Nursing, Pre-Licensure Program (BSN)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2024–Spring 2025 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Unit: Nursing
Academic Plan Code(s): NU_BSN, NURSBSN, NU_BSNOW, NURSBSNOW

Program Information

The Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a four-year program that consists of lower division and upper division course work that prepares students for a career in professional nursing by providing a dynamic course of study that is both theoretical and practical. As citizens of a larger community, our focus is to address the complex health care needs of diverse and dynamic populations through nursing education, research, scholarship and service. Our graduates are prepared to demonstrate excellence in nursing science, practice, and leadership in a variety of settings for the benefit of clients across the lifespan and to meet the evolving health care needs of society. Our BSN program also provides the necessary foundation for master's and doctoral degrees in nursing.

Students will use innovative Patient Simulation Centers and conduct clinical in acute care and community-based settings.  

By including a core of knowledge in the humanities and the behavioral, physical, and biological sciences, as well as theory and practice of professional nursing, graduates of the BSN program will be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Degree Summary

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To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements. See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework.

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 NURS 101 is only required for new students with less than 24 earned college credits.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Departmental Admission Requirements

New Students and Transfer Students

Students are admitted directly into the Lower Division of the Nursing Program.

Please refer to the catalog pages containing the admissions details for the School of Nursing.

Current Students

Students who have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at the University of Louisville with a minimum college grade point average of 2.8 may apply to the School of Nursing.  They must complete an online change of major form that can be found in ULink.  Students admitted through this process must be advised before registering for courses in their first semester in the nursing program.

General Education Requirements

All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  Completion of the BSN degree in the minimum number of hours requires using some credit hours from courses included in the school and/or program requirements to satisfy General Education requirements. Additional General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.  The degree requirements listed in this catalog are for students pursuing the five-semester Nursing Professional Curriculum progression plan.  The first time the nursing professional courses will be offered is spring 2025.  Students intending to pursue the four-semester Nursing Professional Curriculum progression plan are required to complete additional Nursing Pre-Professional Curriculum courses.  Please refer to the 2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree requirements.  Students that will complete the nursing pre-professional curriculum prior to fall 2024 should consult with their advisor on their progression options.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

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Completion of the degree in the minimum number of hours requires using some credit hours from courses included in the school and/or program requirements to satisfy General Education requirements. Students using other coursework will require additional hours to complete the degree or will reduce the number of available electives.

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BIOL 102 is a prerequisite for BIOL 260, BIOL 264. BIOL 102 is not required if students have satisfactorily completed BIOL 260, BIOL 257, or any other Biology course at the 200 level or above.

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Nursing math competency requirement. This requirement may alternatively be met with a minimum Math ACT sub-score of 25 or an approved higher level mathematics course; however, additional elective course work may be required to meet the 120 minimum credit hour degree requirement.

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Students are recommended to complete any electives prior to admission into Upper Division.  Students may reserve up to 2 credit hours of electives to complete during Upper Division, which can be fulfilled through completion of NURS 430, to meet the minimum 120-hour degree requirement.

Flight Plan

Flight Plan

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Alternative statistics courses are listed on the degree requirements page.

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.

Professional Licensure Information

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs (Louisville or Owensboro) are broken into distinct academic plan codes for lower and upper division requirements. Incoming students complete the lower division preparatory coursework requirements and then apply for competitive admission to the Nursing upper division program.  Completion of the lower division program does not guarantee admission to the upper division program.  The lower division program does not prepare students for licensure as a nurse.  The upper division program is considered a licensure program designed to meet educational requirements for licensure as a nurse.  Upon acceptance, enrollment in the upper division program’s academic plan code is considered the first term of enrollment in the licensure program under the Program Participation Agreement for Title IV federal financial aid eligible programs of the Higher Education Act (CFR § 668.14 (b)(32)).

Graduates from the UofL School of Nursing are prepared to apply for RN licensure upon graduation; however, educational preparation does not guarantee professional licensure. If you have questions regarding Kentucky RN licensure, please contact the Kentucky Board of Nursing (kbn.ky.gov/Pages/lpn-rn.aspx).  For RN licensure questions in other states, please contact the respective state board of nursing (ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm).

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).