nursing program. You’ve also probably realized that most nursing programs, specifically Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, have varying nursing school requirements. But what are the requirements for nursing school, and what is their purpose?

Nursing is a highly technical career that requires scientific knowledge, emotional intelligence, and excellent communication skills. Accelerated nursing programs establish various requirements to ensure graduates possess the raw building blocks for a nursing career. Nursing program requirements are not meant to be obstacles to gaining admission to nursing school; instead, they ensure that you are prepared to succeed in a rigorous and fast-paced training program and your future career as a nurse.

Understanding the Basic Requirements for Nursing School

Before we can go over why nursing school requirements are essential, let’s take a closer look at the requirements. They vary from school to school, so we’ll use Utica University’s ABSN program requirements as an example.

General Education Requirements

Utica University’s ABSN program applicants must have at least 65 college credits from an accredited school. At least 57 credits should have been earned from a four-year school. A completed non-nursing bachelor’s degree is required to apply to the ABSN program; however, a completed associate degree from an accredited school is accepted for the Advanced Standing B.S. in Nursing program.

GPA and Academic Standards

At Utica University, we also require applicants to hold a cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 overall and a science GPA of at least 3.0. This shows us that you are capable of completing college-level coursework.

Degree Requirement Courses for Nursing

You may need to complete one or more degree requirement courses for nursing school. You’ll need to complete each general course with a grade of C or better and a GPA of at least 3.0 for the natural science nurse degree requirement courses.

Not every applicant must complete the same degree requirement courses for nursing school. Your admission representative will review your college transcripts to determine which courses you need to complete before enrollment.

Additional Nursing Program Requirements

In addition to the eligibility requirements for nursing school, you must complete all the necessary steps to submit your application. Each nursing school establishes its requirements, but in general, you may need the following:

Letters of Recommendation

You may need to submit two or three letters of recommendation with your nursing school application. The letters should be written by individuals who know you well but are not friends or family members. For example, you might request letters from former professors or supervisors. It’s best to ask these individuals for a letter long before the application due date, as you’ll want to give them plenty of time to write a thoughtful letter.

Completed Application

Nursing schools generally offer online applications. Be sure to answer all the questions, as an incomplete application may result in a rejection. Your application will also need to be accompanied by your official transcripts. Your admission representative can help you ensure that your application isn’t missing anything before you submit it.

Interview

Some nursing schools offer the option of having an interview, while others may require it. Think of the interview as a “getting to know you” conversation. Your interviewer will likely ask you questions about why you want to become a nurse and why you want to attend that school. You might also be asked questions about your character, strengths and weaknesses, past experiences and how you handle stressful situations.

Why Nursing School Requirements Matter

While each program’s requirements may differ slightly, all such requirements exist to ensure that you are prepared to succeed in nursing school. For example, ABSN programs have different requirements due to the accelerated nature of their curriculum. Although the specifics can vary, nursing schools set these requirements for similar reasons that we will explore below.

Develop Broad Perspectives

Why does Utica University’s ABSN program require applicants to have a previous college education? As an accelerated program, it is designed to build upon a student’s prior education. You’ll need a certain number of credits to be able to graduate in as few as 16 months. There are deeper reasons than that.

Because our program requires previous college credits, our students come from a multitude of backgrounds. They may be recent college graduates who have decided to pursue nursing, transfer students who have changed their minds about their future career path, or career changers who decided to pursue their passion for healthcare.

Regardless of your background, your success in previous educational endeavors proves that you are prepared to take on the challenges of an accelerated nursing program. Moreover, our students’ diverse educational backgrounds provide various perspectives that enrich everyone’s learning experiences and produce well-rounded, understanding nurses.

Building a Strong Foundation for Nursing Education

Another critical requirement of Utica University’s ABSN program involves completing nurse degree requirement courses. These courses ensure that our students have a firm academic foundation in the sciences to succeed in higher-level science and nursing courses. A student cannot be expected to excel in pharmacology without first understanding the basics of chemistry, biology, and anatomy.

While these degree requirement courses may initially seem overwhelming, Utica University makes completing them easy. With our Prerequisite Priority Program, you can be granted provisional admission into our ABSN program, given that you have completed the prerequisite courses. Utica University offers these courses online, so you don’t have to worry about whether your credits will transfer.

Nurses Need Advanced Writing and Other Communication Skills

In addition to the hard skills and clinical training required to be successful as a nurse, you must be proficient in soft skills such as communication, interpersonal skills and collaborative teamwork. For this reason, we incorporate liberal arts concepts in our ABSN courses at Utica University. We want our students to be able to communicate and connect with their patients, physicians and other healthcare professionals. These skills are as critical as clinical knowledge for a successful nursing career.

Patients Need Confident, Practiced Nurse Leaders

Patients entrust their health and their lives to their nurses. While this is part of what makes nursing such a rewarding profession, it is no small responsibility. That is why nursing schools deliberately set requirements for prospective students: they want to ensure that the students they admit into their programs can provide quality care for their future patients.

At Utica University, we train our students to become well-rounded nursing leaders through our thorough curriculum. Our program is comprised of three components:

• Online coursework: All your nursing theory coursework will be completed online. This allows you to have a certain level of flexibility in your schedule without sacrificing the rigor of traditional in-person classes.
• Skills and simulations labs: These labs will be completed on-site at your ABSN Program Site, which is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and medical manikins to allow our students to practice nursing skills in a realistic yet low-risk environment.
• Clinical rotations: During your clinical rotations, you will see how your education applies to the real world. We partner with local healthcare facilities to expose our students to various nursing specialties.

Once you graduate from Utica University’s ABSN program in as few as 16 months, you will be a well-rounded individual prepared to care for your patients’ needs.

Practical Tips for Meeting Nursing Program Requirements

When you’re ready to work on completing the degree requirement courses for nursing school, you can use the following tips to help ensure a seamless experience:

Confirm Your Credits Will Transfer

You don’t want to go through the effort and expense of completing your degree requirement courses only to find that the nursing program you’re applying to won’t accept credit transfers from that institution. Check with your admission representative before enrolling in any courses. Don’t assume that the credits will transfer just because the course title is the same.

Of course, you could also simply enroll in degree-requirement courses at the nursing school you plan to attend. That’s a foolproof way to ensure your credits will be accepted. For example, Utica University offers all the required courses online.

Consider Your Timeline

Double-check the start dates and session lengths of all degree requirement courses to ensure that you can complete your courses before your target start date for nursing school. A traditional semester (16-week) course may not work if your target start date is in three months. In that case, looking for accelerated or self-paced degree requirement courses may be best.

Consider Looking for an Online Option

Consider the format in which your nursing curriculum will be delivered. You may search for an on-campus course if the nursing program is in a classroom setting. Conversely, if your nursing program is online, you may want to look for online degree requirement courses, especially if you don’t have previous experience with an online learning environment.

Keep Your Rep Informed

The grades you receive on your degree requirement courses will impact your overall GPA, which could then affect your admission into the nursing program of your choice. Be sure to consistently contact your nursing school admission representative about your progress, especially if you’re taking the courses at a separate institution. You’ll want your rep to know about your progress to keep your application on track.

Begin Your Future in Nursing at Utica University

The requirements for nursing school are an opportunity to prepare for the program’s rigors. Although Utica University’s ABSN program offers a challenging curriculum, you’ll also have access to extensive student support resources like our Academic Success Coaches. You’ll have support and work one-on-one with your dedicated admission representative during the admission process.

Are you ready to leverage your prior college education to graduate with your B.S. in Nursing in as few as 16 months? Contact an admission representative at Utica University today to learn more about the enrollment process at our ABSN Program Sites in Syracuse and Albany, NY.