Pre-Nursing
Essential Courses
| Course # | Title | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 105 | Biological Diversity and Ecology | 3 | None |
| BI 121 | Biology Lab I | 1 | BI 105 (corequisite) |
| BI 106 | Structure and Function of Cells and Organisms | 3 | BI 105 and CH 105 |
| BI 122 | Biology Lab II | 1 | BI 105 and BI 121; CH 122 (corequisite) |
| CH 105 | Organic Chemical Concepts I | 3 | None |
| CH 121 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 | CH 105 (corequisite) |
| CH 106 | Organic Chemical Concepts II | 3 | CH 105 (with C or better) |
| CH 122 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 1 | CH 121; CH 106 (corequisite) |
| BI 207 | Dynamics of Biological Processes | 4 | BI 106, CH 106, CH 230 |
| BI 290 | Nutrition | 3 | None |
| CH 230 | Bioinorganic Chemistry | 3 | CH 105 |
| BI 305 | Biostatistics | 4 | BI 106 or ES 100 |
| or | |||
| ND.SS 214 | Statistics for Social Sciences | 4 | None |
| SW 221 | The Life Cycle | 3 | SO 101 or PY 101 |
| PY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | None |
| PY 203 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 | PY 101 |
| BI 310 | Physiology | 4 | BI 207 |
| BI 367 | Comparative Anatomy | 3 | BI 106, BI 122; BI 368 (corequisite) |
| BI 368 | Comparative Anatomy Laboratory | 1 | BI 367 (corequisite) |
| BI 331 | Microbiology | 3 | BI 207; BI 332 (corequisite) |
| BI 332 | Microbiology Lab | 1 | BI 331 (corequisite) |
| SO 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 | None |
| PL 106 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 | None |
| Varies | American Culture or Ethnic Studies | 3 | Varies |
| EN___ | English Course | 3 | Varies |
| Varies | Social Science course | 3 | Varies |
| Varies | Humanities course | 3 | Varies |
Important Notes:
- Recommend Communication courses, Ethics of Health Care, foreign language (especially Spanish), Death and Dying, religion, economics, business, Aging and Society, Mental & Physical Handicaps, Minorities, Social Problems and Social Welfare, abnormal or social psychology, arts, history, and political science.
- These courses reflect requirements for our affiliations with the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, and Johns Hopkins only. Although this course list will be sufficient for most other programs, make sure to check requirements of schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- Note: The nursing school prerequisites of Physiology and Microbiology require Juniata students to also take Bioinorganic Chemistry and Dynamics of Biological Processes to fulfill our prerequisites for these pre-nursing courses. Students, especially those who are not Biology majors, may consider taking Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology elsewhere over the summer. Please consult with your health professions advisor.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE, preferably in an academic area, in consultation with your advisor. Note: If you are in a 3 +_ program, course work during the first year of professional school can count toward upper level POE requirements.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee, preferably Dr. Darwin Kysor or Dr. Debra Kirchhof-Glazier.
- In addition to your course work it is mandatory to gain experience in nursing either during the school year or over the summer.
2008-09 REQUIREMENTS
Case Western Reserve University
Regular Progression OR 3 + 4 B.S. / M.S.N. / D.N.P. Program* also (BS) + MSN/DNP Program
Johns Hopkins University
Regular Progression OR 3 + 1, 3 + 2, 4 + 1, or 4 + 2 B.S.N. programs and
Regular Progression OR 3 + 1 + _, 3 + 2 + _, or 4 + 1 + _ Entry Level B.S./B.S.N./M.S.N. Programs*
| Course | Case Western | Johns Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| Biology I and II with Lab | recommended | need for Juniata |
| Chemistry I and II with Lab | at least 6 credits within past 5 years | 6-8 |
| Sociology or Anthropology | 3 | 3 (Sociology) |
| Life Cycle | 3 | 3 (Life Span) |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 |
| Abnormal Psychology | - | - |
| Humanities/Literature** | recommended | 6** |
| English Composition** | 3 | 3 |
| Statistics*** | 3 credits with ANOVA within past 5 years | 3 |
| Physiology and Lab | 6 total with anatomy and lab with past 5 years | 4 |
| Anatomy and Lab | 6 total with physiology and lab within past 5 years | 4 |
| Microbiology and Lab | 4 | 4 |
| Logic, Philosophy, or Ethics | - | - |
| Social Sciences | - | 6*** |
| American Culture/ Ethnic Studies | - | - |
| Nutrition | recommended | 3 |
| Electives | - | 13-15 |
* Actual years required to complete the master's programs depend on the specialty selected. For 4 + 1 Hopkins programs, see abbreviated requirements below
** For Johns Hopkins can include English, literature, logic, philosophy, ethics, foreign language, math, history of art or music; For Jefferson can include composition II, literature, or speech communication
***6 additional credits in a variety of disciplines: anthropology, sociology, economics, geography, history, political science, and psychology.
****American history, Western Civilization and religious studies are NOT appropriate courses.
Notes: Case Western: 90 semester hours; 3.0 GPA required with at least 2.5 GPA in natural and behavioral sciences and C or better in all prerequisites. GRE verbal and quantitative scores of at least 500 and analytical writing score of at least 4.0 (MAT test with a score of at least 400 is acceptable). 3 recommendations (at least one faculty) or a Committee letter; apply 6-9 months in advance. Certificate of Professional Nursing awarded after Levels I and II. Johns Hopkins: For all the Hopkins programs a science and overall GPA of at least 3.2 is preferred. 4 + 1 or 4 + 2 programs require Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology, Nutrition, Life Cycle, and Statistics (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology courses must not be more than 5 years old) as prerequisites.
Competitive Credentials- 2.8-2.9 Science and overall GPA for BSN; minimum 3.0 Science and overall GPA for master’s programs; GRE of 500 or better in Verbal and Quantitative sections and at least 4 in Analytical Writing . See above for Johns Hopkins GPA guidelines.
Helpful websites
- American Association of College of Nursing - http://www.aacn.nche.edu
- American Nurses Association - http://www.nursingworld.org
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners - http://www.aanp.org/default.asp
- Case Western University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing - http://fpb.cwru.edu/
- General Information - http://www.discovernursing.com
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing - http://www.son.jhmi.edu/
- Overview of nursing programs- http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/programs.php
- National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists - http://www.nacns.org
SUGGESTED CORE PROGRESSIONS FOR
Pre-NURSING
Regular Start; No Acceleration and No Study Abroad Junior Year
Bolded courses are offered only in the indicated semester and/or require a specific sequence due to Juniata prerequisites. Non-bolded courses are either offered in both semesters or represent open-ended choices, making them more flexible in when they can be taken. Course progressions after the freshman year are not carved in stone. Your particular course sequence may be different, depending on your situation. Consult with your advisor.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | BI 105 | Biology Lab II |
| Biology Lab I | Organic Chemistry Concepts II (if C or better in OCC I) and Lab | |
| Organic Chemistry Concepts I and Lab | Sociology | |
| Psychology |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | BI 106 | BI 207 |
| Bioinorganic Chemistry | English course | |
| Ethics | Abnormal Psychology | |
| Nutrition (offered odd years only) | American Culture/Ethnic Studies | |
| Humanities course |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Anatomy and Lab | Social Science course |
| Physiology | Statistics | |
| Life Cycle |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | Microbiology and Lab |
Finish the Junior Year courses for either the regular start or delayed chemistry progression no later than the summer before the year you intend to apply OR during senior year (this latter plan may delay your application until after you graduate from Juniata).
If you delay the start of Organic Chemistry I to the spring of freshman year be aware that Organic Chem Lab I is offered ONLY in the fall and Organic Chem II lab is offered ONLY in the spring. Also consider whether or not it is wise in your particular situation to take Organic Chem II with Bioinorganic Chemistry your sophomore year.
If you do an accelerated program plan to finish most or all of the prerequisite courses the year before your final year at Juniata. If you have one or two courses to complete your final year at Juniata, you could be conditionally accepted to professional school based on your academic record up to that point and on successful completion of the remaining prerequisite courses.
If you study abroad the SAFEST strategy is to take ALL prerequisite courses for professional school in the U.S., which may require you to take courses in the U.S. over the summer, preferably at a 4 year institution. However, if this is extremely difficult for your situation, check with the professional schools you wish to attend to see if they will accept courses taken abroad and if so, get their response in writing. Also if you have a Biology POE and will not have BI 207 by the time you go abroad, check with the Biology Department to see if there is a Cell and Molecular course you can take abroad that will enable you to take upper level biology offerings at Juniata your senior year that require BI 207 (ex. Physiology, Immunology, and Microbiology)
Be mindful of your POE courses, which are NOT indicated here. For example, if you have a Biology POE, you will need to take Freshman seminar the fall of your freshman year, Frontiers of Biology either semester your sophomore year, and Biology 207 at your earliest opportunity after completing Bioinorganic Chemistry.