Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Our society depends on health care providers. Nurses are a vital partner with other professionals who design and deliver health care in the 21st Century. And you are needed now more than ever.

nurses with patient

Why be a TWU Nurse?

For more info, check the degree plan below.

Apply for Admission

There are two steps to apply for the BSN program at TWU. An application will not be considered until BOTH steps are completed.

1. Apply for undergraduate admission to TWU. See more information below.

2. Submit an application through NursingCAS, to the College of Nursing by the application deadline:

Undergraduate Admission

When you apply to TWU, we will evaluate your academic achievement and preparation, as well as your standardized test scores. Admission to TWU is valid for four terms, unless you have attended another higher education institution.

Check out the links below for specific admissions information:

Questions about the admissions process? Contact the Office of Admissions Processing.

Office of Admissions
Texas Woman’s University
P.O. Box 425649
Denton, TX 76204-5649
oap@twu.edu
940-898-3076 or 1-866-809-6130 ext. 3076

Admission for Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses

Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses Seeking a First Bachelor's Degree

All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements. Individuals apply to the University and indicate "Nursing Entry (BSN)" as a major on the application. On admission to the University, students are classified as nursing-entry majors and meet with academic advisors in the College of Nursing.

The program is four years in length. The first four semesters consist of lower-division prerequisite courses that meet the University core curriculum and courses which are the essential foundation for nursing education. Upper-division nursing courses are taught in the last four semesters and are offered only in Dallas and Houston. Academic advisors are available at each campus to assist students in the evaluation of prior course work, selection of equivalent courses, and verification of eligibility. The following list constitutes the lower-division prerequisite courses.

Language, Philosophy and Culture core Creative Arts core Multicultural Women's Studies core Additional Mathematics or Wellness core

Substitutions will be made, when applicable, to TWU core curriculum requirements, if those requirements are met at another Texas public institution of higher learning. Transfer students who have completed a Texas core curriculum from a Texas public institution are not required to complete additional courses at TWU to meet the TWU core curriculum.

Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses with a Prior Bachelor's Degree in Another Field

Individuals with a prior bachelor's degree are not required to meet the TWU core curriculum. Prerequisites for those with a prior bachelor's degree are limited to the nursing foundation courses and the state required history and government courses, as listed below. Courses taken for the first degree will not have to be repeated if they are determined to be equivalent.

Course List
CodeTitleSCHs
HIST 1013
& HIST 1023 		History of the United States, 1492-1865
and History of the United States, 1865 to the Present		 6
POLS 2013
& POLS 2023 		U.S. National Government
and Texas Government		 6
PSY 1603 Developmental Psychology (Lifespan) 3
MATH 1703 Elementary Statistics I 3
NFS 2323 Introduction to Nutrition 3
Chemistry with corresponding laboratory 4
BACT 1003
& BACT 1001 		Microbiology
and Microbiology Laboratory		 4
ZOOL 2013
& ZOOL 2011 		Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory		 4
ZOOL 2023
& ZOOL 2021 		Human Anatomy and Physiology II
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory		 4
Total SCHs 37

Transfer Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses from Another Nursing Program

Non-nurses previously enrolled in another nursing program must meet the same prerequisite and admission requirements as other TWU pre-licensure students, and be accepted both by Texas Woman's University and the TWU College of Nursing. Additionally, the following requirements must be met.

  1. Nursing courses were completed within a nursing program that has national nursing accreditation.
  2. A grade of C or higher was earned in all nursing courses (including pathophysiology).
  3. Nursing courses transferred in for credit must have been completed within the last five years.
  4. Eligibility to continue in or return to the previous nursing program must be verified by a letter of good standing from the dean of the previous program. The letter of good standing should be uploaded to your NursingCAS application or sent to the Director of Nursing Admissions.
  5. Applicants must submit to the College of Nursing a course syllabus for each completed nursing course for evaluation. If the course(s) is/are determined to be equivalent to TWU nursing courses, credit may be granted.
  6. At least 30 of the last 62 SCH have to be completed at TWU.
  7. A minimum of 45 SCH has to be completed at TWU to graduate with honors.
  8. Successful completion of a minimum of 25% of the total SCH required for the degree must be taken at TWU.
  9. If a transfer student has not been enrolled in a nursing program for more than one year, placement test(s) and clinical skills assessment may be required to determine the level of entry into the nursing program.

Application for Upper-Division Nursing: Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses

Only students accepted to the College of Nursing may enroll in upper-division nursing courses. Class space in nursing courses is limited and admission to the College of Nursing is competitive. Admission to upper-division nursing courses is based on grade point averages for prerequisite coursework, admission assessment test scores, and the faculty’s evaluation of all responses submitted to all sections of the admissions application, including short answers to questions posed to applicants about their leadership experiences and self-assessment of their personal traits of caring/compassion and resilience. Preferential consideration will be given to students who have completed 32 or more SCH of the required non-nursing lower-division courses at TWU (16 for those with a prior bachelor's degree) by the application deadline and to students with a prior degree.

To be eligible to be considered for progression into upper-division (3000-4000 level) nursing courses, students must have:

  1. been admitted to TWU using the Texas Common Online application. Students completing prerequisites at another institution should submit all TWU general admission materials at least 6 weeks prior to the upper-division nursing application deadlines. Official transcripts of courses taken to date during the semester of application to TWU must be sent to the Office of Admissions.
  2. successfully completed the following 25 SCH of nursing foundation courses by the nursing application deadline: Anatomy & Physiology I, with lab; Anatomy & Physiology II, with lab; Microbiology, with lab; Chemistry, with lab; Developmental Psychology; Nutrition; and Statistics;
  3. successfully completed an additional 21 SCH of core requirements for a total of 46 completed SCH of prerequisite courses by the nursing application deadline (first bachelor's degree students only);
  4. completed all remaining lower-division prerequisite courses, with the exception of Multicultural Women's Studies, before beginning the nursing courses;
  5. a minimum grade of C in anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and microbiology including all labs. Anatomy and physiology prerequisites must be the courses offered for science majors.
  6. a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 on the required non-nursing lower-division courses. If a course is taken more than once, the most recent grade received will be counted in calculating the GPA. Other courses that an applicant may have taken are not calculated in the GPA for admission. Students with guaranteed admission may require a higher GPA.
  7. successfully passed the required nursing entrance exam (TEAS). The TEAS must be taken with scores uploaded to your NursingCAS application by the nursing application deadline. See our entrance exam policy on the TEAS Testing at TWU webpage.
  8. submitted a complete application for upper-division nursing through NursingCAS, including application fee, to the College of Nursing by the application deadline.
  9. Students will be admitted conditionally pending completion of the background check if delayed. However, they may not start classes without a clean Background check.
  10. We highly encourage all applicants to schedule a prospective student advising appointment in the Pioneer Center or attend an information session prior to applying to discuss admissions requirements and how to apply.

Application Deadlines

College of Nursing applications for upper-division nursing must be received by the following yearly dates in order to be considered for admission:

Eligibility for Licensure as a Registered Nurse

Upon admission to upper-division courses in the College of Nursing, each student is required to review specific rules and regulations of the Texas Board of Nursing. Every student is responsible for reading information regarding application for licensure in the state of Texas. The Texas Board of Nursing determines criteria for eligibility for licensure. Students should access the Board of Nursing website to examine the Nurse Practice Act and its regulations. Detailed information about critical issues in a student’s background may affect eligibility, and the student should contact the Board for information regarding submission of a Declaratory Order. Board approval is required of candidates who apply for the NCLEX-RN examination to be licensed in the state of Texas.

Requirements for Course Enrollment

Prior to the start of any course within the Upper Division in the College of Nursing the student must provide proof of:

  1. If applicable, based on the above statement about eligibility to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the state of Texas, a clearance of a Declaratory Order from the Texas Board of Nursing;
  2. negative drug testing and a clean criminal background screening by a company designated by the College of Nursing, as mandated by TWU’s clinical partners;
  3. a traditional form of health insurance as mandated by TWU’s clinical partners.

Professional liability insurance and blood-borne pathogen exposure insurance (covered by course fees) is provided for each student enrolled in a clinical nursing course through the TWU student professional liability group policy.

Requirements for a Clinical Course

Prior to the start of any clinical course within the Upper Division in the College of Nursing the student must provide proof of:

  1. current required immunizations as specified by TWU Student Health Services and as mandated by TWU's clinical partners;
  2. current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from American Heart Association.

Contact the Nursing Program

General questions about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or the RN-BSN program can be sent to nursing@twu.edu. Use the information below to schedule an advising appointment:

Note: Prospective and current TWU nursing entry students who live closer to the Dallas Center may schedule an in-person or telephone appointment to meet/speak with an academic advisor.

Note: Prospective and current TWU nursing entry students who live closer to the Houston Center may schedule an in-person or telephone appointment to meet/speak with an academic advisor.