Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program
About the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program
The BSN program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center prepares students for initial licensure as registered nurses. Graduates provide care throughout the lifespan; design, manage, and coordinate care across environments. In addition to providing care to those who are ill, graduates are involved in health promotion and clinical prevention, and population based health care. As the first professional degree in nursing, the BSN also provides for advanced studies at the master’s or doctoral level.
You can apply for the BSN program with an undergraduate degree in any non-nursing field or 60 college credits (see list of course requirements below). Upon graduation from our accelerated 17-month program, you will be eligible to sit for the registered nurse licensure examination.
Registered Nurses with an associate degree in nursing or nursing diploma can apply to the RN-to-BSN program. The RSN-to BSN track offers a 17-month part-time curriculum. Classes meet once per week, with some on-line courses, allowing registered nurses to continue employment.
Admission Criteria: Pre-requisites
| Courses | Non-nurses (pre-licensure) with 60 or more college credits | Non-nurses (pre-licensure) with Bachelor’s Degree | RNs with Associate Degree or Nursing Diploma |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Human Anatomy & Physiology I/II(w/ lab) | 8 credits (w/ lab) | 8 credits (w/ lab) | 8 credits (w/ lab) |
| *Microbiology (w/ lab) | 3 credits (w/ lab) | 3 credits (w/ lab) | 3 credits (w/ lab) |
| Statistics | 3 credits | 3 credits | 3 credits |
| English | 6 credits | 6 credits | 6 credits |
| **American History | High school or 6 credits of college US history | High school or 6 credits of college US history | High school or 6 credits of college US history |
| **Behavioral/Social Sciences | 6 credits or more | 6 credits or more | 6 credits or more |
| **Humanities/Fine Arts | 6 credits or more | 6 credits or more | 6 credits or more |
| Minimum Total Semester Credits Completed prior to Enrollment | 60^*** | 120 (Bachelor’s Degree or higher)^*** | 60 (Non-nursing courses)^*** |
| Required GPA | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
* There is a 10 year age limit on required prerequisite science courses for non-nurses. For practicing RNs, there is no age limit on prerequisite science courses.
** An American History requirement must be met. This can be met by completing a year of high school American (US) History or 6 college credits of US History.
*** Students must complete courses in that fulfill the Behavioral/Social Sciences and Humanities/Fine Arts general education requirements. Examples of courses that meet the Behavioral/Social Sciences requirements include (but are not limited to): Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Political Sciences, Anthropology, Women’s Studies, Global Studies. Examples that meet the Humanities/Fine Arts requirements include (but are not limited to): History, Foreign Languages, Anthropology, Western Civilizations, Art Appreciation, Theater, Dance, Art History, Literature, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.
^ The prerequisite semester credit requirement represents post-high school, non-nursing, collegiate academic studies with a grade of “C” or higher, from regionally accredited colleges and universities. The prerequisite courses in the tables are not offered by UTHSC College of Nursing.
Note: All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to beginning studies at the UT Health Science Center (UTHSC), but do not need to be completed prior to application. Students who have been dismissed from another nursing program are not eligible for admission.
Plan of Study
Year One
Fall Term & Class/Clinical Credit Hours
- Pharmacology* 3 (3-0)
- Pathophysiology* 3 (3-0)
- Health Assessment* 3 (2-1)
- Medication Safety in Healthcare 1 (1-0)
- Introduction to Professional Practice 4 (3-1)
- Nursing Skills Lab I 1 (0-1)
- Mental Health 3 (2-1)
- Genetics* 1 (1-0)
Total semester credits for pre-licensure students 19 (15-4)
Total semester credits for RN-BSN students* *10 (9-1)
Spring Term & Class/Clinical Credit Hours
- Informatics for Healthcare* 3 (3-0)
- Adult Health 7 (4-3)
- Nursing Skills Lab II 1 (0-1)
- Maternal-Child 6 (4-2)
- Transitions to Professional Nursing (RNs only)* 3 (3-0)
Total semester credits for pre-licensure students 17 (11-6)
Total semester credits for RN-BSN students* 10 (9-1)
Summer Term & Class/Clinical Credit Hours
- Professional Issues* 3 (3-0)
- Introduction to Evidence-based Practice* 3 (3-0)
Total semester credits for pre-licensure students 6 (6-0)
Total semester credits for RN-BSN students* 6 (6-0)
Year Two
Fall Term & Class/Clinical Credit Hours
- Acute Care-Gerontology 6 (4-2)
- Acute Care Skills III 1 (0-1)
- Health of Populations* 3 (2-1)
- Leadership* 3 (3-0)
- Internship 4 (0-4)
Total semester credits for pre-licensure students 18 (10-8)
Total semester credits for RN-BSN students* *10 (5-5)
Total program credits for pre-licensure students 60 (42-18)
Total program credits for RN-BSN students 32 (26-6)
*BSN students without RN licensure take all courses unless indicated. RN – BSN students only take those courses followed by an astrisk (*).
BSN Program Outcomes
The graduate of the BSN Program will be able to:
- Use verbal, nonverbal, written, and emerging technology methods to communicate and collaborate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and the patient’s support network.
- Deliver safe, spiritually and culturally appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered health promotion and disease and injury prevention interventions.
- Integrate evidence, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspectives, and patient preferences in planning, implementing, and evaluating outcomes of patient-centered care
- Demonstrate professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
- Assume accountability for personal and professional behaviors.
- Apply socio-cultural, economic, ethical, legal, and political factors as a basis for nursing practice.
- Demonstrate continuous self-evaluation and lifelong learning.
BSN/MSN Current Student
Contact Information
P: 901-448-6149
Toll Free: 800-733-2498
Tommie L. Norris, DNS, RN
Associate Professor and Associate Dean/Chair
BSN/MSN Department
920 Madison, #1065
Memphis, TN 38163
901-448-7377
tnorris4@uthsc.edu
Ramona Jackson, BA
BSN/CNL
Program Coordinator
920 Madison, #1067
Memphis, TN 38163
901-448-6149
rpierce5@uthsc.edu
