Bachelor of Science in Nursing

1. I want to be in the nursing program. How do I get started?

The first step is to be accepted to Columbus State University and have official sealed copies of all previous transcripts sent to the Registrar’s Office. When you are accepted to CSU, you will need to schedule an advising appointment with CSU Advise.

CSU Advise Resources
CSU ADVISE
What is Accudemia?

2. Does CSU Advise offer phone advising appointments?

Yes, academic advisors have phone advising available. When you schedule your appointment in Accudemia, please indicate that you are scheduling for “phone” advising.

3. How do I get an application for Columbus State University?

Apply online to Columbus State University. Here, you will also find information about housing, financial aid, admissions, student accounts, Veterans Affairs and many other topics.
https://www.columbusstate.edu/admissions/

4. Is there a separate application for the School of Nursing? If so, when is the deadline?

Yes, there is a separate application for the nursing program. The School of Nursing accepts a class of nursing students to its program to start the nursing program each fall term and each spring term. An application to the School of Nursing is required for the competitive selection process. Admittance to the nursing program (upper-level clinical course sequence) is conducted through a rolling admissions process.

5. How do I get an application to the School of Nursing?

Eligible nursing majors are evaluated through a rolling admission process. Evaluation for the fall cohort begins in November of each year, and students are selected by April of each year. Evaluation for the spring cohort begins in March of each year, and students are selected by August of each year. *Transfer students are included in the review process once they complete the required university admissions process.

6. Do you require references?

Yes. You must furnish three professional and/or academic references for admission. We prefer recent academic and/or employment references. Recommendations submitted by “friends” or “family” will not be accepted.

7. How often do you accept students into the School of Nursing?

We accept students twice a year. We offer a fall cohort and a spring cohort.

8. How many students do you accept every year?

We currently accept 60-70 students each fall and spring semester.

9. What are the requirements for admission into the School of Nursing?

• Been admitted to Columbus State University
• Met overall GPA requirements and program GPA requirement to request application
• Passed the RN Admission Assessment Exam (A2)
• Earned a grade of “C” or higher in all required science classes and labs
• Not failed more than one pre-requisite science course within 5 years of anticipated admission into upper level nursing courses
• Completed all science classes within seven (7) years prior to anticipated date of admission to upper level nursing courses
• Completed all courses required for progression into the junior level nursing courses – see an advisor for a complete list
• Submitted a timely application form, including all references

10. What if I took US/American History and American Government in a college outside of Georgia?

The US history and US Constitution legislative requirements will be satisfied, however, the Georgia history and Georgia Constitution legislative requirements will not be. These can be satisfied by exam with the CSU Testing Center after enrollment at CSU.

11. How do you select the class each year?

CRITERIA OF ELIGIBILITY

Students are evaluated on the following criteria to determine eligibility and to be selected for the CSU nursing program.

Please meet with an advisor to review these criteria and formally request an application for each eligible year.

Criteria #1 – PROGRAM GPA

Require a 3.0 overall GPA to be a nursing major

Require a 2.75 "program" GPA to request application (to be met by the end of the fall term before acceptance to program)

COMPETITIVE PROGRAM GPA: During the selection process, students are competitively ranked by their program GPA. This criteria is impacted by the competitiveness of the applicant pool, and meeting the recommended program GPA does not guarantee selection into the program.

• Undergraduate students: The program GPA is comprised of 63 hours of pre-requisite courses.
  *Please see the University Catalog for a list of these pre-requisite courses or refer to your individual GPA worksheet.

• Post-baccalaureate students: The program GPA is comprised of 26 hours of pre-requisite courses.
  *These hours include – CHEM 1151/1151L (Survey of Chemistry I), CHEM 1152/1152L (Survey of Chemistry II), BIOL 2221K (Human and Physiology I), BIOL 2222K (Human and Physiology II), BIOL 2225K (Microbiology), PSYC 1101 (Introduction to General Psychology) and STAT 1127 (Introductory Statistics). You may refer to your Individual GPA worksheet.

Criteria #2 – DEGREE PROGRESSION (to be completed by the summer term before acceptance to program)

• Undergraduate Students:

• • AREA A courses, AREA D lab sciences, and AREA F sciences
  • Have fewer than 9 remaining hours of CORE left to complete
  • Meet the terms of the School of Nursing Science Policy

• Post-baccalaureate students: AREA D lab sciences and AREA F sciences. Meet the terms of the School of Nursing Science Policy.

Criteria #3 – EVOLVE REACH A2 ASSESSMENT TEST

• 3 Required sections - Math, Reading, Grammar
• Minimum of 75% required on each of the 3 sections. Scoring 75% or better does not guarantee admission into the nursing program. The scores are considered along with the program GPA. Note: In line with CSU School of Nursing policy, grades are not rounded.

Criteria #4 – NURSING DISPOSITION EVALUATION

Working with the Dean of Students, we will review any issues of academic misconduct or criminal history self-reported by students or reported to the university.

12. Do I have to complete all of my prerequisites before I can apply to the School of Nursing?

No. We will consider your application before you have completed all prerequisite courses if:

You will have completed all the science courses and Introductory Psychology with a grade of “C” or better by the end of the summer before you wish to enter the program,

You have completed both English courses and the math requirement in Area A and

You have no more than approximately 9 hours of other course work to complete (which you may take the summer between your junior and senior year).

Only grades posted or submitted by official transcript at the time of the selection process are considered.

13. When will I know if I am accepted into the School of Nursing?

An email is provided to notify students of their acceptance through the “rolling admissions” process. Timeframes will vary depending on when applicants are evaluated for admission. Applicants for the fall cohort are notified by the first business week of June of each year. Applicants for the spring cohort are notified by the first business week of September of each year.

14. Can I attend the School of Nursing part-time?

No. At this time we only have a full-time program for upper level nursing courses.

15. Can I work full-time while attending your program?

We strongly advise students not to try and work full-time while in the program. You should consider your studies in the nursing program to be a full-time commitment. The program is very challenging and requires a significant amount of homework and study outside of class. Most students find it extremely difficult to work more than 12 hours per week without jeopardizing their grades.

16. What is the lowest GPA you accept?

Advisors provide applicants with information related to the competitive window recommended for the “program GPA” that is used in selecting the class. The GPA is subject to change on a yearly basis. Therefore, we recommend you work directly with an advisor when examining your program GPA.

17. What is the usual average GPA for acceptance into the Nursing Program?

We do not have a “usual” GPA. Each year the lowest GPA is driven by the applicant pool. We recommend you work directly with an advisor when examining your program GPA.

18. I had to retake some of my science courses because I failed the first time. Will this hurt my chances of selection?

It could. Please review the School of Nursing “Science Policy:”

• Students may only FAIL (D or F) or WITHDRAW FAILURE (WF) from one Area D/F science course and be allowed to repeat the course one time. The grade earned from the first attempt (“D, F or WF”) will be averaged with the grade earned from the 2nd attempt. The grade averaged from the two attempts is required to be a “C” or better. Failing two science courses (D, F, or WF) will make a student ineligible to apply for five years.
• A science course that was taken more than seven years prior to acceptance into the Nursing Program must be repeated and only the grade earned for the repeated course will be used in the nursing GPA.
• A grade of “C” is required for the following lab science: CHEM 1151/1151L, CHEM 1152/1152L, BIOL 2221K, BIOL 2222K, and BIOL 2225K.

19. How many students apply each year?

We generally have 200+ applicants each year.

20. Do you have a waiting list?

Yes. We do generate a wait list of 5 – 10 students per application process.

21. Can I find out where I am on the waiting list? What are my chances of getting in the program? How long is the list?

Notification will be provided via email by the first business week of June for individuals who are placed on the “wait list” for the current application process.

Several factors impact the wait list, and there are no standard factors that impact the “chances” of getting into the program.

Yes. We do generate a wait list of 5 – 10 students per application process.

22. How can I improve my position on the waiting list?

Once applicant status has been set, no additional factors will impact their ranking/place on the wait list.

23. Since there is such a nursing shortage, why do you only accept 110-120 students?

Nursing students must have both classroom and clinical instruction. The number of students we can admit is limited by number of full-time and part-time nursing faculty, campus classroom/lab space, and availability of clinical sites for clinical experience.

24. I have taken different courses than are listed in areas of the core. Can any of these be substituted for the courses required at Columbus State?

Each course must be evaluated by the advisor, and substitutions often must be reviewed by the specific department chair over that area. That department chair’s decision is final.

25. I have taken some nursing courses at another institution. Will they transfer into your nursing program?

Clinical nursing courses do not transfer from one institution to another because every nursing program has a different curriculum design and course sequence.

Selected non-clinical nursing courses (e.g., Nutrition, Pathophysiology) may be approved for transfer, but must be evaluated on an individual basis by the advisor and approved by the by the School of Nursing Director.

26. I took my science courses several years ago. Will they be accepted by your program?

All Area F science courses must be less than 7 years old at the time you begin nursing courses. For example, if a student plans to enter nursing fall 2006 and took BIOL 2221 in fall 1997, the biology course will have to be repeated because the period between fall 2006 and fall 1997 is greater than 7 years.

27. How will you reach me if I move or change my address, phone number or email address?

It is your responsibility to provide current contact information to the School of Nursing. Any changes in contact information should be emailed to the administrative secretary (bsn@columbusstate.edu) as soon as possible.

28. I am an Army Medical Department (AMEDD) applicant and need a letter of acceptance into the program before your selection deadline. How can I comply?

We provide a packet of information to individuals applying to the AMEDD program. However, a letter of acceptance cannot be provided until the end of the application process. Please schedule an appointment with an advisor to discuss the content of the packet provided.

Degree Info

Prepares a nurse generalist with a liberal arts background who focuses upon treating human responses to actual or potential health problems. Students interested in the 4-year BSN program are first classified as “pre-nursing.” Once the pre-nursing criteria have been met, a student may apply to the “Nursing” program.

Admission to the Nursing Program

Nursing Major

Upon entering CSU, students interested in the BSN program are classified as undergraduate nursing majors. We require that students complete around 63 hours of undergraduate nursing classes which include the university's CORE curriculum. You can review the course requirements here:

• BSN Course Requirements
• RN Admission Assessment Exam Requirement
• BSN Degree Progress Sheet (PDF)
• BSN Student Handbook (PDF)

Nursing Major

Students can request an application for the Nursing program from the CSU ADVISE office to apply to the Nursing program once they have met the following requirements:

• Completed AREA A, AREA D required sciences (CHEM 1151/1151L and CHEM 1152/1152L), AREA F, and have fewer than 9 remaining hours of CORE left to complete.
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75

It is also required that applicants for the Nursing program pass the RN Admission Assessment Exam with 70% or greater on the three sections (math, grammar and reading) with 75% average or better.

During the application process, students will also be asked to provide 3 professional recommendations.

Applications are available for students who have met the undergraduate nursing criteria on January 8, 2019, for the Fall 2019 class selection process. The School of Nursing accepts an average of 110-120 students to participate in a 2-year sequence of nursing classes each fall term.

Additional Information

Science Policy

• Students may only FAIL (D or F) or WITHDRAW FAILING (WF) from one Area D/F science course and be allowed to repeat it within five years of acceptance into the Nursing Program. Failing two science courses (D, F, or WF) will make a student ineligible to apply for five years.
• A science course that was taken more than seven years prior to acceptance into the Nursing Program MUST be repeated and ONLY the grade earned for the repeated course will be used in the nursing GPA.
• Science courses: CHEM 1151/1151L, CHEM 1152/1152L, BIOL 2221K, BIOL 2222K and BIOL 2225K.

For additional advising, you can make an appointment via Accudemia in your MyCSU portal.

Visit the CSU ADVISE website for more information.

Contact Us

For undergraduate advising please see the following resources for CSU Advise:

CSU Advise Resources
CSU Advise
What is Accudemia?

*Nursing majors are advised by undergraduate academic advisors in CSU Advise prior to being admitted to the nursing program. Undergraduate advising is related to prerequisites for the nursing program as well as criteria of eligibility for selection to the nursing program.

School of Nursing – Advising resources

Once a student is accepted to the CSU School of Nursing program, they will be advised through School of Nursing student services.

BSN@columbusstate.edu

(706) 507-8560

School of Nursing
Columbus State University

Mailing Address:
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, GA 31907-5645

Physical Address:
Frank Brown Hall, Room 2026
1127 Broadway
Columbus, GA 31901

Visit the Admissions website to apply to Columbus State University.