Traditional, BSN

Dates for submitting applications (for all BSN):

Spring 2024 - September 1, 2023

Acceptance into the nursing program is highly competitive.  Admission to the program is two times per year – fall and spring. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students and transfer students will be accepted based on their GPA for the last 60 hours, their science GPA from the required pre-requisite science courses, and the requested scores from their HESI A2 entrance exam.   No “D” or “F” grades will be accepted for credit. The essay questions found in the CAS application may also be used as part of the admission decision. 

Freshmen generally declare pre-nursing as their intended course of study. Prior to registration, students need to contact the nursing academic advisor to assist in degree planning.

Freshmen and sophomores enrolled as pre-nursing students must complete the Core Curriculum Program (42 semester hours) and required support courses prior to admission to the nursing major. Transfer students, including post-baccalaureate students, must satisfy current state core curriculum requirements. In the areas of science, mathematics, and social science, all applicants should complete the following general education and support courses:

BIOL  2420   Principles of Microbiology 
CHEM 1411   General Chemistry I
PSYC  2301   General Psychology
BIOL  2401   Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL  2402   Anatomy and Physiology II
PSYC 2314    Lifespan Developmental Psychology
MATH 1442   Statistics for Life
NURS 3342   Use of Pharmacology Principles
NURS 4322   Health Alterations or BIMS 3401 Pathophysiology 

Students should consult their academic advisor for additional information on core curriculum and support courses, including the sequence in which the courses should be taken. To lighten the academic load, some of these courses can be taken in the summer sessions. Science courses may not be older than 7 years for BSN students.

Students must have credit for at least two high school credits in one foreign language or American Sign Language OR two semesters of study with passing grades in a single foreign language or American Sign Language at the college level are required for graduation from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  Courses must be validated with an official high school or college transcript.  Foreign language must be completed prior to the expected semester of entry to the nursing program.

Transfer students from another nursing school who have completed nursing courses over 2 years ago must validate completed course work or repeat the course. Additionally, students should provide nursing course descriptions from the college catalog and the course syllabi (must have at least the course objectives, course outline, and a list of textbooks used) from the transferring college/school of nursing. Students should also submit a letter from the Dean or Director of the transferred nursing program indicating they are in good standing and eligible to return. Any student needing to validate courses must meet with the academic advisor who will forward materials to the Associate Dean.

The college reserves the right to defer admission because of low enrollment. Students will be notified and given options if a selected track is not offered.

Practice for HESI A2© Pass Your Nursing School Entrance Exams. Guaranteed. | NurseHub, a highly recommended resource for all undergraduate pre-nursing students. Find questions like those on HESI with detailed answer explanations. Passing scores are guaranteed.

Prospective students often want to know what it takes to be admitted to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS).  After tracking many semesters of successful students, the CONHS has determined the student most likely to succeed meets or exceeds the ideal criteria for success in the nursing program.  Each criteria is explained below along with the accepted cohort’s averages for each criteria. Please note these are not minimums, they are the group averages for the whole cohort. 

Cohort Averages: Spring 2020
GPA (last 60 hrs) 3.53
Science GPA 3.25
HESI A2 Composite 83
HESI A2 Critical Thinking 850
HESI A2 Readings 86

Cohort Averages: Fall 2020
GPA (last 60 hrs) 3.53
Science GPA 3.51
HESI A2 Composite 85.4
HESI A2 Critical Thinking 861
HESI A2 Readings 88.46

Cohort Averages: Spring 2021
GPA (last 60 hrs) 3.42
Science GPA 3.38
HESI A2 Composite 85.43
HESI A2 Critical Thinking 879
HESI A2 Readings 87.6

Cohort Averages: Fall 2021
GPA (last 60 hrs) 3.51
Science GPA 3.47
HESI A2 Composite 85.8
HESI A2 Critical Thinking 873
HESI A2 Readings 88.5 

Definitions:

GPA (Last 60 hours) – The last 60 hours of completed course work at the time of your nursing application. This includes any course regardless of where they are taken.  Your advisor can help you calculate this.

Science GPA – These are sciences listed on your degree plan which include Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II, General Chemistry, and Microbiology.

HESI A2 Composite – This is your cumulative HESI score.

HESI A2 Reading – This is the Reading Comprehension score of the HESI A2. 

HESI A2 Critical Thinking – This is the Critical thinking portion of the HESI A2.

The application process is as follows:

1. Students must complete an online application to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences using Nursing CAS. Students may only apply for one track into the program. The student’s choice must be designated on the Nursing CAS application.
2. If the student is not already enrolled at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the student must also apply to the University for admission. Admission to the University DOES NOT constitute admission to the nursing program.
3. All applicants must complete the HESI A2 with Critical Thinking exam. This computerized exam is timed and will take approximately 3 hours to complete. Information on the exam and its subjects are available for reference here: HESI A2 (with critical thinking requirements)

 Registering for the A2 with Critical Thinking

First time users will create an Evolve account (for HESI examination). Testing on the HESI A2 with Critical Thinking requires registration for Distance Testing eligibility with Elsevier.

For instructions on creating an account and registering for Distance Testing, click here to download instructions: HESI A2 (with critical thinking). Registration for Distance Testing is valid for one year. To renew registration, follow the instructions to register for Distance Testing.

You will receive email confirmation within 1-3 business days that includes your eligibility ID/number and a link to schedule the exam with Prometric. To pick the location/date/time of your exam, follow the instructions provided in the confirmation email from Elsevier. In-person and virtual testing options are available.

You may take this exam at your nearest testing center. When scheduling your exam, you will select: Admissions Assessment with Critical Thinking.  

If you do not have a local testing center to go to or if you opt to take the exam from home, select the virtual testing option from Prometric to test with a remote proctor.

Your final scores must be uploaded to your NursingCAS application by the posted deadline. Instructions to download your exam scores are available here: How to Download your HESI A2 with Critical Thinking Scores

Notification of the results of the admission review is mailed to students. Admission to the program is conditional pending submission of the background check, proof of vaccination status, and possession of a current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) CPR card through the American Heart Association (AHA).

General education, core curriculum and support courses may be continued in the semester prior to admission.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has specific immunization requirements for students involved with direct patient contact. These requirements, as stated in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B, Rule 97.64, include the following:

1. “Students cannot be provisionally enrolled without at least one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine if direct patient contact will occur during the provisional enrollment period.”
2. “Polio vaccine is not required. Students enrolled in health-related courses are encouraged to ascertain that they are immune to poliomyelitis.”
3. “One dose of tetanus-diphtheria toxoid (Td) is required within the last ten years.”
4. “Students who were born on or after January 1, 1957, must show, prior to patient contact, acceptable evidence of vaccination of two doses of measles containing vaccine."
5. “Students may be provisionally enrolled for up to one semester to allow students to attend classes while obtaining the required vaccines and acceptable evidence of vaccination administered since January 1, 1968.”
6. “Students must show, prior to patient contact acceptable evidence of vaccination of one dose of rubella vaccine.”
7. “Students born on or after January 1, 1957, must show, prior to patient contact, acceptable evidence of vaccination of one dose of mumps vaccine.”
8. “Students shall receive a complete series of hepatitis B vaccine prior to the start of direct patient care or show serologic confirmation of immunity to hepatitis B virus”.
9. “Students shall receive two doses of varicella vaccine unless the first dose was received prior to thirteen years of age.”

For additional information, please see the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B.  Please note that some hospitals have stricter requirements than the state minimum standards.

Rule 97.65 lists the following exceptions to the immunization requirements: 

1. “Serologic confirmations of immunity to measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or varicella, are acceptable. Evidence of measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, or hepatitis B, or varicella illness must consist of a laboratory report that indicates either confirmation of immunity or infection.”
2. “A parent or physician validated history of varicella disease (chickenpox) or varicella immunity is acceptable in lieu of vaccine. A written statement from a physician, or the student’s parent or guardian, or school nurse, must support histories of varicella disease.”

(Immunizations are available for a nominal fee at the student health clinic for currently enrolled students and from the Public Health Department.)

1. Results of tuberculosis screening are required annually.
2. A copy of the student’s current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers is required annually.
3. All Students are required to complete a criminal background check through the Texas Board of Nursing before acceptance into the program.
4. Students are required to purchase professional liability coverage through the University. Fees for this coverage are included in the fees paid at the time of registration at the beginning of each academic year. (See College of Nursing & Health Sciences Student Handbook)
5. Medical insurance coverage is strongly recommended. The University and affiliating clinical agencies accept no responsibility for medical care sought as a result of accidents/incidents occurring during the course of nursing instruction or clinical assignments (See College of Nursing & Health Sciences Student Handbook)
6. Students forced to interrupt their regular rotation for personal or academic reasons may be reinstated on a “place available” basis. Students must write a letter asking for readmission to the program. The academic advisor is available for assistance with this process. The Admissions and Progression Committee may admit a student conditionally if there is evidence of extenuating circumstances.

Degree Requirements: 120 Semester Hours

A.  Core Curriculum Program

ENGL 1302
COMM 1311
LANG/PHIL*  see catalog
HIST 1301
HIST 1302
POLS 2305
POLS 2306
SCIENCE  see catalog
SCIENCE  see catalog
MATH  see catalog
PSYC 2301
CREATIVE ARTS*  see catalog
COMP. AREA*  see catalog
COMP. AREA*  see catalog 

B.  Full-time, first-year students are required to take the following courses:

UCCP  1101   First-Year Seminar I
UCCP  1102   First-Year Seminar II

C.  Nursing Support Courses:

BIOL  2420    Principles of Microbiology 
CHEM  1411  General Chemistry I
PSYC  2301   General Psychology
BIOL  2401    Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL  2402    Anatomy and Physiology II
PSYC  2314    Lifespan Developmental Psychology
MATH  1442   Statistics for Life
NURS  3342   Use of Pharmacology Principles
NURS  4322   Health Alterations or BIMS 3401 Pathophysiology

D.  Upper Division Nursing Major Courses:

NURS  3318   Nurse as Therapeutic Communicator 
NURS  3435   Health Assessment
NURS  3614   Fundamentals of Nursing Care
NURS  3548   Nursing Care of Children and their Families
NURS  3550   Nursing Care of Parents/newborns
NURS  3628   Nursing Care of Adults I
NURS  3150   Professional Issues I
NURS  4150   Professional Issues II
NURS  4318   Nurse as Research Consumer
NURS  4564   Nursing Care of Psychiatric Clients
NURS  4628   Nursing Care of Adults II
NURS  4660   Nursing Care of Community Health Clients
NURS  4370   Nurse Coordinating Care
NURS  4470   Professional Transitions 

Sample Degree Plan

The following requirements refer to grading policies.

1. A scholastic grade point average of 2.25 is a minimum requirement in the upper division nursing courses designated for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A minimum grade of C is required in all courses in the nursing major.
2. If a student earns a grade of D, F, or W (Withdrawal) in a nursing course, that course must be repeated. A course in which a grade of less than C (i.e., D, F, or W) was earned may be repeated only once.
3. A student who has earned a grade of less than C (i.e., D, F, or W) in two nursing courses or who has earned a grade of less than C (D, F, or W) twice in the same nursing course will be dismissed from the nursing program.
4. Students receiving a grade of D, F, or W (Withdrawal) or I (Incomplete) in a nursing course may not progress to courses for which that course is a prerequisite.
5. Administration and faculty reserve the right to dismiss students without previous warning for unsafe and/or unprofessional behavior. The conduct of nursing students should meet ethical standards as defined by American Nurses Association (ANA) in the Code of Ethics for Nurses. Personal integrity is reflected in professional judgments. Consequently, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences reserves the right to dismiss students from the program for unprofessional or unsafe behavior. (See College of Nursing and Health Sciences Student Handbook for further examples and to review the Academic Honesty and Professional Integrity Policy)
6. Students must meet the standards for minimal performance and progression established by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (see the catalog section on Academic Policies and Regulations).
7. In order for students to progress through the program, they must be in compliance with immunizations, BLS CPR, and Hospital Orientation regulations. (See College of Nursing and Health Sciences Student Handbook for consequences for noncompliance to these policies.)
8. Students must complete the University Core Curriculum Program. (See “University Core Curriculum Programs” in the catalog). See “General Education Requirement” in the “Undergraduate Programs” section of the catalog for information on ways in which transfer students can fulfill requirements. In addition to the core curriculum requirements, students must also take the required support courses.

Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information on this page. However, information is subject to change without notice. Therefore, pre-nursing students and transfer students must consult with their Nursing Program advisors each semester prior to registration. 

Students in the nursing major are assigned a faculty mentor by the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. If for any reason the faculty mentor-student assignment is not effective, the student or the faculty member can request a change in assignment. Freshmen and sophomore students pursuing the pre-nursing curriculum are also assigned a nursing faculty mentor. Academic advisors for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences are available for advisement. Students must make appointments for advisement.