Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

High school students apply for direct admission to the nursing major as freshman through the Undergraduate Office of Admissions. Freshman direct admission to the nursing major is a highly competitive application process.

The College of Nursing takes into consideration a wide range of factors when making admission decisions. Beginning with the fall 2024 freshmen direct admit pathway, we require students to complete the Holistic Admissions Questionnaire to be considered for admission into our Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

The final deadline for high school students applying as a freshman to the nursing major is December 15 of the applicant’s senior year. Space for the nursing major is limited; high school students are encouraged to apply as early as August. Freshman applicants must indicate the major code of Nursing when applying through the UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Applications received after December 15 will not be considered for admission to the nursing major.

Applicants may apply online through Undergraduate  Admissions.

Applicants must meet the statewide US history requirement for a bachelor’s degree (either one unit at the high school level or 6 credit hours at the college level).

Note: Freshman applicants who anticipate earning more than 45 hours of dual enrollment credits or earning an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree upon high school graduation must contact the College of Nursing, Office of Student Services once they have submitted a freshman application to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Application Process:

• Current UT students must submit a NursingCAS application by November 20 for Spring 2025 admission.
• Transfer students must submit both a NursingCAS application and a transfer application through Undergraduate Admissions.
• Transcripts sent to Undergraduate Admissions are not available to the College of Nursing, so students must also attach unofficial copies to the online change of major/transfer student application. Admission to the University of Tennessee through Undergraduate Admissions does not guarantee admission to the College of Nursing BSN program.

Admission Criteria:

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 is required (note: meeting this does not guarantee acceptance).
• Completion of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology. This applies to both the didactic and lab portion.
• Only one of the following courses can be outstanding and taken in the term of admission: Microbiology or Human Development.
• 49 credit hours of VolCore (general education) courses must be completed. Students may take up to two outstanding courses in the Spring term before entering the upper division.
• Students graduating after July 1, 1978, must have completed one unit of American history in high school or 6 semester hours of collegiate American history, as required by Tennessee law. UT’s History 221-222 courses fulfill this requirement if not completed in high school.

Other Considerations:

All progression requirements must be met by the end of the Spring term to advance to upper division courses.

If pursuing a minor, all minor courses must be completed before the junior term begins.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing have partnered to create a new undergraduate nursing pathway at a satellite campus adjacent to UTMC. The BSN Scholars Program is a robust academic-practice partnership that will offer nursing students an opportunity to learn and train inside UTMC, the region’s academic medical center. Students accepted will attend class and complete their clinical rotations at UTMC with access to an onsite learning lab and simulation center at the satellite campus, which is located in the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm. This program has the same accreditation standards and follows the same mission, vision, values, and honor code as the existing programs. Students in the BSN Scholars Program are awarded a minimum of $17,000 in tuition assistance from UTMC with a three-year work commitment post-graduation.

Application Process:

• Current UT and College of Nursing students must submit a NursingCAS application by November 20 for Spring 2025 admission.
• Transfer students must submit both a NursingCAS application and a transfer application through Undergraduate Admissions.
• Applicants will be required to submit a resume and complete a virtual interview with UT Medical Center (UTMC).
• Admission decisions are based on the admission criteria being met and the final decision made by UT Medical Center. 

We welcome applications from both in-state and out-of-state students. While we value and encourage the diversity that out-of-state applicants bring to our program, please be aware that preference may be given to in-state applicants. We look forward to reviewing your application and considering you for our esteemed program.

Admission Criteria:

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 is required (note: meeting this does not guarantee acceptance).
• Completion of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology. This applies to both the didactic and lab portion.
• Only one of the following courses can be outstanding and taken in the term of admission: Microbiology or Human Development.
• 49 credit hours of VolCore (general education) courses must be completed. Students may take up to two outstanding courses in the Spring term before entering the upper division.
• Students graduating after July 1, 1978, must have completed one unit of American history in high school or 6 semester hours of collegiate American history, as required by Tennessee law. UT’s History 221-222 courses fulfill this requirement if not completed in high school.

Other Considerations:

• If pursuing a minor, all minor courses must be completed before the junior term begins.
• All progression requirements must be met by the end of the Spring term to advance to upper division courses.
• Applicants will be required to submit a resume, and complete a virtual interview with UT Medical Center.

Interested in learning more about BSN Scholars? Fill out an interest form here.

The baccalaureate nursing curriculum is guided by the following assumptions:

• Persons and their health and well-being are the focus of nursing.
• Nursing is a caring practice profession, an art, and a scientific discipline.
• Persons are influenced by a complex environment (both internal and external) that affects their health and well-being.
• A goal for nursing is to modify environmental factors to promote, maintain and restore health.

The curriculum integrates the themes of holism, diversity, and caring and emphasizes critical thinking, communication and leadership, and management principles and skills.

A broad base of general education, a thorough study of human behavior; an emphasis on health maintenance, promotion, and restoration; and a strong family and community orientation are all essential components of baccalaureate nursing education.

Maintaining a high-quality relevant program responsive to the increasing complexity of health care delivery, the changing health needs of society, and the changing and expanding role of the nurse enables graduates of the program to:

• Assume beginning leadership positions in a variety of settings
• Work collaboratively with other health professionals
• Function as socially conscious and contributing citizens
• Pursue advanced education on either a formal or informal basis

Undergraduate Catalog

• Direct freshman admission to the nursing major
• Freshman Nursing Living and Learning Community on campus
• Active Student Nurses Association within the college
• Excellent clinical experiences at major hospitals, community clinics, health departments, schools, and other health care facilities in the region
• Highly qualified faculty who are experienced teachers, researchers, and leaders in nursing and health care
• Technology-enhanced classrooms and accredited simulation laboratory facilities
• Outstanding preparation for the NCLEX, the national licensing exam for RNs—UT College of Nursing graduates consistently exceed both the state and national pass rates

For more information regarding fees please visit our Undergraduate Tuition & Fees page.

FAQs

Due to the high volume of individual visit requests for prospective students, the College of Nursing holds Information Sessions for those interested in our nursing pathways. More information regarding open houses and information sessions can be found here.

The College of Nursing partners with Army and Air Force ROTC programs to provide multiple pathways for nursing admission into the BSN program.

• Admission into the College of Nursing as a direct freshman entry, a student must have met all competitive criteria used by the faculty of the College of Nursing to earn one of the allocated seats for the freshman class.
• Admission into the College of Nursing through the Change of Major process a student must have met all competitive criteria used by the faculty of the College of Nursing to earn one of the allocated seats for the freshman class.
• If not accepted into the College of Nursing as a direct entry freshman, an ROTC scholar will have a second opportunity for review of admission prior to the start of freshman year. (Preference will be given towards two prospective students who were denied admission at time of review for the direct entry process). Admission into the College of Nursing as a freshman through this process must be selected jointly by the College of Nursing and ROTC. There is a two seat maximum for this pathway.

BSN Handbook