Nursing, A.A.S.

Program of Studies

Admissions Requirements

A point system is used to evaluate applications of qualified candidates in order to accept applicants into the program as either a pre-nursing or nursing major. The point system used by the Nursing Program Admissions Committee will be provided to an applicant upon request.

Traditional Students (under age 24 and has not attended college or university)

1. Graduate from an accredited high school.
2. Have a 2.7 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
3. Earn a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) re-centered score of 1000 or above or an American College Test (ACT) composite score of 19 or above.
4. Have successfully completed one year of high school chemistry or one semester of college level algebra, chemistry, and biology with a grde of “C” or better.
5. Have completed the ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills).

Adult Students (24 years of age and older and has not attended college or university)

1. Graduate from an accredited high school.
2. Have a 2.7 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
3. Students who did not graduate from high school must have completed the General Education Development (GED) tests with a composite score of at least 600 and no sub score below 145, or the High School Equivalency test (HSE) with a score of at least 75 with no sub score below 8. 
4. Have successfully completed (“C” or better) one year of high school algebra and biology and one year of high school chemistry with a “C” or better.
5. Have successfully completed one year of high school chemistry with a “C” or better.

Transfer Students (previously attended another college or university)

1. Meet university entrance requirements for transfer students.
2. Have a minimum transfer cumulative GPA of 2.7.
3. Have successfully completed (“C” or better) one year of high school chemistry with a grade of “C” or better or one semester of college level algebra, chemistry and biology with a grade of “C” or better.
4. Only nursing courses with a grade of “B-” or better can be considered for transfer credit.
5. A minimum of 26 credit hours in nursing must be taken at the University of Saint Francis to be awarded an associate degree in nursing from the University of Saint Francis.
6. Have completed the ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills).

Students who do not meet the nursing admission criteria may be admitted to the university as a pre-nursing major or academic exploration/exploratory healthcare major. Each applicant is reviewed on an individual basis.

The following criteria must be met before a pre-nursing student can request a change of status to be considered for admission to the nursing major. The Program Director will determine course requirements based on evaluation of the student’s academic qualifications at the time of initial admission consideration.

1. Completion of all courses required by placement
2. Completion of a minimum of 12 hours at USF. Students must have a biological science course (BIOL 221 , BIOL 222 , BIOL 223 , or BIOL 270 ) as part of the required 12 credit hours at USF
3. FYS 100 /FYS 101  - First Year Experience
4. CHEM 121 , Introductory Chemistry, if required
5. MATH 131 , College Algebra
6. A grade of C or above in all required courses
7. Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or above earned at USF
8. TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) entrance examination

Once admitted to the nursing major, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7, achieve a “B-” or better in all nursing courses and earn a grade of “C” or better in all required non-nursing courses.

In order to participate in clinical experiences, clinical requirements as set by the Division of Nursing and clinical agencies must be met including, but not limited to, criminal background checks and drug testing.

Entry into the clinical sequence is based on availability of enrollment openings for the course. When necessary to form a waiting list for clinical courses the following criteria are used for prioritizing students to begin the clinical sequence:

1. GPA earned at the University of Saint Francis.
2. Date of entry into the nursing program.
3. Number of credit hours completed toward the degree, including transfer credit.
4. Grades in non-nursing courses, especially science and math courses.

Progression Requirements

Each level of nursing courses builds on the knowledge and skills of the level preceding it. Nursing process skills of assessing, interpreting, analyzing, and synthesizing begin in the first semester and are progressively developed in succeeding semesters. In order to progress in the nursing sequence, students must meet the prerequisites and co-requisites for each course in the AAS in Nursing curriculum. The following criteria must be met in order to progress in the nursing sequence.

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7.
2. Must achieve a “B-” or better in all required nursing theory courses and achieve a “P” in all nursing clinical courses.
3. Must receive a minimum of “C” in the following courses:
   • All required biology courses
     • BIOL 221  
     • BIOL 222  
     • BIOL 223  
     • BIOL 270  
   • All required chemistry courses
     • CHEM 121  (if taken)
   • All required psychology courses
     • PSYC 121  
   • All required math courses
     • MATH 131  
   • Other required courses
     • ENGL 101  
     • SOCI 101 , SOCI 135 , SOCI 251  or SOCW 160 , SOCW 377  (one course)
     • THEO 105  
4. Failure to maintain the academic standards for progression will result in academic probation or dismissal. A change of major from pre-nursing major to nursing major does not provide an additional opportunity for academic probation. Only one academic probation is allowed during enrollment as a nursing student.
5. Nursing majors will be placed on Academic Probation for failure to:
   • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7
   • Earn a minimum grade of “B-” in a required nursing theory course and a “P” in a nursing clinical course.
   • Earn a minimum grade of “C” in a required non-nursing course. The probation period will be one semester in length. A second probation period will result in dismissal from the nursing major. A student may repeat only one nursing course one time. When repeating a nursing course a student who receives less than a “B-” will be dismissed from the nursing major. If a nursing course must be repeated for either clinical failure or for a theory grade below “B-“, both the theory course and the concurrent clinical course must be repeated at the same time. A student who earns less than a “B-” in a nursing course may not take additional nursing courses until the failed course is successfully completed. If the cumulative GPA has not reached the minimum requirement of 2.7 by the end of the probation period, the student will be dismissed from the nursing major. If a student earns less than a “C” in a required non-nursing course, the non-nursing course may be repeated only once. Upon a second attempt, if the student does not earn a minimum grade of “C” the student will be dismissed from the nursing major.All Nursing Division academic standards will be applied to Academic Exploration and Exploratory Healthcare majors or other USF majors seeking a change of status. Students who fail to meet nursing academic standards will not be eligible for consideration as a nursing major.
6. The Division of Nursing uses a system of external assessment and remediation for pre-licensure students. All pre-licensure students purchase a designated testing package upon enrollment in the first nursing course. The primary purpose is to help prepare students for NCLEX-RN success. Students are required to complete designated assessments including content mastery assessments at specified points in the curriculum. Additionally, a nationally normed comprehensive examination designed to predict success on the NCLEX-RN will be administered during the final capstone nursing course. Students must achieve a designated satisfactory score on the comprehensive examination in order to meet course requirements.
7. A student who is dismissed from the nursing major may reapply no sooner than two years from the date of dismissal and must follow University and Division of Nursing admission criteria. A student seeking readmission to the nursing major must provide evidence of improving one’s potential for success. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Graduation Requirements

To complete the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, students must meet the following criteria: 

1. Students in the AAS in Nursing program (traditional AAS, LPN-AAS) must take a minimum of 26 credit hours in nursing at the University of Saint Francis to be awarded an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree. 
2. Completion of all required nursing and non-nursing courses. 
3. Meet the requirements for academic standards (see AAS in Nursing Progression, Probation and Dismissal sections of the AAS in Nursing Handbook). 
4. Payment of all financial obligations to the University. 
5. Complete requirements for University graduation no more than eight (8) semesters after starting nursing clinical course work. 

Courses described in the AAS in Nursing curriculum are representative of the requirements to complete the stated major. Requirements are subject to change. Students should consult with their division advisor to determine the exact requirements needed to complete the degree.