Nursing Department : Undergraduate Nursing Program

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

For Direct Admit Option please contact Admissions Office for criteria.

Students interested in nursing major at Western Connecticut State University (University) must complete a dual admission process. Initially, students must be accepted into the University. Once accepted into the University, application for admission to the Department of Nursing (DON) is made at the beginning of the spring semester of the Freshman year. Applications are available on-line or in the nursing department at the end of December. Applications are due to the Nursing Office by the first Monday of February. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the Department of Nursing.

All applicants must be active students in the University prior to applying for admission to the nursing major. Applicants must be taking courses at the University in both the Fall and Spring semesters prior to beginning the nursing sequence the following Fall. A minimum of 6 credits must be taken at the university in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Two of the four science prerequisites must be taken at the university.  The applicant pool is not limited to pre-nursing students. The decision to admit an applicant to the Nursing major is made by the DON.

Admission to nursing is competitive with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 required to be considered for acceptance. Students are ranked according to GPA and successful completion of all prerequisites. Qualified students may not be accepted because of a limited number of clinical placements and limited DON resources.

In evaluating students for acceptance into the nursing program, the following criteria are used:

  • GPA
  • Completion of prerequisite courses (from next page)
  • Evaluation of overall academic record including number of course withdrawals/repeating of courses
  • Academic history at other colleges and universities.

Students must earn at least a C+ in the four science prerequisite courses (BIO 105, BIO106, CHE 120, and CHE 121) for consideration of acceptance. Sciences may not be more than 5 years old. Two of these science required courses must be taken at the University. Consistent with the university admission requirements, preference is given to those candidates who, in the judgment of the DON, have academic and personal qualifications with the greatest potential for program success.

Applicants must have successfully completed or be enrolled in the following courses:

  • Writing Intensive Course (W)
  • COM 162 Interpersonal Communication
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
  • BIO 105 and BIO 106 or equivalent with a grade of “C+” or better
  • CHE 120 and CHE 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C+” or better
  • Students are ineligible to apply for admission to the nursing program if they have been dismissed for either academic or clinical reasons from another nursing program.

Students newly accepted into the program must adhere to the Health Policies of the DON. The following information must be submitted on or before June 1 prior to starting nursing classes.

  • Current health form
  • Results of either PPD skin test or chest x-ray or QuantiFERON blood test
  • Evidence of measles, mumps, and rubella/rubeola, and varicella vaccinations or antibody titers
  • Evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination, Hepatitis B titers or signed declination to receive vaccine
  • Tdap vaccine completed within the last 10 years
  • CPR certification for professional rescuers (Health Care Provider) BLS or Redcross Professional Rescuer

Students without documentation of health requirements and/or CPR certification will not be allowed to participate in clinical experiences.

Transfer students coming into the University must first apply to the Admissions Department and must meet the same standards listed above. University students wishing to change their major to Nursing must apply to the DON for admission to the Nursing major and must meet the same requirements as pre-nursing students. Please refer to the above criteria.

Health Policies and Other Requirements

Because of the nature of the clinical experiences and regulations of various clinical agencies utilized in the nursing program, all Nursing students are required to adhere to departmental policies in addition to the immunizations required of all university students. This information may be obtained directly from the department.

In addition to the above stated health requirements, students may need to meet additional requirements identified by a clinical affiliating agency, including a criminal background check, drug testing, and or finger printing checks. Clinical agencies reserve the right to refuse clinical placement to students who do not pass the background check, drug testing, and or finger printing testing.

If a student’s physical or emotional health status is deemed unsafe for clinical laboratory experiences by the Nursing faculty, the student may not attend clinical laboratories. Appropriate clearance may be required prior to the student returning to the clinical laboratory.

Additional Requirements

Students are required to furnish their own uniforms and to provide their own transportation to clinical facilities. Students may also be required to have health insurance and are responsible for any medical care administered as a result of clinical assignment.

All students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a healthcare provider prior to entering sophomore year, and must maintain current certification to be eligible to attend the clinical experience.  It is recommended that students obtain their CPR certification from the American Heart Association and/or the American Red Cross.  In addition to liability protection under the Statutes of Connecticut [Chapter 170, Section 10-235(a)], the university carries professional liability insurance coverage for nursing students.