Admission Requirements

Eligibility

In order to start the RN to BSN program at Illinois State University, students must meet the following eligibility requirements.  Applicants may still be in progress toward completing the Associate Degree in Nursing, nursing prerequisites, and general education courses at the time of application.  

General Requirements

• Get your degree. Graduate from a state-approved diploma school of nursing or an associate degree nursing program (ADN).
• Pass NCLEX in your state. Become licensed as a registered nurse (RN) in the current state of residence. If you have licensure in multiple states, make sure they are all unencumbered in every state.
• Have a 2.0 GPA or higher. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Cumulative GPA refers to all courses completed that have generated college credit.
• Meet health and safety compliance requirements. After you enroll, an advisor will reach out to you about getting these fulfilled. These will include drug testing, a criminal background check, a physical examination, and immunizations.
• International applicants must comply with the International Applicant Requirements as directed by the Illinois State University Office of Admissions. Please apply early in the application time frame to ensure adequate time to review transcripts.

Coursework Requirements

Complete the following courses or equivalents with a C or better.  Coursework must total 55 credit hours.  

IAI General Education

IAI C1 900	Writing Composition I*	3 credit hours
IAI C2 900	Oral Communication (Speech)*	3 credit hours
IAI C3 901	Writing Composition II*	3 credit hours
IAI M1 900	Mathematics	3 credit hours
IAI P1 900	Physical Science	4 credit hours
IAI L1 900	Life Science	3 credit hours
IAI	Social & Behavioral Science: 3 courses needed from 2 disciplines	9 credit hours total
IAI	Humanities & Fine Arts: 3 courses total, at least 1 humanities and 1 fine arts	9 credit hours total

Nursing Prerequisites

PSY 110	General Psychology
PSY 213	Lifespan Development
BSC 160	Microbiology
BSC 181 or KNR 181/183	Anatomy and Physiology I
BSC 182 or KNR 182/184	Anatomy and Physiology II
FCS 102	Nutrition

Helpful Notes

• Some Nursing Prerequisites count for IAI General Education. Contact your academic advisor with questions.
• Transfer Guide: You can find more information on how courses transfer from other colleges in Illinois. Check out our Transferring to Illinois State guide.
• Global Studies Course: You may consider completing an approved Illinois State global studies course (AMALI) prior to admission into Nursing. Though you don't need an AMALI course to start, it is a requirement for graduation with your BSN, so completing it early will allow for a reduced workload. Students with an earned bachelor's degree in another discipline upon admission are exempt from this requirement. Approved global studies courses may be found in the Illinois State University Undergraduate Catalog.
• IDEAS course (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in the U.S. Society):  This course is an ISU graduation requirement and often can be a course completed to meet IAI general education requirements as well.  Coursefinder.ilstu.edu is a helpful site for identifying ISU courses that meet this requirement.  Use the same transfer guides noted above to find a course equivalent at your Community College.  

Post-Admission Requirements

Health and Safety Compliance

All students entering their respective nursing program are expected to be compliant with all health & safety requirements of the University, MCN, and the clinical sites they are assigned to or have selected, at all times. In addition to any University and MCN expectations, all students engaged in a clinical for credit are subject to any applicable policies and/or procedures of the clinical site, including immunizations and other requests. Upon admission, students receive a comprehensive list of health & safety compliance requirements that must be adhered to prior to nursing course registration.  These include but are not limited to the following: immunizations, blood titers, TB skin test, influenza vaccination, COVID-19 vaccine, criminal background checks, and drug tests. If clinical experience requires more than ISU/MCN, students must meet the requirements of their clinical site by providing documentation as directed by the clinical site (i.e., directly to the site following their guidelines for compliance and/or through the College with an appropriate release). Students must comply with these requirements to receive an override to register or remain registered for clinical.  More details related to health and safety can be found in the Health and Safety section of the Student Handbooks.  Students should refer to their Health and Safety packets to be aware of requirements and deadlines.

Retention in the Major

RN to BSN students admitted to the major with a minimum of 55 credit hours must:

• Maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA to remain in the major.
• Obtain a C or better in all nursing courses; dismissal from the major will result when a student receives a grade of less than C in any two nursing courses or twice for the same course.
• Maintain consecutive fall-spring enrollment at the university. Any student who has not been enrolled in ISU coursework for more than one fall or spring semester or who has been academically dismissed from the major must reapply to the major. Readmission will be granted on a selective basis.
• Meet all health and safety compliance requirements.

Those students who are dismissed from the major will be changed to "Undeclared" major status.