Print this page.About the Program
The College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina, one of the largest in the Southeast, works with area hospitals and health care agencies to provide clinical learning experiences. In addition to outstanding faculty, the college features resources such as the Information Resource Center, Client Simulated Laboratory, and Center for Nursing Leadership. The College of Nursing offers a four-year undergraduate program on the Columbia campus leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The baccalaureate program is approved by the State Board of Nursing for South Carolina and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Career Opportunities
Nursing is a career that encompasses caring, science, humanities, organizational savvy, the capacity to manage in complex situations, and more. You should be interested in working directly with people and helping them, being a vital part of a team, enjoying job versatility and flexibility, and having many opportunities for career advancement. Administrative or clinical positions available to graduates with a bachelor’s degree include:
• staff nurse in geriatrics, obstetrics, pediatrics, and psychiatric and medical-surgical nursing
• home health care or school health nurse
• staff nurse with public health agencies, businesses, and corporations
The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and in increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the College of Nursing, you must meet all University and College of Nursing admission requirements. University requirements for freshmen include a completed application, specified nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 academics units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Further requirements may be imposed for admission to the degree program. Acceptance into the University with a lower-division classification does not guarantee progression into the upper division. To progress through the nursing curriculum, you must successfully complete all prerequisite general education and nursing courses and maintain minimum semester, yearly, and cumulative grade point averages of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale in all courses. A minimum grade of “C” is required in each nursing and required science course. You must apply to enter the upper division. Entrance into the upper division is competitive and is not guaranteed. Transfer students must have a cumulative 2.75 GPA in all college work attempted and must meet freshman requirements if less than 30 semester hours have been completed. Transfer students’ performance in all science and nursing courses taken at other institutions must be reviewed upon admission. Nursing courses will be considered for transfer credit only from accredited nursing programs. To progress into the upper division, transfer students must meet the College of Nursing requirements for progression through completion of the lower-division science and nursing courses. All entering students are expected to have basic computer skills.
Program of Study (128 hours)
The baccalaureate curriculum provides for eight semesters of study in general education and professional nursing. Upon admission, you will be assigned an advisor to guide you throughout your program. You should obtain guidance in the selection of courses as early as possible. Transfer students are encouraged to contact the College of Nursing Office of Student Services for advisement on course selection and registration. Computer skills are required throughout the curriculum. Skills required for class assignments and clinical practice include: word processing, computerized assisted instruction, e-mail, listserv, Web access, Internet searches, database searches, computerized patient documentation, and computerized medical equipment. The upper division focuses on clinical practice and requires full-time study. Clinical practice is supported by concurrent classroom study. You will practice in a variety of settings such as hospitals, extended-care facilities, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, schools, and other community agencies. Upper-division courses must be taken in sequence as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Lower Division
Lower division courses (64 hours) consist of general education requirements and electives (courses in English, social sciences, analytical reasoning, chemistry, biology, history, foreign languages, and fine arts), and 18 hours of introductory nursing courses. All lower division courses must be completed before progression to the upper division.
Upper Division
Upon advancement into the upper division, you will round out your studies with 64 hours of wide-ranging nursing courses, such as Clinical Reasoning in Nursing Practice, Nursing of Children and Families, and Community Health Nursing. Upper-division courses must be taken in sequence as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook. This is just an overview of program requirements, and this and all University requirements are subject to change. Please check the bulletin for a complete, up-to-date description of our programs, courses, and expectations.
Of Special Interest
The college also offers an accelerated BSN program/combined bachelor’s-master’s degree program that upper-division students may enter, a special BSN program for registered nurses interested in receiving a baccalaureate degree, and multiple graduate certificates, master’s degrees, and a doctoral degree for advanced students.