BSN Admissions Guide
Welcome to the Heritage University Nursing Program Admission Guide. Our hope is that we’ve made the admission, application, and selection process easy to understand. Here’s what you need to know.
NURSING ADMISSION PROCESS
Students interested in the BSN Program at Heritage University are advised to carefully review information about the admission process. This is a multi-step process, depending on whether you are a high school senior, a Heritage freshman who graduated recently from high school, a current Heritage University student, or transferring to Heritage from another University.
PRE-NURSING PATHWAY
Pre-nursing Pathway is for the Heritage University student interested in applying to the BSN program. While in pre-nursing, students take General University Core Required (GUCR) courses, along with pre-requisites for the BSN program. Pre-nursing Pathway students are required to achieve C+ or better in each pre-requisite GUCR to remain in pre-nursing. Pre-nursing students are given permission to register for certain nursing Pathway courses required in the BSN program; and remaining in pre-nursing is contingent on achieving B- or better in each nursing course.
REQUEST PLACEMENT INTO PRE-NURSING PATHWAY
Eligibility for Pre-nursing Pathway is determined by the student’s academic advisor, based on the criteria below.
Recent high school graduates admitted to Heritage as freshmen may request placement into Pre-nursing Pathway if they achieved the following:
- High school 3.00 GPA on a 4-point scale.
- Successful completion of these high school courses: English (4 units); college-prep mathematics (3 units); social sciences (2 units); biology and chemistry (2 units). Each course is to be completed with a grade of 2.00 (C) or better.
- Composite ACT score of 23 or better SAT Critical Reading and Mathematics sum score of 1020 SAT or better.
- Compass score consistent with placement into college level MATH 140 and ENG 101 and/or completion of pre-college level coursework placing students into MATH 140 and ENG 101.
Current Heritage University students may request placement into Pre-nursing Pathway if they have achieved the following:
- Overall minimum college GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- Overall minimum college science GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- Completion of CHEM 101 lecture and lab or CHEM 110 lecture and lab with grades of C+ or better.
- Current enrollment or completion of MATH 140 and MATH 140L with grades of C+ or better.
- Completion of at least three of the following with grades of C+ or better: BIOL 110, BIOL 111, ENG 101, PSY 101, SOC 101, PHIL 210, UNIV 101
Transfer students to Heritage University may request placement into Pre-nursing Pathway if they have achieved the following:
- Overall minimum college GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- Overall minimum college science GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- Completion of the equivalent of CHEM 101 lecture and lab or equivalent CHEM 110 lecture and lab with grades of C+ or better.
- Current enrollment in or completion of MATH 140 and MATH 140L with grades of C+ or better.
- Completion of at the equivalent of least three of the following: BIOL 110, BIOL 111, ENG 101, PSY 101, SOC 101, PHIL 210, UNIV 101. C+ or better is required in each of the completed courses.
- Admission to Heritage University.
Students who have completed a Vocational or Practical Nurse Certificate Program are eligible for pre-nursing in the BSN track provided:
- A current valid unencumbered Washington LPN license.
- Overall minimum college GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- A grade of C+ or better in any completed course required for the BSN degree.
- Overall minimum college science GPA of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.
- Completion of the equivalent of CHEM 101 lecture and lab or equivalent CHEM 110 lecture and lab with grades of C+ or better.
- Current enrollment in or completion of MATH 140 and MATH 140L with grade of C+ or better.
- Admission to Heritage University.
Have you placed into the Pre-Nursing Pathway at Heritage University?
Congratulations! You are one step closer to completing the requirements for admission to the BSN program! You have been given special permission to take selected BSN courses. You will be invited to join the Heritage University Nursing Student Association (HUNS), and be affiliated with the Nursing Students of Washington State (NSWS). Your pre-nursing academic advisor will meet with you periodically to review your progress toward your goal of BSN admission. Here’s what you have to do to continue in pre-nursing:
- Register for NURS 103 – Pre-Nursing Pathway. Students placed in pre-nursing have permission to take this non-credit course, and are required to attend once a month classes.
- Keep up your GPA. An overall 3.0 cumulative college GPA is required to apply for admission to the BSN program; and you must have a cumulative science GPA of 2.75 or better.
- Keep up your grades. To apply for admission to the BSN program all courses in pre-nursing must be completed with C+ better; and all NURS courses must be completed with B- (80%) or better.
- Stay focused and balanced. Many new college students need to learn how to balance their lives to be successful in a rigorous pre-nursing pathway.
- Stay in touch with your advisor. Keep your appointments with your advisor. We believe in you. We want you to be part of our community. We care about your successes and struggles, and we’re here to partner with you for your success.
BSN Admission Cycle
All BSN applications should be submitted via the NursingCAS application portal. Please consult the CAS Instructions page.
| Application Due Date*: | If submitted by the due date, Expect a response from the BSN Program by: | |
| Applications due for first round of admissions including completion of HESI A2: | March 31 | April 30 |
| Early Admissions Applications Due for Current High School Seniors requesting admission to the 2nd year (Sophomore year) of the BSN Program: | March 31 | April 30 |
| Applications and completion of HESI A2 due for second round of review and consideration for admission. | June 10 | June 30 |
| Early Admissions Applications Due for recently graduated High School Seniors for admission to the 1st year (pre-nursing year) of the BSN Program: | August 1 at the latest, although earlier is better. | August 15 |
BSN Admission Requirements
The BSN program accepts qualified Pre-nursing Pathway students from Heritage University science majors, as well as transfer students who qualify for direct admission to the BSN program.
For Heritage Pre-Nursing Pathway Students
Success in pre-nursing is required for application to the BSN program, however, completion of Pre-nursing Pathway coursework does not guarantee acceptance into the BSN program. Selection of applicants is competitive, and is based on review of requirements for admission to the BSN program.
To be considered for selection, Heritage University pre-nursing student applicants are required to complete the following:
- Required Prerequisites – Each of the following courses must be completed with C+ or better:
- BIOL 111/111L
- CHEM 101/101L* or CHEM 110/110L
*Competency at the level of MATH 96 is required prior to CHEM 101 - CHEM 202/202L
- ENG 101
- MATH 140/140L
- SOC 101 or PSY 101
- BIOL 340/340L – Anatomy
- Note: BIOL 341/341L – Physiology, is also a required course for the BSN Degree. BIOL 341/341L may be completed in the prenursing year(s) or in the fall of the sophomore year of the BSN Program. Completion of a full Anatomy & Physiology pre-health sciences series (e.g., BIOL& 241 and BIOL& 242 at Washington State community colleges) meets the requirements for both BIOL 340/340L and BIOL 341/341L for the BSN Degree. If transferring in an A&P series from another college, the admissions committee may still require BIOL 341/341L in the fall of the sophomore year to ensure adequate preparation for pathophysiology in spring of the sophomore year.
- Nursing Courses – Completion of these BSN courses are not required for admission, but Heritage students in pre-nursing have permission to take them. Any NURS courses must be completed with B- or better:
- NURS 114W
- NURS 206W
- GPA – Overall College GPA must be 3.0 or higher, with overall science GPA of 2.75 or better.
- HESI Admission Assessment Exam (HESI-A2) – Subjects tested on the exam include: Mathematics, reading, vocabulary, grammar, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology. Information about the HESI A2 testing will be shared with pre-nursing students during the school year by the Nursing Program Director.
- Complete an Application Cover Sheet to the BSN program, available under “Related Forms” on the Nursing Admissions Page.
- Sign and submit a waiver for a background check, available from the Application Portal.
- Submit an essay – a two page statement of education, experience, career goals and personal mission as it relates to the BSN role.
- Submit your application to the BSN Program through NursingCAS.
- Admission Interview may be required.
For Transfer Students
Students fulfilling prerequisites at any accredited university or community college are eligible for application to the BSN program. Completion of prerequisites does not guarantee acceptance into the BSN program. Selection of applicants is competitive, and is based on review of requirements for admission to the BSN program.
To be considered for selection, Heritage University pre-nursing student applicants are required to complete the following:
- Required Prerequisites – Each of the following college level courses must be completed with C+ or better:
- 4 semester or 5 quarter credits of Introduction to General Chemistry with lab
- 4 semester or 5 quarter credits of Organic and Biochemistry with lab
- 4 semester or 5 quarter credits of Introduction to Biology with lab
- 3 semester or 5 quarter credits of college Math at the pre-calculus level
- 3 semester or 5 quarter credits of college English
- 3 semester or 5 quarter credits of college Psychology or Sociology
- GPA – Overall College must be 3.0 or higher, with overall science GPA of 2.75 or better.
- Success on the HESI Admission Assessment Exam (HESI-A2) – Subjects tested on the exam include: Mathematics, reading, vocabulary, grammar, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology. Information about the HESI A2 testing can be accessed by clicking on the link, above.
- Complete an Application Cover Sheet to the BSN program, available under “Related Forms” on the Nursing Admissions Page.
- Sign and submit a waiver for a background check, available from the Application Portal.
- Submit an essay – a two page statement of education, experience, career goals and personal mission as it relates to the BSN role.
- Submit your application to the BSN Program through NursingCAS.
- Admission Interview may be required.
For Graduates of Practical or Vocational Nursing Programs
To be considered for the BSN program, any graduate of a practical or vocational nursing program must hold a current valid unencumbered Washington LPN License, and have met the prerequisites for transfer students.
Helpful tips for transfer students on completing prerequisite courses:
Biology – An Introduction to Biology course will meet the Biology requirement; we recommend that cell biology and molecular genetics content be included in the course. The course must be completed with C+ or better.
Chemistry – To meet the General Chemistry requirement, you may complete an introductory Chemistry course, but it must contain a mathematical component. The course content should contain on-campus labs. A survey chemistry course WILL NOT meets the requirement for Heritage Nursing. To meet the organic and biochemistry requirement, the student may have taken a course in organic and a separate course in biochemistry; or an organic/biochemistry course designed for health science students. The course content should contain on-campus labs.
Nursing Pre-requisite Course Transfer Equivalency
To ensure courses previously completed will transfer to satisfy a nursing pre-requisite, use our Nursing Department Equivalency Guidelines for Local Colleges and Universities. Please note – not all courses may be listed. If you completed a course that is not listed please email a course description or syllabus to Nursing_Admissions@heritage.edu.
Are You Ready to Apply?
Consider applying if you’ve completed or all or most required prerequisite courses with at least C+ or better and will have the remainder of your required courses completed before the program starts.
Application Review
NursingCAS applications are currently being accepted for the cohort starting August 2024.
The Department of Nursing will provide information to students about all aspects of the selection process in a timely manner. We give every application the complete consideration it deserves. We encourage you to meet with us for a personal advisement session where we can discuss your ideas and answer your questions. If you are interested in meeting with the BSN Admissions Advisor please contact Devra Lewis at lewis_d1@heritage.edu and for general admissions inquiries please e-mail: nursing_admissions@heritage.edu.