Program Overview

Introduction to the Nursing Science Program

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Nursing Science prepares graduates to function as generalists in professional nursing practice and to collaborate with other health care providers in clinics, hospitals, and community health settings. The undergraduate curriculum is designed to provide theory and research-based clinical experiences that integrate critical thinking, compassion, and caring behaviors that build clinical expertise.

Program Overview

Nurse professionals are members of interdisciplinary teams who work with people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and lifestyles to help them achieve the highest level of wellness possible. Students who successfully complete the B.S. degree in Nursing Science are eligible to take the national licensing examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse.

Admission Requirements

Meeting the UCI admission criteria does not guarantee admission into the major. The admission process is competitive due to limited enrollment.

• Freshmen: Preference will be given to those who rank the highest using the selection criteria as stated in the Admissions section.
• Transfer students: Admission to the major is limited and selective. Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the Nursing Science major.
• All applicants must complete the following with grades of B or better:
  • One year of general chemistry equivalent to UCIs CHEM 1A - CHEM 1B - CHEM 1C
  • One quarter/semester of genetics equivalent to UCIs BIO SCI 97
  • One quarter/semester of biology equivalent to UCIs BIO SCI 93
  • One quarter/semester of human physiology with laboratory equivalent to UCIs PHRMSCI 120 and PHRMSCI 120L
  • One quarter/semester of microbiology with laboratory equivalent to UCIs BIO SCI M115
  • One quarter/semester of human anatomy with laboratory equivalent to UCIs BIO SCI D170
  • One quarter/semester of philosophy equivalent to UCIs PHILOS 4 or PHILOS 5
  • One quarter/semester of psychology equivalent to UCIs COGS 7A/PSCI 9
  • One quarter/semester of public health equivalent to UCIs PUBHLTH 1
  • One quarter/semester of sociology equivalent to UCIs SOCIOL 1
  • One quarter/semester of statistics equivalent to UCIs STATS 7 or STATS 8
• It is recommended, but not required, to complete one quarter/semester of lifespan developmental psychology equivalent to NUR SCI 116, and one quarter/semester of NUR SCI 50 prior to admission.
• Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered.

Change of Major

Due to strict limits on the number of students who can be admitted to the program and rigid sequencing of much of the upper-division curriculum, change-of-major students need to apply in the summer for fall quarter admission, at the earliest in the summer after freshman year.

Major Requirements

• Complete the following courses:
  • BIO SCI 93 | From DNA to Organisms
  • BIO SCI 97 | Genetics
  • BIO SCI M115 | Allied Health Microbiology
  • BIO SCI D170 | Applied Human Anatomy
  • CHEM 1A-1B-1C | General Chemistry
  • PHRMSCI 120 | Human Physiology
  • PHRMSCI 120L | Human Physiology Lab
  • PUBHLTH 1 | Principles of Public Health
  • Select one of the following:
    • PHILOS 4 | Introduction to Ethics
    • PHILOS 5 | Contemporary Moral Problems
  • Select one of the following:
    • PSCI 9 | Introduction to Psychology
    • COGS 7A | Introduction to Psychology
  • Select one of the following:
    • ANTHRO 2A | Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology
    • ANTHRO 2D | Introduction to Language and Culture
    • ANTHRO 41A | Global Cultures and Society
    • SOC SCI 1A | Principles in the Social Sciences
    • SOCIOL 1 | Introduction to Sociology
    • SOCIOL 2 | Globalization
    • SOCIOL 3 | Social Problems
    • SOCIOL 31 | Self-Identity and Society
    • SOCIOL 44 | Births, Deaths, and Migration
    • SOCIOL 62 | Families and Intimate Relations
  • Select one of the following:
    • COGS 10A | Exploratory Data Analysis
    • SOC SCI 10A | Probability and Statistics in Social Sciences I
    • SOCIOL 10A | Probability and Statistics
    • STATS 7 | Basic Statistics
    • STATS 8 | Introduction to Biological Statistics
• Complete the following Nursing Science courses:
  • NUR SCI 50 | Nutrition Across the Lifespan
  • NUR SCI 101 | Introduction to Nursing Informatics
  • NUR SCI 108W | Frameworks for Professional Nursing Practice
  • NUR SCI 109A | Physical Assessment
  • NUR SCI 109B | Nursing Skills
  • NUR SCI 116 | Human Growth and Development through the Lifespan
  • NUR SCI 117 | Applied Pharmacology
  • NUR SCI 119 | Pathophysiology
  • NUR SCI 121A | Medical Surgical Nursing I
  • NUR SCI 121B | Medical Surgical Nursing II
  • NUR SCI 125 | Research Methods and Applications in Health Care
  • NUR SCI 128 | Human Behavior and Mental Health Care
  • NUR SCI 172 | Pediatrics: Care of Children and Families
  • NUR SCI 173 | Maternity and Womens Health Care
  • NUR SCI 174 | Critical and Specialty Health Care
  • NUR SCI 175 | Clinical Preceptorship
  • NUR SCI 176 | Leadership and Management in Health Care
  • NUR SCI 171 | Community-Based Health Care
  • NUR SCI 179AW | Scholarly Concentration I
  • NUR SCI 179B | Scholarly Concentration II

Academic Requirements

• All major requirements must be passed with a C or better if taken at UCI.
• Students are required to take all lower- and upper-division science courses required for the major at UCI once they have matriculated at UCI.
• Non-science, lower-division courses required for the major that have been taken at another institution must be completed with a B or better.
• General education courses (not required for the major) taken at another institution must be completed with a C or better.
• All Nursing Science courses must be taken at UCI.
• Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA in their upper-division Nursing Science courses to remain in good standing.

Sample Program

The sample program is a preferred sequence that accounts for all prerequisites. Most required courses are offered in sequence and only once a year. Full-time enrollment is required.

• Freshman:
  • Fall: CHEM 1A, BIO SCI 93, WRITING 60
  • Winter: CHEM 1B, SOCIOL 1, WRITING 50
  • Spring: CHEM 1C, PUBHLTH 1, STATS 7 or 8
• Sophomore:
  • Fall: BIO SCI 97, NUR SCI 50, General Education/Elective
  • Winter: NUR SCI 116, NUR SCI 125, General Education/Elective
  • Spring: BIO SCI D170, PHILOS 4 or 5, BIO SCI M115
• Junior:
  • Fall: NUR SCI 108W, NUR SCI 109B, NUR SCI 101
  • Winter: NUR SCI 109A, NUR SCI 117, NUR SCI 121B
  • Spring: NUR SCI 119, NUR SCI 121A, NUR SCI 128
• Senior:
  • Fall: NUR SCI 172, NUR SCI 174, NUR SCI 171
  • Winter: NUR SCI 173, NUR SCI 176, NUR SCI 179AW
  • Spring: NUR SCI 175, NUR SCI 179B

Honors

Honors at graduation, e.g., cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, are awarded to approximately the top 16 percent of the graduating seniors. To be eligible for honors, a general criterion is that students must have completed at least 72 units in residence at a University of California campus. Other important factors are considered.