Pre-Nursing Programs

First-year (non-transfer) students admitted to the University with a Pre-Nursing major designation are not yet officially enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program and must complete the pre-requisite coursework, as well as satisfy the minimum academic and program requirements to be eligible for entrance into the traditional BSN (TBSN) degree program. Assignment to the Pre-Nursing option is based on high school GPA with emphasis placed on satisfactory completion of high school math and science coursework and academic performance in those courses. Refer to the Admission section of the catalog for criteria. The Pre-Nursing program offers additional support and the flexibility of time to establish a strong foundation to succeed in the TBSN program.

Pre-Nursing (BS.NUR/PRE)

Students are expected to complete the prerequisite coursework in two years (four semesters) and meet minimum qualifications before they are eligible to apply to the BSN program. Once admitted, the remaining academic requirements are intended for completion in three years with the total time to degree completion being 5 years.

In addition to the pre-requisite courses required for the Nursing program, BS.NUR/PRE students are also required to enroll in BIO 5 in their first semester at MSMU.

Pre-Nursing Direct Entry Track (BS.NUR/PREDIR)

Mount Saint Mary’s University TBSN Program extends eligibility, to be reviewed for admission, to high school early action applicants who qualify for guaranteed (direct) admission consideration by meeting the following requirements. Meeting the following requirements does not necessarily constitute a guaranteed (direct) admission spot.

To maintain and progress into their guaranteed spot in the BSN program, the student must meet all of the following requirements in their first year at MSMU:

1. Complete and pass (C or higher) all nursing prerequisite courses at the University.
2. Maintain an overall Science GPA of 3.2 and Cumulative GPA of 3.0.
3. Obtain a minimum score of 70 or above on the Kaplan evaluation taken during the Spring semester.

Effective Fall 2025, students who are admitted as Undeclared majors are unable to pursue the TBSN program. All admissions decisions are final.

All pre-nursing students must adhere to the following:

• Students may take a maximum of two science courses—inclusive of the lecture and the laboratory portion—per semester. 
• The completion of both BIO 50A and BIO 50AL with a grade of C or above is required to take BIO 50B and BIO 50BL. 
• In order to be considered for Fall admission into the BSN program, all prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or above by the preceding Spring semester, with the exception of ENG 1B. 
• Students may not have more than two withdrawals from any given Science prerequisite course.

See Nursing Program for specific TBSN Admissions Requirements.