Curriculum Requirements for First-Year BSN Students

Students take a variety of courses to meet the University Core Curriculum Requirements, BSN Foundation Requirements, and BSN Major Requirements in preparation for their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. Non-nursing courses taken in the first and sophomore years do not have to be completed in a specific sequence. Schedules may vary depending on course availability, credits transferred in (AP/IB scores or college credit), if a minor or double major is declared, or if the student plans to study abroad. Admitted first-year students who have transfer credits will be placed into clinical courses at the discretion of the School of Nursing & Health Innovations. Please contact the School of Nursing & Health Innovations program counselor with any questions regarding registration or curriculum planning.

University Core Curriculum Requirements – 40 Credit Hours

All University of Portland students, regardless of major, progress through a set of shared course options as part of the University’s liberal arts Core Curriculum. This curriculum offers a foundation of multiple lenses to address enduring questions of human concern, integrating the liberal arts, the University mission, and the knowledge, skills, and values needed in a diverse society and in the workplace.

See University Core Curriculum Requirements

Please note the following:

• BSN students must complete BIO 205: Foundations of Biology with BIO 005: BIO 205 Workshop as Foundation Level courses fulfilling the natural science Core Curriculum requirement within the Habit of “Scientific and Quantitative Literacy and Problem Solving.”
• BSN students must complete MTH 161: Elementary Statistics as a Foundation Level course fulfilling the mathematics Core Curriculum requirement within the Habit of “Scientific and Quantitative Literacy and Problem Solving.”
• To fulfill 3 credits of the 6-credit Exploration Level Core Curriculum requirement, BSN students must complete THE 348: Theological Dimensions of Suffering and Death.
• All University of Portland students must complete at least one 3-credit History course at either the Foundation or Exploration Level of the University Core Curriculum. This requirement may be fulfilled by HST 210, HST 211, or HST 220 (as part of the “Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and the Common Good” Foundation Level Habit), HST 221, HST 251, HST 254, or HST 256 (as part of the “Global and Historical Consciousness” Foundation Level Habit), or by a HST course at the Exploration Level.

BSN Foundation Requirements – 12 Credit Hours

BIO 305/365 Human Anatomy & Physiology 1/Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab - 4 Credit Hours
BIO 306/366 Human Anatomy & Physiology 2/Human Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lab - 4 Credit Hours
BIO 359/379 Microbiology for Nurses/Microbiology Lab for Nurses - 4 Credit Hours

Note: BIO 205: Foundations of Biology (3 Credit Hours) with BIO 005: BIO 205 Workshop (0 Credit Hours) and MTH 161: Elementary Statistics (3 Credit Hours) are also considered BSN Foundation Requirements; however, those credits count toward fulfillment of the University Core (see above).

BSN Major Requirements – 68 Credit Hours

Because nursing is a dynamic field, the nursing curriculum is subject to change at the School of Nursing & Health Innovations’ discretion

NRS 104 Nursing Professionalism and Practice - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 116 Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan I - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 204 Foundations in Health Assessment - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 206 Professional Practice: Health Assessment - 1 Credit Hours/45 Professional Practice* Hours
NRS 207 Clinical Reasoning Seminar: Health Assessment - 1 Credit Hour
NRS 216 Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan II - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 302 Nursing Licensure Lab - 1 Credit Hour
NRS 306 Professional Practice: Population Health and Wellness - 4 Credit Hours/Approx. 180 Professional Practice* Hours
NRS 307 Clinical Reasoning Seminar: Population Health and Wellness - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 308 Professional Practice: Acute Illness Management - 4 Credit Hours/Approx. 180 Professional Practice* Hours
NRS 309 Clinical Reasoning Seminar: Acute Illness Management - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 316 Population Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 317 Acute Illness Management Across the Lifespan - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 325 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 326 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 400 Nursing Licensure Lab - 1 Credit Hour
NRS 406 Professional Practice: Chronic Illness Management - 4 Credit Hours/Approx. 180 Professional Practice* Hours
NRS 407 Clinical Reasoning Seminar: Chronic Illness Management - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 408 Professional Practice: Senior Synthesis - 4 Credit Hours/Approx. 180 Professional Practice* Hours
NRS 409 Clinical Reasoning Seminar: Senior Synthesis - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 416 Chronic Illness Management Across the Lifespan - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 440 Social Justice and Population Health - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 460 Senior Synthesis: Advancing the Culture of Health - 3 Credit Hours
NRS 480 Life-long Learning - 3 Credit Hours

Total credit hours required for the BSN degree: 120
Approx. total professional practice* hours: 765

*Professional practice includes on-campus clinical experiences (e.g. lab, simulation) and off-campus clinical experiences (e.g. hospital, community, ambulatory care settings, focused learning activities).

Course descriptions for BSN program courses can be found in the University Bulletin.

View the sample BSN program of study for first-year students.