Pre-Nursing Roadmap
Start your journey to becoming a healthcare professional.
Nurses promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. Nurses are hands-on healthcare professionals who provide focused and highly personalized care. The field has a wide range of career opportunities, ranging from entry-level practitioner to doctoral-level researcher.
Pre-Nursing Roadmap at UNL
Nursing School Prerequisites
There are only a few BSN programs in Nebraska that require coursework to be completed prior to acceptance. For all other BSN programs, requirements can be completed within the BSN program.
Typical Nursing School Requirements
Biological Sciences (required prerequisite) - 1 semester
Microbiology – 1 semester
Human Anatomy - 1 semester
Physiology with lab - 1 semester
General Chemistry – 1 semester
Ethics - 1 semester
Human Growth & Development - 1 semester
Math – 1 semester
Nutrition – 1 semester
Social and Behavioral Sciences – 2 courses
English – 2 courses
Statistics – 1 semester
Electives – 4 courses
What to Take at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Some classes require prerequisites. Meet with an advisor for help planning your courses to ensure you're on track to finish your prerequisites in 2-years.
Biological Sciences - BIOS 101/101L or BIOS 110/110L or LIFE 120/120L
Microbiology – BIOS 111 or 312/314*
Human Anatomy – BIOS 214
Physiology with lab – BIOS 213/213L
Ethics - PHIL 106 or 213
General Chemistry – CHEM 105A/L or 109A/L*
Human Growth & Development – CYAF 160 or PSYC 289*
Math – MATH 101 or higher (MATH 203 does not count)
Nutrition – NUTR 250
Social and Behavioral Sciences – SOCI 101 and PSYC 181
English – ENGL 150, 151, 254, or 354
Statistics – STAT 218 or EDPS 459
Electives – See list below.
Elective Course Options
Humanities elective – 1 course: AHIS 101, 102; ANTH 130; CERM 131; CLAS 180; COMM 101, 209, 286; DANC 159; DRAW 101, 201; ENGL All courses accepted except ESL or composition; HIST 113, 130, 131, 209, 210, 211; MUNM 171, 201, 276G, 280, 287, 387; PHIL 101, 110, 116, 211; PHOT 161; RELG 108, 150; THEA 112G, 114; TMFD 121
Culture, Race, Ethnicity, Gender elective – 1 course: ANTH 110, 130, 212; COMM 311; ECON 375; ENGL 212, 215, 244, 245; ETHN 100, 150, 171, 200, 201, 203, 206; GEOG 140; GERO 200, 469; HIST 115, 120, 121, 150, 171, 180, 181; JOMC 222; MUNM 280; NUTR 253; PHIL 218; 134W; POLS 160, 238; PSYC 330; SOCI 200, 217, 218; WMNS 101, 201, 204; Language Departments (ARAB, CHIN, FREN, GERM, GREK, JAPN, LATN, RUSS, SPAN, SLPA)
Family & Human Behavior elective – 1 course: ALEC 102, 202; COMM 210; CYAF 222, 280, 285; ENGR 100; GERO 200, 307; POLS 261; PSYC 263, 273, 288, 365, 368, 387, 380; SOCI 226, 353; TMFD 123
Political Science & Social Organization elective – 1 course: AECN 141; SCIL 101; COMM 220; CRIM 101; ECON 200, 210, 211, 212; GEOG 120; HIST 105, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 120, 121, 180; POLS 100, 104, 105, 108, 160, 221, 225; SOCI 180, 209, 252; SPED 201
Suggested Sequencing
Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
Summer Session | |
Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
*Recommended science sequencing; all other courses can be taken during any semester and in any order.
The above course recommendations fulfill the requirements for UNMC’s BSN program. The above courses may also be required or transfer to other nursing programs. Students who are considering nursing schools other than UNMC or outside of Nebraska are encouraged to contact those schools for a list of entrance requirements. Meet with an advisor for more help.
Other Notes:
- GPA: Courses lower than a C will not be accepted by UNMC’s nursing program.
- AP/IB Credit: Up to 12 hours of P/NP, AP, IB, and CLEP can be accepted by UNMC, however, this credit will not be accepted by UNMC in the following areas: Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Statistics, Microbiology, and Math.
- *Courses with an asterisk have pre-requisites. Talk to an advisor for more information.
Application and Admission Tips for Nursing School
Students may have 4-5 prerequisite classes left at the time of application to UNMC. Applying is a competitive process, and therefore students are encouraged to consider applying to multiple nursing schools.
Students applying to UNMC must submit their complete application by February 1st for entry the following fall semester. UNMC uses a centralized application service called NursingCAS. It is beneficial for nursing school applicants to have submitted this application to NursingCAS by the end of December to ensure that UNMC will receive the application and all application materials by February 1st.
Applications to other nursing schools may either be submitted directly to the school or through NursingCAS.
Plan Your Path to Nursing School
- Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to create a comprehensive academic and co-curricular plan
- Research application requirements
- See specific school websites for any specific application requirements which may vary by program.
- Meet with a representative of the program for specific questions and guidance
- Apply to Nursing programs
- The application process for nursing programs varies by school. Please consult programs directly regarding applications and requirements
- Some nursing programs use NursingCAS (www.nursingcas.org)
- Others require application to be submitted directly to the school
- Complete prerequisite courses (if required)
- Attend nursing school (1-4 years)
Nebraska BSN Programs:
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Clarkson College
College of St. Mary
Creighton College of Nursing*
Midland University
Nebraska Methodist College*
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Union College
University of Nebraska Medical Center*
University of Nebraska Medical Center*
University of Nebraska Medical Center*
University of Nebraska Medical Center*
University of Nebraska Medical Center*
*Schools with accelerated nursing programs.
Location:
Lincoln
Omaha
Omaha
Omaha
Fremont
Omaha
Lincoln
Lincoln
Kearney
Lincoln
Norfolk
Omaha
Scottsbluff
Traditional versus Accelerated BSN Programs
- Traditional programs do not require completion of a bachelor’s degree prior to starting, whereas accelerated programs do
- Accelerated programs last one year, traditional programs will vary
- Both programs will require students to change institutions to complete their BSN
Suggested Academic Preparation
- Completion of pre-requisite courses
- Competitive academic record
- GPA in both science and non-science courses
- No UNL Major is required (students will earn their degree from the nursing program)
- A CNA license may be required
Local Professional Schools
- UNMC College of Nursing (Lincoln, Omaha, Kearney, Norfolk, and Scottsbluff)
- Bryan College of Health Sciences (Lincoln, NE)
- Union College (Lincoln, NE)
- Clarkson College (Omaha, NE)
- Midland University (Fremont, NE)
- Creighton University (Omaha, NE)
- Nebraska Methodist College (Omaha, NE)
- College of Saint Mary (Omaha, NE)
Current Students
Current students: Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to talk more about your Pre-Health goals.
Are you a non-UNL student looking for information about Pre-Health? Click here