School Information

Nursing 311 Marshall, 734.487.2310

Jennifer Avery, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, Interim Director

Advisor Information

Tamra Wagner, BSN, RN, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, 316 Marshall, 734.487.2341

Program Admission

Students may be admitted to the University as a Nursing Intent student (Major Code: INUR), however, admission to the BSN program is not guaranteed. The BSN program at EMU requires a separate application and admission process apart from being admitted to the university. Admission to the BSN program is highly competitive.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered for selection into the BSN Program upon completion of the following pre-admission courses and submission of official transcripts from all other colleges and universities. TOEFL scores are required if English is a second language (to meet university requirements). It is the responsibility of the applicant to assure that all materials have been submitted to the School of Nursing by the application deadline date.

Prerequisite Courses:

The following prerequisite courses (or transfer equivalencies) are required for application to the BSN program:

• ANTH 135 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology [GEGA or GEKS]  or SOCL 105 Introductory Sociology [GEKS]  
• CHEM 120 Fundamentals of Organic and Biochemistry [GEKN]  
• NURS 261 Aging to Infancy: A Life Course Retrospective  (DTC 261 , EDPS 225 , or IHHS 260 )
• PSY 101 General Psychology Lecture [GEKN]  
• Quantitative Reasoning [GEQR]  course to meet university requirements
• WRTG 121 Composition II: Researching the Public Experience [GEEC]  
• Choose a course combination from the following:
  • EXSC 201 Human Anatomy  and EXSC 202 Human Physiology  
  • BIO 251 Human Anatomy and Physiology I  and BIO 252 Human Anatomy and Physiology II  

Recommended: NURS 110 Introduction to Professional Nursing  is recommended and provides points for admission to the program. This course introduces the concepts of professional nursing practice, assists in preparing students for the rigor of the undergraduate BSN curriculum, and helps students determine their commitment to the profession.

Application Process

Admission to the BSN program is highly competitive. Prospective students should first view the School of Nursing virtual information session video for Nursing Intents to learn about the BSN program application process. This information session is available on the School of Nursing website (emich.edu/chhs/nursing).

After viewing an information session, students should contact the College of Health and Human Services Advising Office at 734.487.0918 to schedule an appointment for advising about the BSN program.

Applications for the BSN Program are due annually on May 15th by 5:00 pm. Applications are reviewed and students are notified in June about their acceptance into the BSN program. Students start classes in the following Fall semester. EMU School of Nursing does not maintain a waiting list. Students who are not admitted one year may apply subsequently but will be ranked based on the applicant pool at that time.

Criteria (Maximum Possible Points)

Calculated Prerequisite GPA multiplied by 75 (300)

Calculated Science GPA multiplied by 25 (100)

EMU Points (2 points for each credit hour of the 8-prerequisite courses taken at EMU) (58)

ATI TEAS Scores (5 points possible per category) (20)

Math or English Waiver (ACT/SAT/CLEP) (3 points for each waiver awarded if granted) (6)

Successful completion of NURS 110  (7)

Total Possible Points (485)

Following the point calculations, applicants are ranked from highest to lowest points. The top-ranked students are then offered admission into the BSN program based on available space. In order to complete the admission process for the BSN program, students must submit and successfully pass a criminal background check, physical examination, and drug screen. Failure to pass the criminal background check, physical examination, drug screen or completion of required paperwork may result in revocation of the admission offer.

Important Notes

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in the prerequisite courses is required.
• Chemistry, anatomy, or physiology courses older than 10 years are not accepted.
• If chemistry, anatomy or physiology courses are re-taken, the grades from the first two attempts only are used to calculate the GPA.
• ATI-TEAS may be re-taken only twice per calendar year. The minimum scores needed to earn points for EMU’s BSN application are: 
  • Subtest Reading: 69% or better
  • Subtest Math: 63% or better
  • Subtest Science: 46% or better
  • Subtest English: 60% or better

The University may give credit for nursing courses taken at another college or university; however, the School of Nursing reserves the right to make the final decision on course substitution based on examination of course materials. Requirements may vary based on prior education. Students must speak with an academic advisor in the CHHS Advising Office (734.487.0918) for details on transfer equivalencies.

Program Requirements

Students should plan carefully for the demanding nature of the Nursing Program and the extensive clinical hours required. Students must earn a minimum of 120 credits at the 100-level or above. The program requires five to six semesters of study, and the School of Nursing reserves the right to make changes in the curriculum as needed. To be eligible for graduation, the program (120 hours) must be completed within six calendar years from the date of enrollment in NURS 208 The Art and Science of Nursing I  (Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the School Director).

Eligibility to take the NCLEX exam (required to earn Registered Nurse licensure) is dependent upon graduation from the University with a B.S.N. degree. Specific program requirements (including failures within courses and dismissal from the program) are in the BSN Student Handbook located on the EMU School of Nursing website.

Clinical Learning Experience

Practical experience in nursing is provided through clinical learning experiences under the supervision of faculty in various healthcare organizations, such as ambulatory care settings, acute care settings, medical centers, community hospitals, public schools, nursing homes, county public health agencies, and home health care agencies. Students must follow University and agency policies for a professional appearance, comply with agency policies, and purchase the necessary equipment to perform their role. Students are also expected to provide their transportation to clinical agencies.

Academic and Professional Integrity

Students are expected to assume responsibility for their learning, support the ethics and goals of the profession, and value honesty in the fulfillment of scholarly and professional endeavors. Students must abide by the University Code of Conduct. Students who violate the University Code of Conduct will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

The School of Nursing recognizes its responsibilities to the public and the nursing profession. Students and faculty must promote academic and professional integrity and take action when a violation of such integrity occurs. The School of Nursing reserves the right to retain only those students who, in the judgment of the faculty, satisfy the requirements of scholarship, clinical competence, and professional and personal integrity suitable for nursing (See BSN Student Handbook).

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education  or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .  

Major Requirements: 70-71 hours

The University requirement that students may not earn “more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix)” is waived for students in this major. Students in this program may earn up to (but not exceed) 75 hours in “NURS” credit towards graduation. Only “NURS” courses taken at EMU will count towards the 60-hour requirement.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

• Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
  • Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
  • At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
• Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
• Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
• Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
• Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
• Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required. 
• Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
• Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
  • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
• Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.