Choose the path that is best for you!
There are two entry points for you to start earning your undergraduate nursing degree at USI: Direct Admission and Standard Admission:
Direct admission applies only to students who are first-time degree seeking students and who are applying within the first calendar year of high school graduation.
How do I qualify?
To qualify for direct admission, students must have both:
- A high school junior or senior year minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.4 or above on a 4.0 scale
- One standardized exam score that meets the following requirements:
- Combined SAT minimum score of 1210 (a minimum score of 560 in both reading and math)
- ACT minimum composite score of 25
To maintain direct admission status, students must:
- Earn a college GPA of 3.0+ on a 4.0 scale.
- Achieve a grade of "C" or better in required first year courses.
Students will work closely with an advisor to determine an individual schedule.
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Mission of the Standard Admission Process: The mission of the BSN Standard Admission process is to identify compassionate, dedicated applicants, with diverse experiences in leadership and community engagement, who possess a broad knowledge base and the communication skills necessary to grow into nurses who are safe, competent, critical thinkers prepared to meet the constantly evolving needs of the community.
Vision of the Standard Admission Process: Develop nurses who embody attributes needed to become change agents within a global society.
Standard Admission to the undergraduate nursing program may occur after completion of 31 hours of required university courses. Students accepted through the standard admission process must maintain eligibility.
Admission to the program is based upon the following:
- Calculated GPA score using the applicant's first-year courses
- Participation in a personal interview
USI’s undergraduate nursing program uses a paperless application system. Applicants will complete the initial undergraduate nursing program application online.
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Required Prerequisite Courses
To be eligible for admission to the Nursing program, all students must receive a grade of "C" or better in these courses:
BIOL 121: Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 122: Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 272: Medical Microbiology
CHEM 141: Principles of Chemistry
ENG 101: Rhetoric and Composition I
ENG 201: Rhetoric and Composition II
PSY 201: Introduction to Psychology
CMST 101 or CMS 107: Intro to Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communications
One course from either Ways of Knowing/Social Inquiry or BS Skills/Social Science
Additional Prerequisite Courses:
HP 115: Medical Terminology
UNIV 101: First Year Experience
KIN 192: Concepts in Health & Wellness
MATH 114: Quantitative Reasoning
In addition, students will need NUTR 376 (a "C" or better) and HP 302 prior to second semester nursing courses.
Clinical Experiences
USI nursing students will complete clinical experiences in a variety of healthcare and community settings. In order to optimize clinical learning experiences, students may be required to travel up to 70 miles and provide their own transportation to assigned agencies or institutions.
English Proficiency
Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements as established by the USI Center for International Programs.
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Are Your Sights Set on an Advanced Degree?
USI offers BSN graduates a pathway into advanced practice nursing roles. Find out more here:
Graduate Nursing Programs
Standard Admission Application Deadlines
April 1, 2025 – Application Deadline for All Applicants
April 26, 2025 – Interview Date for Standard Applicants
May 16, 2025 – First Year Courses Completed for All Applicants
August 1, 2025 – Application Deadline for All Applicants
August 8, 2025 – First Year Courses Completed for All Applicants
August 30, 2025 – Interview Date for Standard Applicants
April 1, 2026 – Application Deadline for All Applicants
April 25, 2026 – Interview Date for Standard Applicants
May 16, 2026 – First Year Courses Completed for All Applicants
Have More Questions?
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Launch Your Nursing Career with the
University of Southern Indiana's
Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
Are you ready to enter the in-demand field of nursing by obtaining your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree? Nurses – especially BSN prepared nurses – are in high demand and work across nearly all healthcare settings.
At the University of Southern Indiana, our undergraduate nursing program is designed to prepare you – as a professional nurse – to plan, implement and evaluate healthcare for individuals, families and groups in institutional and community settings.
Through USI's nursing degree program, you'll gain direct experience with patients in medical, surgical, pediatric, mental health, women's health and many more clinical and community-based settings. The clinical experience you'll gain through USI's BSN program will prepare you for professional nursing careers in hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, medical clinics, government health organizations and other healthcare facilities.
What Can You Do With a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing?
USI's BSN program focuses on developing your creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Additionally, you'll expand your communication abilities to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing healthcare delivery system.
USI's award-winning faculty possess extensive clinical and classroom experience. You can expect personalized faculty attention that fosters supportive relationships and maximizes your academic and career success.
You'll earn a BSN degree that prepares you to enter the workforce with confidence, experience and career-boosting preparation. Your USI BSN degree will open doors to numerous career paths.
Please refer to the BSN Undergraduate Student Handbook for a list of mandatory requirements.
Students requesting a transfer to USI’s undergraduate nursing program from another nursing program must:
- Be admitted to the University of Southern Indiana. Admission to USI DOES NOT guarantee admission to the Nursing program.
- Meet the Undergraduate Nursing Admission Criteria.
- Complete the undergraduate nursing application process. The application is found on the undergraduate nursing website. All students must meet the admission criteria and apply by the appropriate deadline.
- After admission to the nursing program, course faculty will review those nursing courses completed within the last three years. In collaboration with the Undergraduate Program Chair, the course faculty, will determine if any transfer nursing courses are equivalent to USI undergraduate nursing courses.
- Students who have two nursing courses with grades resulting in a D or F are not eligible for USI’s undergraduate nursing program. However, should the student feel that extenuating circumstances existed and contributed to their unsuccessful nursing courses, an appeal letter may be sent to the Nursing Admission and Progression Committee for review.
- Anatomy and physiology and chemistry course credit must be earned or equivalent competence demonstrated within five years of enrollment in clinical nursing courses.
For more information on Transfer Students, visit this page.
The University of Southern Indiana Nursing Programs use the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials for Baccalaureate, Master’s and Doctoral Education as a foundation to offer high quality programs that meet national standards.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at USI are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Are you an out-of-state student interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at USI or determining if the Nursing Program meets individual state requirements for employment? Check your eligibility.
The Nursing Program is limited to working with certain states in the U.S. only. Moving into a state not recognized by the Nursing Program will lead to inability to continue in your coursework. The exception to this is active military status.
The Nursing program prepares individuals for employment in the state of Indiana upon successful completion of the registered nurse licensure examination (NCLEX-RN).
Gain Real-World Experience and Insights Through USI's Nursing Degree Program
Gain practical, direct experience through clinical hours in a variety of healthcare settings, including acute and primary care, ambulatory care centers and community healthcare agencies. You'll also get many opportunities throughout our undergraduate nursing program to further hone your skills in our Clinical Simulation Center, a realistic healthcare environment offering state-of-the-art technology.
Choose the Nursing Degree Program that Focuses on Your Success
At USI, our BSN program is designed to optimize outcomes for our students and is based on a student-centered foundation of caring, critical thinking, knowledge, competence, communication and professionalism. You'll be supported by teams offering academic advising, counseling, tutoring and professional mentoring.
When you graduate from our BSN program, you can be confident you have a highly respected nursing degree supported by varied clinical experiences that provide a strong foundation for your nursing career.
Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is accredited by the Indiana State Board of Nursing.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at the University of Southern Indiana is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).