Program Overview

College of Nursing

The College of Nursing offers a Freshman Nursing Pathway (FNR) that provides incoming freshmen the opportunity to be admitted directly as nursing majors.

Undergraduate Program

The Freshman Nursing Pathway (FNR) is designed for incoming freshmen who meet the required SAT/ACT scores and high school GPA. Students who meet the admission requirements may be offered admission to the FNR.

Admission Requirements

• Fall Admission to the University of South Florida: Submit an undergraduate application to USF through the Office of Admissions.
• Minimum standardized test scores (one of the following):
  • ACT: 24
  • SAT: 1180
  • CLT: 81
• Weighted high school GPA of 3.9 or higher (as calculated by the USF Office of Admissions)

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee a spot in the Freshman Nursing Pathway (FNR), as seats are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

General Education Requirements

• Communication: ENC 1101, ENC 1102
• Humanities: 6 credits: 3 credits State Core, 3 Credits USF Enhanced Gen Ed credits
• Mathematics: 6 credits: 3 credits State Core, 3 credits USF Enhanced Gen Ed credits (Statistics typically covers one of these)
• Natural Sciences: 6 credits- satisfied through nursing prerequisites
• Social Sciences: 6 credits satisfied through the nursing prerequisites
• Choose 2 courses from any gen-ed discipline above- 6 credits- satisfied through nursing prerequisites
• Civic Literacy: AMH 2010, AMH 2020 -or- POS 2041
• FLENT: 0-8 credits

Students who have earned an AA degree from a public Florida College System institution automatically satisfy the general education requirements. However, FLENT and the Civic Literacy exam are not fulfilled by the AA degree and must be completed separately.

State-Mandated Nursing Prerequisites

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I w/ Lab – 4 credits: BSC X085C or (BSC X085 and BSC X085L) or BSC X093C or (BSC X093 and BSC X093L) or APK 2100C or ZOO 3733C or ZOO 3731 and 3731L
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II w/ Lab – 4 credits: BSC X086C or (BSC X086 and BSC X086L) or BSC X094C or (BSC X094 and BSC X094L) or APK 2015C or PCB 3703C or PCB 2099 and PCB 2099L
• Microbiology w/ Lab – 4 credits: MCB X010C or (MCB X010 and MCB X010L) or MCB X013C or (MCB X000 and MCB X000L) or (MCB X004 and MCB X004L)
• Introduction to Statistics – 3 credits: STA X014 or STA X023 or STA X122
• Human Growth and Development – 3 credits: DEP X004 or DEP X054 or DEP X000
• Human Nutrition – 3 credits: HUN X201
• Any Psychology or Sociology Course – 3 credits: PSY XXXX or SOP XXXX or SYG XXXX
• Any Chemistry, Biology, or Physics – 3 credits: CHM XXXX or BCH XXXX or BSC XXXX or PCB XXXX or PHY XXXX

Progression Criteria

• GPA Requirement: Students must have a 3.6 overall GPA and 3.0 prerequisite GPA by the end of the Fall semester of their sophomore year.
• Complete all state-mandated nursing prerequisites with a minimum grade of B- or better: Five of the eight prerequisite courses must be completed before the Fall semester of the sophomore year; the remaining three must be successfully completed during that Fall semester.
• Complete mandatory semesterly appointments with FNR advisor: FNR students must meet with their academic advisor every semester before registration.
• Complete all general education requirements including FLENT and Civic Literacy: These requirements must be completed by the end of the spring semester of the sophomore year.

Nursing Trailblazers Living Learning Community

The USF College of Nursing offers a Living Learning Community called the Nursing Trailblazers LLC.

FAQs

Admissions

• What scores and GPA are required for admission to the Freshman Nursing Pathway?: Admission criteria for the Freshman Nursing Pathway (FNR) may vary each year based on the competitive freshman profile compiled by the Office of Admissions.
• Can I apply to the Upper Division nursing program before my junior/third year?: No, students in the Freshman Nursing Pathway cannot apply to the Upper Division program early.

FNR Progression

• What happens if I don’t meet the FNR progression requirements?: If you do not meet the progression requirements for the Freshman Nursing Pathway, you will be required to change your major to a non-nursing program.

Major Eligibility

• I am a current USF student. Can I change my major to nursing?: You cannot change your major to the Freshman Nursing Pathway (FNR).
• I am an incoming freshman at USF. Can I change my major to nursing?: You may change your major to nursing only if you meet the freshman admission criteria.

Nursing Prerequisites

• Can I use exam credit to satisfy prerequisite courses?: Yes, you can find the list of accepted exam equivalents.
• I received below a ‘B-’ in a prerequisite course taken through dual enrollment. Can I still remain in the Freshman Nursing Pathway?: If you earned below a B- in a dual enrollment prerequisite, you must retake the course at USF and earn a B- or better.