BSN Transfer Student Prerequisites | University of Portland

BSN Transfer Student Prerequisites

For transfer into the BSN program:

  • A minimum of 49 semester credit hours (73.5 quarter credit hours) accepted in transfer is required to begin the BSN program. 
  • Transfer courses may be taken at any accredited college or university.
  • Transfer courses must be 100-level or above and graded C or above. Pass/No Pass is not accepted. Students may not audit a required prerequisite course.
  • All prerequisites listed below must be completed prior to beginning the nursing program.
  • The University of Portland reserves the right to determine transfer equivalency. 
  • All prerequisite University Core Curriculum Requirements and BSN Foundation Requirements taken at other institutions require approval by the School of Nursing & Health Innovations. 
  • Please see the Equivalency Guidelines for Local Colleges and Universities and email course descriptions to Andrea Coughlan (coughlan@up.edu) if you need assistance determining if a course fulfills one of the requirements listed below.  

University Core Curriculum Requirements

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.

Transfer students into the BSN program complete all Foundation Level University Core Curriculum Requirements as prerequisites for admission. The Foundation Level includes the following courses, which are organized around six “Habits of the Heart and Mind”:

  • “Aesthetic Inquiry, Imagination, and the Creative Process” Habit:
    • Fine Arts – One theory course that focuses on the creative process in visual art or the creative process in performative art. Applied/performance/studio courses in art, cinema, dance, music, photography, or theatre will not fulfill this requirement.
  • “Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and the Common Good” Habit:
    • One course that offers theoretical and empirical perspectives on equity, justice, and social inequality. Examples of University of Portland courses that fulfill this requirement include Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, Introduction to Sociology, and Social Work and Social Justice.
  • “Global and Historical Consciousness” Habit:
    • History – One U.S. history, global history, or western civilization course.
  • “Literacy, Dialogue, and Expression” Habit:
    • Introductory Philosophy – One course taught from a historical perspective that has representation from the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern periods.
    • Literature – One writing-intensive literature course from the English department. One composition course that has a literature component will not fulfill this requirement.
  • “Religion, Faith, and Ethics” Habit:
    • Theology – Two courses:
      • One comparative religions course that covers both Eastern and Western Religions. A course that only covers Eastern religions or only Western religions will not fulfill this requirement.
      • One Old and/or New Testament course that includes interpreting passages in scripture and writing a research paper. A course in Bible and Literature will not fulfill this requirement.
    • Ethics – One course in general ethics. The course should be primarily a moral theory course, not a course in applied ethics.
  • “Scientific and Quantitative Literacy and Problem Solving” Habit:
    • Natural Science – Foundations of Biology. One or two courses depending on the school. Must include molecular biology, cellular biology, and genetics.
    • Statistics – One course.
    • One course that offers social scientific approaches to addressing social problems. Examples of University of Portland courses that fulfill this requirement include Introduction to Psychology/Psychological Science, Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, and Introduction to U.S. Politics/Political Science.

BSN Foundation Requirements

  • Anatomy and Physiology with labs – One school year of coursework with labs. Must have been completed within five years of acceptance into the program.
  • Microbiology with lab – One course with the accompanying lab. Must have been completed within five years of acceptance into the program.

Foundations of Biology and Statistics are also considered BSN Foundation Requirements; however, those credits count toward fulfillment of University Core requirements (see above).

All transfer students must complete one general chemistry course at the high school or college level.

Electives

Transfer students must have a minimum of 49 semester credit hours (73.5 quarter credit hours) accepted in transfer to begin the BSN program. Electives credits in writing, speech, science, foreign languages, or the social sciences may be accepted to bring transfer students up to at least 49 semester credits after all other prerequisite courses are accepted. AP, IB, or CLEP credits may also be accepted.