Nursing, B.S.N. Degree/RN to BSN Track (formerly Capstone)

Major Requirements

The major requires 73 hours as follows:

• BIOL 291 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Credits: (4)
• BIOL 292 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Credits: (4)
• HSCC 260 - Etiology of Infectious Diseases Credits: (3)
• NSG 301 - Professional Transitions in Nursing Credits: (3)
• NSG 302 - Community Health Nursing I: Theory Credits: (3)
• NSG 305 - Community Health Nursing III: Intervention Project Credits: (1)
• NSG 384 - Community Health Nursing II: Practicum Credits: (2)
• NSG 398 - APA Writing Style and Format Credits: (1)
• NSG 399 - Clinical Update for RN’s Credits: (2)

• Credit by validation on successful completion of NSG 399.

• NSG 460 - Nursing Leadership I: Theory Credits: (3)
• NSG 471 - Nursing Research I: Research Process Credits: (2)
• NSG 472 - Nursing Research II: Critical Reading Credits: (2)
• NSG 473 - Nursing Research III: Clinical Application Credits: (2)
• NSG 483 - Nursing Leadership II: Practicum Credits: (2)
• NSG 484 - Nursing Leadership III: Intervention Project Credits: (1)
• PSY 150 - General Psychology Credits: (3)

• (or approved substitute)

Electives

General electives (13 hours) are required to complete the program. Eight of these hours must be from WCU at the upper-division level to satisfy degree requirements.

RN to MSN early-entry option:

Purpose:  To assist selected RNs with good academic records to move smoothly through the RN to BSN curriculum directly into MS(N) study for advanced nursing roles. Normally, the student would take 8 semester hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives to complete the BSN.  These electives could be replaced with up to 8 hours of WCU MS(N) graduate-level work, reducing the time needed to complete both degrees by one semester.

Students interested in this option should consult with both their RN to BSN advisor and the RN to MS(N) advisor.

Application requirements for the RN to MS(N) early-entry option:

• Admission to and enrollment in the WCU RN to BSN program.
• Completion of at least 12 of the required 24 hours of WCU RN to BSN NSG courses, with projected completion of the remaining hours before or during the semester of application to the WCU RN to MS(N) early-entry option.
• GRE submitted with acceptable scores
• Statistics course completed from any accredited institution in any discipline
• GPA of 3.00 on last 60 hours or cumulative post-secondary GPA of 2.85
• Professional statement and resume’

Enrollment in the RN to MS(N) entry option does not guarantee admission to the MS(N) program.  Admission of the RN to MS(N) applicant is provisional until the BSN is successfully completed. 

If RN students are admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU, this option replaces the WCU undergraduate upper-division electives needed for the RN to BSN with up to eight hours of MS(N) graduate credits.  The BSN is then awarded by WCU.

If RN students are admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU but elect not to finish it, they may apply any combination of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives with WCU MS(N) graduate credits for a total of eight hours to complete the BSN.

If RN students are not admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU, they may still complete the BSN by taking eight hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives.

Visit the department’s website at http://www.wcu.edu/4193.asp to view the semester curriculum guide.