Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) Program

The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary is introducing a lottery admission process for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program, effective Fall 2026. This change aims to create more opportunities for students who could not have otherwise considered Nursing and alleviate the stress and pressure on prospective students to achieve near-perfect grades.

The Nursing Landscape

Nursing programs across North America are in high demand and significantly oversubscribed, resulting in high admission averages that exclude many qualified students from applying. The global nursing shortage impacts not just students entering the profession but also communities overall. According to Statistics Canada, registered nurse (RN) vacancies in Alberta doubled from 2018 to 2022, and the Canadian Nurses’ Association reported that over 50% of new nurses leave the profession within two years of entering practice.

Why the Lottery Admission Process?

The University of Calgary is leading the way with a bold, proactive, upstream solution to a social need. The nursing shortage in healthcare necessitates more nurses and new grads to stay in the profession. The highly competitive faculty has driven up admission averages, making it challenging for some students to gain admittance. The new admission process aims to create more opportunities for students and alleviate stress and pressure on prospective students.

Admissions Criteria

The new admission practice takes effect Fall 2026 and applies only to the Faculty of Nursing main campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program. It does not affect other routes into the BScN program, such as the Medicine Hat College, Indigenous Community Route, and Rural Community Route.

Determining the Competitive Admission Average

The competitive admission average was determined through a data-informed decision based on analysis of incoming student average to first-year student GPA. Students with an 82% incoming average show an increased likelihood of first-year success, which is a strong indicator of overall completion.

Choosing the Lottery Methodology

The concept of lottery admissions is not new and has been used by post-secondary institutions in Canada, the United States, the UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Turkey to ease oversubscription in schools and universities. A research paper published in the Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly explores this approach to admissions, recognizing that it is not a perfect process but that the status quo is no longer an option.

Program Details

• The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program is a highly competitive faculty to gain admittance to, with demand driving up admission averages.
• The program aims to create more opportunities for students who could not have otherwise considered Nursing.
• The new admission process can help alleviate the stress and pressure on prospective students to achieve near-perfect grades.

Research and Evaluation

The University of Calgary is a research-intensive university, and the Faculty of Nursing values making decisions informed by research when introducing new practices. A rigorous measurement plan has been developed to study this admission change, examining data such as student satisfaction, graduation and employment rates, and attrition from the profession. Based on what is learned, evidence-informed adjustments may be made to the process.

Further Reading

• Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. (2022, January). Canadian nursing shortage at a glance.
• Laing, C. M., Davidson, S., & MacKay, C. (2022). A lottery-based admissions process for Faculties of Nursing: An idea whose time has come. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, 10(2), 3-9.
• Sanzone, L., D’Aquila, V., & Fukamizu, S. (2021, October 18). Stemming the tide of nursing attrition: Developing resilience via a peer mentorship program. Canadian Nurse.

Media Coverage

• U of C nursing faculty to use lottery system for admissions in 2026 - Calgary Herald
• To include more qualified applicants, U of C to launch lottery system for nursing school - Calgary Journal
• Why UCalgary’s nursing lottery system is a step in the right direction - The Gauntlet
• University of Calgary changing admissions model to attract more nurses - CBC News
• New nursing admission process at the U of C - Calgary Eyeopener
• UCalgary adding lottery system to nursing admission process - CityNews

Conclusion

The introduction of the lottery admission process for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at the University of Calgary aims to address the nursing shortage and create more opportunities for students. The program details, admissions criteria, and research areas are designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new admission process and its goals.