Nursing, Bachelor of Science (BSN)
The purpose of North Georgia's baccalaureate nursing program is to prepare the RN to practice as a professional nurse in primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings providing care for individuals, various ages, families, and communities as clients, with an emphasis on the rural community. The BSN program is approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).
The BSN program is designed to coordinate upper-division general academic and nursing courses. A total of 58 hours of college credit beyond the associate degree is required. Academic and nursing courses are offered on the North Georgia campus and on-line. Three to four semesters are required to complete the baccalaureate nursing program, depending on previous course credits, student preference and availability of faculty. All graduates of the major must pass the clinical component of NURS 4410, and NURS 4600 as well as NURS 3330 performance exam. An accelerated nursing program featuring classes one day per week is available on the North Georgia campus. All classes are also offered on-line. Students are required to have basic computer skills before enrolling for the online courses.
BSN faculty assists students in selecting clinical experiences in primary, secondary, and tertiary health care settings that reflect the individual course outcomes. Baccalaureate nursing students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from campus and the clinical setting.
Those baccalaureate nursing students seeking an Army commission must meet the requirements of the military science courses of the Senior Division Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program established by the Department of the Army. Completion of ROTC basic course, advanced course, and advanced camp is required. Students should refer to the Department of Military Science section for courses and requirements.
Admission Requirements - B.S.N. Program
- All applicants seeking admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program must be accepted to North Georgia College & State University prior to acceptance into the nursing program. Applications are available on the website for nursing and are submitted on-line. Completed applications for the nursing program are due by February 1 for fall admissions and November 1 for spring admission, if offered.
- Successful completion of an Associate of Science in Nursing degree or a diploma in nursing is required.
- The core courses required at the associate degree level should be successfully completed before enrolling in BSN program, including satisfaction of U.S. & Georgia History and Constitution requirements.
- Following acceptance to North Georgia, applicants must contact the Department of Nursing to initiate the admission process for nursing classes.
- Applicants must have a 2.5 overall grade point average for admission to the BSN program.
- Applicants must have a grade of C or above in each course in Anatomy and Physiology and in Medical Microbiology, either taken at North Georgia or accepted for transfer.
- The North Georgia College & State University BSN program has adopted the RN-BSN articulation model approved by the University System of Georgia. Validation testing will be required of all associate degree or diploma graduates who graduated from non-NLN accredited schools outside the state of Georgia, who graduated more than four years ago, and have less than 1,000 clinical practice hours. Contact the Department of Nursing for additional information.
- Students are held accountable for mastery of all psychomotor skills representative of technical education. The Department of Nursing will provide students with a list of selected skills and evaluation criteria.
- References should be listed on the application to the nursing program (one reference from an employer and one from a former professor are preferred).
- Applicants must appear for an interview if requested. Faculty has the prerogative to request a student interview.
- Students who meet all admission requirements other than passing NCLEX scores may be admitted to the program and allowed to enroll in the following non-clinical nursing courses: 3110, 3150, 3330, 3580, and/or 3410, 3200, 3210.
- Students seeking readmission to the BSN program must request readmission in writing to the BSN Coordinator at least one semester in advance of enrollment and must have a 2.5 institutional grade point average in order to be eligible for readmission. Readmission is based on availability and discretion of faculty.
- Students must make a C or above in Area A and Area D courses.
- Students must meet the clinical requirements before final admission and complete RN licensure by the end of the fall semester after admission to the BSN program or NURS 3110. Clinical requirements are due at the time of admission to the BSN program except for completion of NCLEX at the end of the first semester.
Information Concerning Application For Admission
Applicants who have never been enrolled at North Georgia College & State University are to apply directly to the Office of Admissions for admission to North Georgia. North Georgia College & State University graduates must seek readmission to the university. Following acceptance to North Georgia, applicants must contact the Department of Nursing to initiate the admission process for baccalaureate nursing classes.
Applicants who are accepted to North Georgia College & State University are to apply on-line directly to the Department of Nursing for admission to the BSN program.
The application deadline is February 1 for fall admission and November 1 for spring admission, if offered. North Georgia acceptance must be current for the year in which the student plans to enroll in nursing.
Students who have been advised to complete the four subtests of the National League for Nursing Profile II should write for applications from the Office of Testing, North Georgia College & State University.
After the applicant is accepted and has indicated by letter of intent to enroll, additional information will be sent to the applicant concerning liability insurance and clinical requirements which are due before beginning the first semester of course work.
Students must submit a current health examination form showing evidence of good health signed by a health care provider. Additional clinical requirements must be met prior to beginning the BSN program.
Completion of a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support course for health care providers is required as well as proof of professional liability insurance. A copy of the student's Georgia RN license is required to be on file and specified immunizations.
Enrollment in the baccalaureate nursing class is limited. Enrollment is determined by the availability of nursing faculty, laboratory space and clinical facilities.
Students from other Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs may transfer to North Georgia Department of Nursing after meeting the requirements for regularly admitted students to the university and the Department of Nursing. Applicants need a copy of all nursing course materials and a letter from the director explaining their status upon withdrawal from the nursing program. Placement in the nursing curriculum will be determined by the BSN faculty.
Academic Standards for Progression
A student must meet the following requirements in order to progress in the nursing program:
- maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or higher;
- achieve a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in each nursing course before proceeding to the next nursing course;
- achieve a grade of C or higher in all core curriculum courses
- pass all summative laboratory/clinical components of each nursing course. An F (fail) evaluation on nursing laboratory/clinical course components means an automatic grade of 0.0 (F) in the course;
- repeat only one nursing course while progressing through the nursing program;
- earn satisfactory grades in elective courses so that these courses will not interfere with progress in the curriculum (e.g., the institutional GPA falls below 2.0 or the student does not have enough hours to graduate);
- complete 30 hours of upper level courses in the major at North Georgia to be eligible for graduation; and
- adhere to all policies of North Georgia, Department of Nursing and clinical agencies.
BSN Degree Requirements
Core Curriculum Requirements |
60 Hours |
All baccalaureate programs at North Georgia have as a requirement the satisfactory completion of at least 60 semester credit hours comprising the six areas of the core curriculum. A complete description of Areas A-E of the core curriculum can be found in Core Curriculum. Individual degree programs may specify exceptions and/or particular courses which must be taken within each Area A-E of the core curriculum. Those exceptions and/or course requirements and Area F of the core curriculum are shown below.
A student is required to complete the BSN degree within four years of admission to the first BSN course (NURS 3110).
Area A |
no exceptions |
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Area B |
no exceptions |
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Area C |
no exceptions |
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Area D |
Nursing majors must complete CHEM 1151, 1151L and 1152, 1152L or, BIOL 1107K, and 1108K or PHYS 1111, 1111L and 1112, 1112L or BIOL 1010, 1010L and 1260 and 1260L; and Math 2400 . |
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Area E |
no exceptions |
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Area F. Nursing Major |
18 hours |
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8 hours |
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4 hours |
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3 hours |
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*Guided Electives
3 hours from one of the following:
3 hours |
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3 hours |
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FLAN 1001 |
3 hours |
*if taken in another area, hours should be taken in an additional guided elective not previously taken.
Courses in Nursing Science
NURS 1100, 1110, 1020, 1130, 2110, 2130, 2140, 2160 or equivalents |
33 hours |
32 hours |
Other Requirement-Electives
One course from the following:
2 hours |
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* Students enrolling in on-line courses are required to have basic computer skills.
Other Requirements:
U.S. and Georgia Constitution & History requirement
Regents' requirement