BSN Scholars
The BSN Scholars Program is a unique partnership between UT and UT Medical. This program combines the strength of UT’s top-ranked, direct-admit, four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program with a scholarship and career pathway at the region’s only academic medical center.
Program overview
BSN Scholars are fully admitted UT nursing students who complete their coursework and clinical training in the satellite campus located adjacent to UT Medical. Students experience:
- State-of-the-art classrooms and simulation labs that replicate real-world care settings.
- Hands-on clinical rotations inside UT Medical, offering exposure to specialties and patient populations.
- Expert instruction from UT faculty and practicing health professionals, blending academic learning with direct hospital-based experience.
This integrated approach creates a seamless transition from nursing school to practice, preparing graduates for licensure and professional success. This program admits a select cohort of students each year, ensuring close mentorship and high-quality training in partnership with UT Medical’s nationally recognized nursing teams.
Note: UT Medical does not have a pediatric unit. If pediatrics is your area of interest, this pathway may not be the best fit.
Scholarship and Commitment
Each BSN Scholar receives a minimum of $17,000 in tuition assistance ($4,250 per semester). In return, scholars commit to a three-year work agreement at UT Medical following graduation. For more information about tuition assistance, please click here.
Why Nursing?
Nurses improve lives and communities every day. If you’re seeking a career that combines science, service, and human connection, nursing provides a meaningful path. At its core, the profession is about improving health, advocating for others, and delivering compassionate care across settings. Nurses are trusted leaders who meet people where they are and help them move toward better health.
Believe in yourself and embrace every opportunity to learn. The challenges will shape you into the nurse you’re meant to be.
Heidi Worley
What can you do with a degree in Nursing?
A nursing degree opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities. Many graduates begin as registered nurses in hospitals, clinics, or community health settings, providing direct patient care. Others pursue roles in public health, school nursing, mental health, or hospice care. With experience and additional education, nurses can become advanced practice providers, educators, researchers, or health care leaders. Whether you want to care for patients at the bedside, shape health care policy, or advance the science of nursing, a nursing degree gives you the foundation to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
Curriculum
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
Freshman Year
Fall Semester
- English Composition 101 (WC) First Year Composition (3)
- Natural Science Elective (Chemistry 102 and 103 recommended prerequisite for BCMB 230) (4)
- Natural Science Elective (Biology 101 recommend prerequisite for NURS250/251) (4)
- Any Quantative & Logical Reasoning Math (QR) (3)
- Expanded Perspectives Course (3)
Total: 17
Spring Semester
- English Composition 102 (WC) First Year Composition (3)
- Any Quantative & Logical Reasoning Math (QR) (3)
- Child & Family Studies 210 (Human Development) (SS) (3)
- Unrestricted Elective (3)
- Human Anatomy: NURS 250 & NURS 251 or BCMB 230 Human Physiology (4 or 5)
Total: 16 or 17
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
- BCMB 230 (Human Physiology) or NURS 250 & NURS251 (Human Anatomy) (4 or 5)
- Arts and Humanities Elective (3)
- Global Citizenship – International (GCI) (3)
- Any Oral Communication (OC) (3)
- Unrestricted Elective (3)
Total: 16 or 17
Spring Semester
- Microbiology 210 (3)
- Expanded Perspectives Course (3)
- Global Citizenship – US Elective (GCUS) (3)
- NURS 201 (Introduction to Nursing) (2)
- NURS 319 (Pathophysiology) (3)
Total: 14
Junior Year
Fall Semester
- NURS 313S (Clinical Immersion I) (4)
- NURS 314 (Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice) (3)
- NURS 331 (Health Assessment) (3)
- NURS 352 (Pharmacotherapeutics I) (3)
Total: 13
Spring Semester
- NURS 321 (Psychiatric Mental Health) (3)
- NURS 353 (Pharmacotherapeutics II) (2)
- NURS 362S (Clinical Immersion II) (EI) (4)
- NURS 363 (Nursing Care of the Adult I) (3)
- NURS 371R (Nursing Research) (WC) (3)
Total: 15
Senior Year
Summer Semester
- NURS 411 (Maternal – Newborn Nursing) (3)
- NURS 412 (Pediatric Nursing) (3)
- NURS 461 (Nursing Care of the Adult II) (3)
- NURS 462S (Clinical Immersion IV) (EI) (4)
- NURS 405 (Clinical Immersion III) (AOC) (2)
Total: 15
Fall Semester
- NRSP 495N (Clinical Immersion VI) (EI) (4)
- NURS 452 (Nursing Leadership) (3)
- NURS 482 (Population Health) (3)
- NURS 483S (Clinical Immersion V) (2)
- NURS 496 (Preparation for Licensure) (1)
Total: 13
Minimum Hours Required to Graduate = 120
*Global Citizenship can be taken in any order
Volunteer Core Curriculum Requirements
- I. Effective Communication
- II. Expanded Perspectives
- III. Engaged Inquiries
FAQs
Are students in the BSN Scholars Program still considered University of
Tennessee students?
Tennessee students?
Yes, BSN Scholars are students at The University of Tennessee College of Nursing.
BSN Scholars follow the same curriculum and have the same faculty as students in the
traditional BSN program.
Are there any differences between the BSN Scholars pathway and the Traditional
BSN?
BSN?
Yes, the BSN Scholars program is a partnership with and funded by the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC). UTMC will pay the tuition for BSN Scholars students in their junior and senior year in exchange for a 3-year work commitment at UTMC after graduation. This program is only for students who intend to work at UTMC for 3 years post-graduation. Students in the BSN Scholars program use Innovation North simulation labs which are designed to mirror the UT Medical Center
hospital rooms. Innovation North is located across from the UT Medical Center and opened their simulations labs in 2023. Also, while BSN Scholars follow the exact curriculum as the Traditional BSN students, BSN Scholars complete a summer semester following their junior year and graduate in December.
Do the BSN Scholars students have any classes in the UT Medical Nursing
Building on campus?
Building on campus?
Yes, BSN Scholars have Nurs 201 and Nurs 319 sophomore year and Nurs 331 Health
Assessment junior year in the UT Medical Nursing Building on campus. All other
classes are held at Innovation North. Innovation North opened in 2023 and is designed
to mirror the UT Medical Center hospital rooms to aid in transition to clinicals and when
students enter the nursing workforce at UTMC.
How many students does the BSN Scholars program admit?
The BSN Scholars program currently has 102 seats.
What is the process of applying to the BSN Scholars program?
Students will complete a UTK application (if they are not currently a student at UTK) and a Nursing CAS application (BSN Scholars Transfer Information). Once application information has been verified by the College of Nursing Admissions, students will be sent materials from UT Medical Center to complete including a UTMC application, survey and online interview link. UT Medical Center makes the admissions decisions for the BSN Scholars Program.
Are international students eligible for the BSN Scholars Program?
International students are not eligible for the BSN Scholars Program, all students must
be U.S. citizens to be eligible for admittance into the BSN Scholars Program.
Admissions and Aid
Learn more about the application process and aid offered to nursing students.
REQUEST INFO
Use the form to learn more about the College of Nursing and UT.
We’re so glad you’re interested in studying nursing at UT. Our program pairs hands-on clinical experience with the support of faculty, staff, and students who are invested in your success. Tell us a little about yourself, and we’ll help you find your place on Rocky Top — your home, sweet home.