BSN Program (Pre-licensure)

At App State, you'll get the hands-on experience, mentorship and critical thinking skills you need to become a nurse who demonstrates both competence and compassion.

Our pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, which is accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education, is designed to help you develop the knowledge and competencies for care of individuals, families and communities.

The course content is guided by The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education in Nursing published by the American Association of Colleges in Nursing (AACN), and rooted in evidence-based practice, leadership and research.

Application and admission occur at the end of your sophomore year. You'll get academic and clinical experience as faculty guide you through a variety of classroom, laboratory and simulation settings. The nursing curriculum requires 63 hours and can be completed in two years of full-time study.

Nursing classes (4 credit hours) begin during the first summer session after a student is admitted to the program.  Students who utilize financial aid should talk to their academic advisor and then consult with the Office of Financial Aid as early as possible to devise a plan for meeting the minimum 6 credit hours required for aid in the summer.

App State BSN graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) for registered nurse practice. The program has a 95% 5-year average NCLEX-RN pass rate.

Upon entering the workforce, you will join a vast network of App State nurses who step forward to support each other – and their patients.

Program Information

Clinicals

Our nursing faculty and academic support personnel strive to arrange varying clinical experiences that will enhance nursing theory and concepts taught in our didactic classes. Our BSN program offers these experiences in adult health, community health, mental health, obstetric, pediatric, critical care, and emergency room nursing. Students in the BSN program complete a capstone experience in their final semester of the program.

Students are expected to make transportation arrangements for attending the clinical sites assigned to them. Students may organize and manage carpooling if individual transportation is not available.

Admission Requirements

App State's pre-licensure BSN application closed on 01/16/24 and will reopen in December 2024.   

All applicants must meet the following minimum admission requirements:

  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on coursework taken at and transferred to Appalachian State University
  • Admission to Appalachian State University
  • Documentation of a satisfactory health evaluation signed by your health care practitioner. Evaluation forms are sent to applicants during the spring semester prior to beginning the program
  • Nurse Aide I certification (Certified Nursing Assistant I-CNAI) through a state-approved program and listed in the North Carolina Nurse Aide Registry. If your certification is from another state, you can apply for a waiver with N.C. Dept. of Health & Human Services

Some students complete all General Education courses prior to entry in the BSN program.  Some students save one General Education course after admission to the BSN program so that, combined with the 4 credits required in NUR courses, they can achieve full-time status in the summer for financial aid purposes if needed. 

Students must earn a minimum grade of "B-" (2.7) in CHE 1101, CHE 1102, CHE 1110, CHE 1120, ES 2040, ES 2050, and BIO 2200.  These courses are essential building blocks for the BSN curriculum.

You may use this worksheet to assist with completing your application, which includes pre-requisites as well as the minimum grade required for the program. If you are transferring coursework, please use the Transfer Equivalency Course Search to see how your courses will transfer to App State. Contact Transfer Admissions & Engagement for additional information on transferring courses.

Military Medics and Corpsmen

In response to the NC Senate Bill 761 passed in 2014, the Department of Nursing seeks to support military corpsmen and medics that meet nursing admission criteria (upon careful review of their Joint Services Transcript).  Medics and corpsmen should complete the typical application materials and inform the Department of their application and Joint Services Transcript.  

Optional - Corpsmen and Medics admitted to the undergraduate pre-licensure BSN program will be able to utilize the credit for life experience process to award specific NUR course credit (4 hours) for military training and experience for the following courses:

  • NUR 3123 - Health Assessment Across the Lifespan Lab / Clinical (1 credit hour)

  • NUR 3302 - Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Lab / Clinical (3 credit hours)

Applications should be submitted via the credit for life experience process (see the Academic Regulations section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more information) after admission to the Nursing program (by April 15).  The Department of Nursing will waive the $100 fee, and students will be required to demonstrate clinical skills during the application process.

Students who are awarded credit for these 4 semester hours will enter the Nursing program in the fall semester (rather than in the summer), and take the following courses in the first fall semester:

  • NUR 3040 - Pharmacology I (2 credit hours)

  • NUR 3121 - Health Assessment Across the LIfespan (3 credit hours) or NUR 3021 - Health Assessment (4 credit hours)

  • NUR 3115 - Pathophysiology in Nursing (3 credit hours)

  • NUR 3300 - Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (3 credit hours)

  • NUR 3400 - Socialization to Professional Nursing (2 credit hours)

Departmental Compliance

Students must attain and meet departmental compliance requirements throughout their program of study. There are set deadlines for attaining compliance and compliance must be maintained throughout the program to ensure continuance in coursework. Learn more about departmental compliance requirements and deadlines.

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