Track I (Second degree: Students with B.A./B.S. degree)

This track is for students who have a non-nursing baccalaureate degree and seek a career in professional nursing. Second degree students complete 25 credits of prerequisite course work before taking the 62 credits of nursing major course work.

Admission of Second Degree Students

Students applying to Caldwell University with a B.A./B.S. degree must send the following to the University:

• A completed Nursing Transfer and Second Degree Application from the Caldwell website;
• Official transcript(s) from every school in which you have earned college credit;
• Personal essay addressing why you would like to be a nurse;
• Letter of recommendation from a college professor;
• Résumé.

Second Degree Student Admission Policies

Selection of Second Degree Students is based on:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0;
• Nursing prerequisites accepted with a grade of C+ or higher;
• Nursing prerequisites may be repeated only once and a minimum grade of a C+ must be achieved to be considered for admissions*
• *No more than one repeat of a prerequisite with a grade below C+ for consideration
• Science courses must be five years old or less to be accepted for transfer;
• Applicants with transcripts documenting pre-requisite course completion will be given higher ranking in admission decision making;
• All Nursing (NUR) courses must be completed at Caldwell University.

Second Degree Student Filing Date
April 1st for completed application submission with supporting documents

Curriculum for Second Degree Students (88 Credits)

Nursing Prerequisites* (25 credits)

The nursing program requires all admitted students to have completed the prerequisite courses listed below prior to the start of nursing classes.

• BI 203 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (4)
• BI 204 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (4)
• CH 110 Principles of Chemistry with Lab (4)
• BI 315N Microbiology with Lab (4)
• PS 101 General Psychology I (3)
• SO 101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
• MA 207 or PS 208 Statistics (3)

Nursing Courses (62 credits)

• NUR 219 The Professional Nurse: An Introduction to Practice (2)
• NUR 301 Fundamentals of Nursing (6)
• NUR 303 Health and Cultural Assessment Across the Lifespan (5)
• NUR 305 Pathophysiology (4)
• NUR 306 Adult Health I (8)
• NUR 308 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
• NUR 310 Pharmacology (3)
• NUR 409 Maternal-Child Nursing (3)
• NUR 410 Pediatric Nursing (3)
• NUR 412 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (4)
• NUR 415 Leadership, Finance and Healthcare Policy (4)
• NUR 416 Adult Health II (8)
• NUR 418 Transition to Professional Nursing (3)
• NUR 420 Community and Public Health (5)

Kyle Daily
Admission Counselor
KDaily@caldwell.edu

Track II (Traditional Students: High School Graduates )

Admission Requirements

Selection of the freshman student is based on:

• An official high school transcript, class rank and activities
• Completion of four units of English, two units of modern language, four units of math and three or more units of science courses that include Biology and Chemistry, one unit of history and other college preparatory courses
• Three years of Math at a Cumulative Math GPA of 3.0 or Higher. Must have taken Algebra 2 or higher
• Three years of Science at a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Must have taken Biology and Chemistry
• Overall GPA must be a 3.0 or higher
• If student opts to submit SAT/ACT:  2.75+ GPA overall and in all math and science courses with SAT of 1080 (minimum 500 math), or ACT 21
• Two letters of recommendation
• A personal essay
• Advanced Placement scores. Caldwell University offers advanced placement credits to students who qualify by earning a score of 3 or higher.

Traditional Student Filing Dates

December 1 – Completed application due if interested in Early Action.

After December 1 , applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Requirements for the Nursing Major

DEGREE: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Liberal Arts Foundational and Enriched Core 37 credits
Nursing Prerequisites 25 credits
Nursing Courses 62 credits
Total 125 credits
B.S.N Curriculum

Liberal Arts Core 37 Credits

Communication Arts (3)
English Literature & Writing (6)
Fine Arts (3)
Modern Language (3)
History (3)
Mathematics (3)
Philosophy (3)
Theology (3)
Catholic & Dominican Tradition (3)
Global Awareness & Cultural Understanding (3)
Ethical Inquiry & Applications (3)
Freshman Seminar (1)
Nursing Prerequisites (25 Credits)

The nursing program requires all admitted students to have completed the prerequisite courses listed below prior to the start of nursing classes.

• BI 203 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (4)
• BI 204 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (4)
• CH 110 Principles of Chemistry with Lab (4)
• PS 101 General Psychology I (3)
• SO 101 Introduction To Sociology (3)
• BI 315N Microbiology with Lab (4)
• MA 207 or PS 208 Statistics (3)
• MA 118 Analytical Math for Nursing (3)*
  • *Although a nursing prerequisite course, credits are applied to the Liberal Arts Core.

Nursing Courses (62 credits)

• NUR 219 The Professional Nurse: An Introduction to Practice I (2)
• NUR 301 Fundamentals of Nursing (6)
• NUR 303 Health and Cultural Assessment Across the Lifespan (5)
• NUR 305 Pathophysiology (4)
• NUR 306 Adult Health I (8)
• NUR 308 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
• NUR 310 Pharmacology (3)
• NUR 409 Maternal-Child Nursing (3)
• NUR 410 Pediatric Nursing (3)
• NUR 412 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (4)
• NUR 415 Leadership, Finance and Healthcare Policy (4)
• NUR 416 Adult Health II (8)
• NUR 418 Transition to Professional Nursing (3)
• NUR 420 Community and Public Health (5)

Track III (Transfer Students)

This track is for students with some college credits earned. Caldwell University staff members are dedicated to assisting transfer students during the transfer process and can answer questions about transfer evaluations. Transfer students complete 61 credits of liberal arts core and prerequisite course work before taking 62 credits of nursing major course work.

Admission Requirements

Students applying to Caldwell University with some college credits must send the following to the University:

• A completed application;
• Official College transcript(s) from all institutions attended;
• An official high school transcript if less than 24 college credits earned;
• SAT/ACT test scores optional
• Personal essay addressing why you would like to be a nurse;
• Letter of recommendation and resumé recommended.

Nursing Transfer Admission Policies

Selection of Transfer Students is based on:

• Admission GPA of 3.0;
• Nursing pre-requisites accepted for transfer credit with a grade of C+ or higher;
• Nursing prerequisites may be repeated only once and a minimum grade of a C+ must be achieved to be considered for admissions*
• *No more than one repeat of a prerequisite with a grade below C+ for consideration
• Science courses must be five years old or less to be accepted for transfer;
• All Nursing (NUR) courses must be completed at Caldwell University.

Admission to the nursing program is competitive due to limited number of seats.

Transfer Student Filing Dates
May 15 – application submission
June 1 – supporting document submission

Curriculum for Transfer Students

Liberal Arts Core/ 36 Credits

• Communication Arts (3)
• English Literature & Writing (6)
• Fine Arts (3)
• Modern Language (3)
• History (3)
• Mathematics (3)
• Philosophy (3)
• Theology (3)
• Catholic & Dominican Tradition (3)
• Global Awareness & Cultural Understanding (3)
• Ethical Inquiry & Applications (3)

Nursing Prerequisites (25 Credits)

The nursing program requires all admitted students to have completed the prerequisite courses listed below prior to the start of nursing classes.

• BI 203 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (4)
• BI 204 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (4)
• CH 110 Principles of Chemistry with Lab (4)
• PS 101 General Psychology I (3)
• SO 101 Introduction To Sociology (3)
• MA 207 or PS 208 Statistics (3)
• MA 118 Analytical Math for Nursing (3)*

*Although a nursing prerequisite course, credits are applied to the Liberal Arts Core.

Nursing Courses (62 credits)

• NUR 219 The Professional Nurse: An Introduction to Practice I (2)
• NUR 301 Fundamentals of Nursing (6)
• NUR 303 Health and Cultural Assessment Across the Lifespan (5)
• NUR 305 Pathophysiology (4)
• NUR 306 Adult Health I (8)
• NUR 308 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
• NUR 310 Pharmacology (3)
• NUR 409 Maternal-Child Nursing (3)
• NUR 410 Pediatric Nursing (3)
• NUR 412 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (4)
• NUR 415 Management and Leadership (4)
• NUR 416 Adult Health II (8)
• NUR 418 Transition to Professional Nursing (3)
• NUR 420 Community and Public Health (5)

External Transfer:

Roxanne Knotts
RKnott@caldwell.edu

Internal Transfer

Dr. Kathie Kelley
KaKelley@caldwell.edu

Admission to the fall nursing class is not a guarantee for students who need to complete prerequisites.

Prior to beginning the nursing major, students must:

• Meet all health requirements
• Comply with CDC recommended immunization guidelines
• Complete the approved criminal background check and urine drug test
• Obtain professional liability insurance
• Complete American Heart Association CPR certification, Basic Life Support for the healthcare provider
• Complete standardized testing
• Complete interview with faculty

Probation and Dismissal

All students in the nursing major must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. Students will be placed on probation if their cumulative GPA falls below 2.75. A student will be dismissed from the nursing program if his/her cumulative GPA falls below 2.75 for two consecutive semesters. A student will be dismissed from the nursing program if they have received less than a C+ in more than one pre-requisite course and/or nursing course.

Once dismissed, a student may not apply for reinstatement in the nursing major.

Further, students taking nursing (NUR) courses will be dismissed from the nursing program for the following circumstances:

• Two NUR course grades of less than “C+” (2.75).
• More than one withdrawal from NUR courses
• Unsafe clinical practice as evaluated by a faculty member
• Violation of Nursing and/or University policies
• A cumulative GPA of less than 2.75 for two consecutive semesters

A student dismissed from the nursing major cannot apply for reinstatement in the major.