Requirements & Admission - Nursing

Scholarships are available for students pursuing Nursing majors. See External Scholarships for more information.

Prerequisites for Nursing

  • BIOL-1121, General Biology I with lab
  • BIOL-2242, Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
  • BIOL-2243, Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
  • CHEM-1200/1201, General Chemistry I with lab
  • PSYC-1000, General Psychology
  • PSYC-2503, Lifespan Development
  • MATH-1220, Introductory Statistics
  • BIOL-2260, Principles of Microbiology with lab
  • EXSC-3303, Basic Nutrition
  • NURS-1100, Introduction to Professional Nursing

All prerequisite courses must have been completed within 10 years.

General Biology Policy: Students are strongly encouraged to take General Biology (BIOL-1121) at Benedictine College. The nursing department MAY allow general biology (minimum 5 credit hours with a lab and genetics component) from another 4-year accredited college in place of Benedictine College’s General Biology (BIOL-1121). The Director of Nursing will review the syllabus and make a decision to accept or deny the transfer class on a case-by-case basis. AP Biology and Principles of Biology will NOT be accepted.

In addition, students are expected to have the following core general education requirements completed:

  • GNST-1000 The BC Experience
  • ENGL-1010, English Composition
  • Fitness Activity Course
  • Foreign Language to a second-semester competency of the same foreign language
  • PHIL-1750, Principles of Nature
  • THEO-1100, Introduction to Theology

Criteria for Admission Consideration

Admission is competitive; the following is the minimum criteria to apply but does not guarantee admission.

  1. Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 with a minimum of 64 hours at the start of nursing courses and the ability to complete all academic requirements for graduation in two years. Students MUST have no more than 9 remaining hours to complete in the Foundations and/or Skills and Perspectives requirements when starting the nursing program.
  2. Obtain a grade of ‘C’ or above and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all prerequisite courses. Up to two (2) different prerequisite courses may be repeated one (1) time each (please see the Benedictine College Course Catalog for additional information regarding repeating a course). Pre-nursing students are allowed to repeat one pre-requisite course at another college with approval from the Director.  The highest grade will be used in the calculation of the admission GPA;
  3. Complete the Benedictine College nursing admission application.
  4. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants to the School of Nursing whose first language is not English. The minimum TOEFL scores for admission consideration are listed below. The test must be completed within one year of application to the SON. 

Minimum TOEFL Admission Scores

Paper-BasedComputer-BasedInternet-BasedWritingSpeakingReadingListening 
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Additional consideration is given to the following: 

  • Overall GPA and GPA on prerequisite courses;
  • Number of full-time semesters completed at Benedictine College;
  • Short personal video;
  • Academic history with patterns and trends indicating potential for academic success (e.g., successful completion of a full-time semester);
  • Pre-admission test;
  • Eligibility for licensure. 
  • Admission preference is given to current Benedictine College students. Admission preference will be given to students who have completed three full-time semesters at an institution of higher learning after high school graduation. 

Upon completion of graduation requirements, the graduate may apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for professional nurses. Licensure applicants must have completed the basic professional curriculum from an approved program of nursing.

Graduation does not ensure licensure eligibility. Certain criminal activity, functional abilities, and other applicant information may render a graduate ineligible for licensure. The State Board of Nursing in the state in which licensure is sought will make the decision whether or not to allow the individual to take the licensure examination.

For additional information, refer to Sections KSA 65-1120 of the State of Kansas Nurse Practice Act at www.ksbn.org, or the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which the graduate anticipates licensure.

Transfer Applicants

  • Admission preference is given to current Benedictine College students. Transfer students will be considered on a space-available basis.
  • Transfer students must be admitted to Benedictine College by February 1 before their application for the nursing program can be reviewed.
  • The completed application for the nursing program must be submitted by January 15 (or the first school day after January 15) for a candidate to be considered for admission for the next fall.
  • Contact the Department of Nursing to ensure that nursing prerequisite courses articulate to Benedictine College’s nursing program.
  • Transfer students who are accepted into the nursing program must complete a minimum of 60% of the required courses at Benedictine College.
  • In addition to the Criteria for Admission Consideration, the following are the General Education requirements for transfer students with Associate of Arts degree, and Associate of Science degree, or who transfer in 60 or more hours:
    • Core Requirements
      • ENGL-1010 English Composition (3 hours)
      • PHIL-1750 Principles of Nature (3 hours) or PHIL-2310 Philosophy of Nature (3 hours)
      • THEO-1000 Introduction to Theology (3 hours)
      • Fitness Activity Course
    • Foundations
      • Historical Inquiry (3 hours)
      • Aesthetic Experience (3 hours)
      • Person and Community (3 hours)
        • fulfilled by prerequisite PSYC-1000 General Psychology
      • Understanding the Natural World (3 hours)
        • fulfilled by prerequisites BIOL-1121 General Biology I; BIOL-2243 Human Anatomy and Physiology II; CHEM-1200/1201 General Chemistry I with lab
      • Faith (3 hours) or Philosophical Inquiry (3 hours)
        • fulfilled during senior year by NURS 4700 Professional, Legal, and Ethical Issues; THEO-3940 Christian Bioethics
    • Perspectives
      • Global Perspectives (1 course) or Foreign Language (3-4 hours)

For information regarding Historical Inquiry, Aesthetic Experience, and Global Perspectives courses, please refer to the Benedictine College Course Catalog under “General Education.”

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