Bachelor of Science Nursing Traditional Nursing Program

The Direct Entry Program guarantees admission to the Bachelor of Science Traditional Nursing program upon acceptance to the College for freshman students (entering directly from high school) who meet certain criteria. Students who indicate Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) as their intended major and meet qualifying criteria will automatically receive a letter from College Admissions regarding their eligibility.

Qualifications for admission to the Direct Entry Program:

• Student must be an incoming St. Scholastica student
• Student must indicate nursing as their intended major on application for admission to St. Scholastica
• GPA of 3.5 or higher upon finishing high school
• Priority deadline: February 10 (After the Priority Deadline, applications will be reviewed on a continuing basis until spots are filled.)

All Direct Entry students who meet the criteria below by the end of their sophomore year will be guaranteed admission to the nursing program when it begins fall semester of their junior year. Students may apply to the major early if prerequisites are completed, but a seat is not guaranteed.

To retain eligibility in the BSN Direct Entry program, students will need to:

• Maintain full-time enrollment at The College of St. Scholastica
• Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Achieve a grade of B or higher in all nursing prerequisites

Before starting the BSN major, students must:

• Complete the two-year Healthcare Provider CPR certification prior to the start of the nursing program
• Complete all nursing program immunizations requirements through MyHealth
• Successful completion of a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) course
• Complete all nursing prerequisite classes

If Direct Entry students do not meet the above criteria by the end of their sophomore year, they can still apply to the nursing program, but will not be guaranteed a seat. They will need to complete an application to the nursing major spring semester of their sophomore year for consideration.

Application to the Nursing Major

All St. Scholastica students must apply to their chosen major. Nursing students apply to the major in their final semester of prerequisite courses, which typically is in the spring semester of their sophomore year. All prerequisites must be completed prior to starting the nursing program.

Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisors to discuss any questions regarding course scheduling or major requirements.

Applications to the major will be reviewed each semester with an admission decision sent to the student prior to registration for the following semester classes. Admissions decisions will be finalized after semester grades are posted.

The Transfer Direct Entry Program guarantees admission to the Bachelor of Science Traditional Nursing program upon acceptance to the College for transfer students who meet certain criteria. Students who indicate nursing as their intended major and meet qualifying criteria will automatically receive a letter from College Admissions regarding their eligibility.

Qualifications for admission to the Transfer Direct Entry Program:

• Student must be an incoming St. Scholastica student
• Student must indicate nursing as their intended major on application for admission to St. Scholastica
• GPA of 3.5 or higher upon transferring to St. Scholastica

All Transfer Direct Entry students who meet the below criteria will be guaranteed admission to the nursing program for the spring semester. Students may apply to the major early if prerequisites are completed, but will not be guaranteed a seat for fall semester. 

During the first semester at St. Scholastica, Transfer Direct Entry students will need to:

• Maintain full-time enrollment at The College of St. Scholastica
• Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Achieve a grade of B or higher in all nursing prerequisites

Before starting the BSN major, students must:

• Complete the two-year Healthcare Provider CPR certification prior to the start of the nursing program
• Complete all nursing program immunizations requirements through MyHealth
• Successful completion of a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) course
• Complete all nursing prerequisite classes

Application to the Nursing Major

Students apply to the nursing major in their final semester of prerequisite courses. All prerequisites must be completed prior to starting the nursing major.

Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisors to discuss any questions regarding course scheduling or major requirements.

Applications to the major will be reviewed each semester with an admission decision sent to the student prior to registration for the following semester classes. Admissions decisions will be finalized after semester grades are posted.

If you don’t meet the Direct Entry criteria or join St. Scholastica in another major, you can still apply to the Bachelor of Science Traditional Nursing program. Although admission to the major is not guaranteed, many general applicants are still accepted.

Your first step is to send in your application for admission to St. Scholastica. Once you are enrolled as a student at St. Scholastica, you will work with your advisor to complete the prerequisites for the BSN program so that you can apply to the BSN major.

Requirements for Application to the Nursing Major

• Complete the two-year Healthcare Provider CPR certification prior to the start of the nursing program
• Complete all nursing program immunizations requirements through MyHealth
• Successful completion of a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) course
• Complete all nursing prerequisite classes with a grade of “C” or higher
• Have a cumulative or transfer GPA of 3.0 or higher

View Requirements

View Learning Outcomes

• In our skills and simulation laboratories, nursing students practice hands-on skills, physical assessment, best practice techniques, interprofessional communication skills and professional behaviors. Instructors conduct real-time evaluations of each student.
• Through the Observed Simulated Clinical Interdisciplinary Experience, students engage in patient simulations with University of Minnesota Duluth medical school and pharmacy students, and St. Scholastica occupational therapy, physical therapy and social work students, to gain a better understanding of the role of other health professionals and how to work on an interdisciplinary team.
• Students will receive clinical experiences in multiple settings. Duluth is a regional healthcare center with three hospitals, two major clinics, several nursing homes and residential healthcare facilities, and numerous community health agencies that serve northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

• Career opportunities abound for nurses prepared at the baccalaureate (bachelor’s degree) level. The Institute of Medicine called for 80% of the nursing workforce to hold at least a bachelor’s degree by 2020, setting a vision for nursing. In 2020, they produced a set of recommendations as a blueprint for improving nursing education and career preparation.
• National data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows employment for registered nurses (RNs) is expected to increase 6% by 2032, which is faster than the national average for all other occupations.
• St. Scholastica nursing graduates are prepared to give care to individuals of all ages with healthcare needs ranging from health promotion to rehabilitation. Graduates may choose to focus on groups of consumers, families or communities as they work in institutions and in the community. A baccalaureate degree is the first step toward advanced practice in nursing; areas such as nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nursing faculty and advanced leadership in complex organizations all require an advanced nursing degree such as a Ph.D., or Doctor of Nursing Practice.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at the College of St. Scholastica are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

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