Nursing Major, BS in Nursing

Freshman Admission

Selection is highly competitive and based primarily on academic achievement at the high school level and scores on the ACT and/or SAT, as well as interest in and commitment to nursing. Students admitted into the College of Nursing must (1) achieve a minimum 3.20 grade point average at the conclusion of all required lower-division work, (2) achieve a minimum grade of C or better in all courses, (3) maintain full-time study at UT in order to begin upper-division nursing coursework, and (4) submit an intent to progress by January 20 of the sophomore year.

Change of Major or Transfer Students

Students currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee in another college/major may apply for an open position in the nursing program. Students will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA for courses completed (minimum 3.20 GPA required to be eligible)
• Cumulative GPA for required science, social science, math, and English courses
• Number of course withdrawals and repetitions
• Grade improvement over time
• Probability of completing all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum prior to fall semester
• Interest in and commitment to nursing
• Availability of space

The admissions process is highly selective, with more qualified applicants than spaces available. In recent years, the number and competitiveness of applicants have increased dramatically; therefore, students are encouraged to continue to progress in their current major while completing prerequisite courses.

If a student is selected for admission but then fails to successfully complete all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum (with exception of Arts and Humanities and Cultures and Civilizations) with a grade of C or better prior to the fall semester, the student will not progress and must submit another application the following year.

For admission into the upper division nursing courses (which only begin each fall semester), students must:

• Complete all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum prior to the fall semester.
• Submit a BSN Application to UT’s College of Nursing Student Services Office by January 20.
• Attach transcript(s) of all college/university coursework to application.
  • UTK Students: Attach an Academic History Report (available via MyUTK)
  • Transfer Students: Attach official or unofficial transcript(s)
• Participate in a 15-20 minute interview with College of Nursing faculty.
• Applicants who fail to submit a required application item by the deadline or fail to schedule or attend the interview will be ineligible for consideration.

uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.