BS in Nursing (Traditional) Program

APU’s traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is designed for recent high school graduates. Nursing students receive professional accreditation and clinical practice for their freshman through senior years, and are eligible for public health certification following graduation.

69-71 units

Applicants interested in the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program must meet the following admission requirements:

  1. Submit an application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions indicating interest in becoming a nursing major and pursuing the BSN. Include in that application the following information:
    1. Copies of all high school and college transcripts;
    2. Letters of recommendation as required by the university and the School of Nursing;
    3. A one-page statement of professional goals in nursing;
    4. A résumé reflecting volunteer and work experience within the past three years, including leadership positions within volunteer organizations, community service and/or employment where applicable.
  2. Complete applicable prerequisite courses with a grade of B (3.0) or better, including the following:
    1. One year of high school chemistry (or CHEM 101).
    2. One year of high school biology (or BIOL 101).
    3. Two years of high school math (algebra or geometry) with an SAT math score of 540+ or ACT math score of 23+1 or an A- or higher in precalculus or B or higher in calculus or a passing score on the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS).

  3. Submit proof of achieving the minimum high school, college, or university cumulative grade-point average of B (3.00).
  4. Once a student has received a letter of acceptance into the School of Nursing, proof of the following must be provided prior to the beginning of the first nursing course (UNRS 107):
    1. Successful completion of anatomy with lab (4 units) and chemistry with lab (4 units), with a minimum B- (2.7 grade-point average) and no grade lower than a C (2.0) in each course; (Note: A student is allowed only one opportunity to repeat a single failed science course to try to raise his/her grade prior to beginning nursing (UNRS) courses). A B- (2.7) average must be obtained in all subsequent science coursework with no grade lower than a C (2.0) in each science course or the student will not be allowed to progress in his/her UNRS coursework. If a student is unable to meet the requirements of their conditional admission through the minimum science and overall college grade-point average as stated, the student may be placed on academic probation and will have two subsequent semesters to raise their GPA in order to begin nursing coursework and progress in the nursing program.
    2. Once admitted into the nursing program, students must: (1) Overall: Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (84% or B) or higher in all course work, and no lower than a 2.0 (73% or C) in any course; (2) Science: Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7 (80% or B-) in all science courses, and no lower than a 2.0 (73% or C) in any science course; (3) Nursing (UNRS): Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7 (80% or B-) or higher in core nursing courses or the student will be placed on academic probation.
    3. Receive credit or waiver for college algebra.
    4. WRIT 110 Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing.
1

APU is waiving the SAT/ACT requirements for admission through the 2022-23 academic year.

Transfer Students with Nursing Credit/Previous Education Credit

  1. Transfer applicants who have completed college nursing courses in nationally accredited nursing or other health care programs are evaluated individually and may be given credit for courses that meet the requirements.
  2. Up to 70 units of community college credit and additional units from a university (per registrar’s approval) may be transferred. Applicants may petition to have nursing units transferred from a nationally accredited university, but must receive administrative approval for inclusion in total credits. Students may be awarded credit for prior coursework and clinical experience, including military education and experience, through a challenge examination and/or competency testing. 

International Students

International students are required to meet the same academic and admission requirements as other students in addition to the following:

  1. International students must complete WRIT 110, one of the four required sciences taken at an accredited U.S. university with a minimum grade of C (2.0), and achieve a cumulative grade-point average of B (3.0) in all college courses completed at Azusa Pacific University after two semesters of full-time enrollment.
  2. The admission requirement for international students with English as a second language (ESL) is a minimum TOEFL score of 80 iBT. The School of Nursing specifies that the TOEFL Test of Written English (TWE) and TOEFL Test of Spoken English (TSE) be included in the TOEFL assessment score as these are critical to success in nursing. If the student has taken the IBT (Internet-Based TOEFL), the required score is 85 percent or better.

If there are no TOEFL scores of written and spoken English, the student will be referred to an English training program for successful completion of evaluation and required testing. If deemed necessary, additional ESL courses may be required. (Information about taking the TOEFL examination can be obtained by contacting APU’s International Services.)

NOTE: Please check with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions regarding residency requirements prior to application.

Requirements and Sequences for the Traditional BSN Program

All undergraduate nursing programs are designed with a specific course sequence that is determined by the School of Nursing. When each student is accepted into a program, a progression schedule is reviewed by the student and the advisor. Courses must be taken in the assigned sequence.

The Traditional BSN program is based on a cohort model. All coursework assigned to a specific semester is prerequisite for progression to the next semester. Students in the Traditional BSN program begin their nursing coursework either in the fall or spring semesters and continue in sequence for two consecutive semesters per school year. Depending on cohort admission and sequencing of the curriculum, the length of the program may be 4 or 4½ years. The coursework is as follows:

UNRS 107
107P
Foundations of Professional Nursing
and Foundations of Professional Nursing Practicum 1
4 (3/1)
UNRS 108Fundamentals in Nursing Practice2
UNRS 113Pharmacology2
UNRS 212
212P
Nursing Care of Adults and the Aging
and Nursing Care Of Adults/Aging Practicum
6 (3/3)
UNRS 220Health Assessment3 (2/1)
UNRS 260Nutrition2
UNRS 299Statistics and Data Management for Nursing and Health Care 23
UNRS 306Writing 2: Theoretical Frameworks in Nursing 33
UNRS 310
310P
Mental Health Nursing
and Mental Health Nursing Practicum
4 (2/2)
UNRS 314
314P
Nursing Management and Restorative Care of Adults
and Nursing Management and Restorative Care of Adults Practicum
6 (3/3)
UNRS 367Pathophysiology3
UNRS 382
382P
Community Health Nursing
and Community Health Nursing Practicum 4
3 (1/2)
Select one of the following:3-5
International Health Nursing
and International Health Nursing Practicum 5, 6
Urban/Rural Health Nursing
and Urban Health Nursing Practicum 5
UNRS 402
402P
Nursing Care in Maternal, Newborn, and Women's Health
and Nursing Care in Maternal, Newborn, and Women's Health Practicum
4 (2/2)
UNRS 403Leadership and Management in Professional Practice2
UNRS 404
404P
Nursing Care of Children and Young Adults
and Nursing Care of Children and Young Adults Practicum
4 (2/2)
UNRS 414
414P
Advanced Nursing Care of Adults
and Advanced Nursing Care of Adults Clinical Practicum 7
6 (2/4)
UNRS 425Nursing Research3
UNRS 496Writing 3: Ethics and Issues in Health Care 84
UNRS 445Applied Pharmacology2
TOTAL UNITS69-71
1

Numbers in parentheses are classroom/clinical or lab units.

2

Meets the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement; may be waived by petition with an AP Stats test score of 3 or greater.

3

Meets the General Education Writing 2 requirement.

4

Meets the General Education Civic Knowledge and Engagement requirement.

5

Meets the General Education Intercultural Competence requirement.

6

Must apply to and be selected by the School of Nursing Global and Community Health Committee (GCHC).

7

Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.

8

Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement. 

Additional Nursing Requirements

BIOL 220General Microbiology4
BIOL 200Human Anatomy for Nursing (BIOL 200 is equivalent to BIOL 250 ) 14
BIOL 210Human Physiology for Nursing (BIOL 210 is equivalent to BIOL 251) 24
CHEM 123General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry for the Health Sciences (Meets GE requirement of Natural Sciences) 34
PSYC 110General Psychology 43
PSYC 290Human Growth and Development 43
Additional General Education Requirements
GE 100First-Year Seminar 53
COMM 111Public Communication 63
PE 1XX Fitness for Life/Varsity Sport1
MIN 108Christian Life, Faith, and Ministry 73
WRIT 110Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing 83
UBBL 100Introduction to Biblical Literature: Exodus/Deuteronomy 73
UBBL 230Luke/Acts 73
PHIL 100Introduction to Philosophy 93
3XX/4XXBible 103
THEO 3XX Doctrine Requirement3
Humanities: History3
Humanities: Literature3
Humanities: Fine Arts3
Foreign Language Proficiency 11
Total Units59
1

BIOL 200 is equivalent to BIOL 250.

2

BIOL 210 is equivalent to BIOL 251.

3

Meets the General Education Natural Sciences requirement.

4

Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement.

5

Meets the General Education Intellectual and Practical Skills requirement. 

6

Meets the General Education Oral Communication requirement. 

7

Meets the General Education Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Formation requirement. 

8

Meets the General Education Writing 1 requirement.

9

Meets the General Education Philosophy requirement.

10

May meet the General Education Upper-Division Bible requirement. 

11

Foreign Language Proficiency requirement may be met by APU proficiency test, SAT, AP, CLEP, FLATS, or OPIc test score, or completion of an APU language course numbered 102 or higher.

Recommended Nursing Electives for the Traditional Program

UNRS 120Fundamentals of Human Nutrition3
UNRS 280Life Cycle Nutrition3
UNRS 281Introduction to Global Health Care (Prerequisite for UNRS 282 and UNRS 383) 11
UNRS 282
282P
Transcultural Health Care: Country Specific
and Transcultural Health Care: Country Specific- Practicum (1/1-3)
2-4
UNRS 300Complementary and Alternative Therapies: Herbs, Supplements, and Nutrition3
UNRS 320Cultural Aspects of Food and Nutrition3
UNRS 444Clinical Specialization Elective1-2
UNRS 445Applied Pharmacology 22
UNRS 495Special Topics in Nursing1-4
KIN 360Nutrition for Exercise and Sport Science3
SPAN 103Elementary Spanish I for Healthcare Professionals 33
SPAN 104Elementary Spanish II for Healthcare Professionals 33
HIST 235Cultural History/Travel Study (Country-Specific) 1, 43
GLBL 425Integration and Formation Seminar 11
MODL 101Modern Language I (Introduction to Zulu; South Africa Semester only) 33
1

Required for School of Nursing Study Away Semester.

2

Elective course prior to fall 2022.

3

Meets the General Education Foreign Language requirement.

4

Meets the General Education Intercultural Competence requirement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:
  1. Utilize a Christian worldview to integrate beliefs, values, ethics, and service in personal and professional life.
  2. Provide nursing care utilizing professional knowledge and core competencies (critical thinking, communication, assessment, and technical skills) derived from a foundation of nursing science, General Education, and religious studies.
  3. Demonstrate initiative for continual personal and professional growth and development.
  4. Act as a patient educator and advocate to promote optimal health and well-being.
  5. Function independently and collaboratively, as a leader and/or member of the healthcare team, to manage and coordinate care.