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Students Applying to Nursing School

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Application Process

Nursing programs in Oregon are incredibly competitive and spaces are limited. Each OCNE Partner School has their own process for selecting students into their program. Completing the admissions prerequisites and an applications DOES NOT guarantee acceptance a nursing program.

All OCNE partner schools have the same pre-requisite and admissions requirements. Visit any OCNE partner school’s nursing program page for more information. An overview is provided below. Note that additional non-nursing coursework is required to complete the BS degree at OHSU.

Admission Requirements & Eligibility

All students must have completed 45 quarter/30 semester credits of prerequisites at an accredited institution prior to enrolling in the program. Although students may apply while in the process of completing admissions prerequisites, 30 quarter/20 semester credits must be completed by the end of fall term. The 30 quarter credits must include Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Intermediate Algebra/Math 95 or higher. Students who are selected for admission to the nursing program must complete the remaining credits to a total of 45 quarter credits prior to matriculation.

A minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.00 is required for all applicants to be eligible for application review. Only prerequisite courses will be used in the GPA calculation. The general prerequisite standard is that all prerequisites must be taken for a grade of “C-” or higher rather than pass/no pass, must be taken at an accredited institution, and must be college level (100 level or higher).

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Each OCNE Partner School has clinical sites that are used to deliver the clinical experiences for students.

Prerequisites

The following courses must be taken and completed prior to starting the OCNE program. In addition applicants are required to have Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Math 95 or higher completed by the end of the fall term prior to the application deadline in order to apply.

  • Anatomy and Physiology – 12 quarter credits: A full sequence of human anatomy and physiology with laboratory, inclusive of all body systems. This sequence must be taken in its entirety. The first term of A&P must be completed prior to application to the nursing program; the full sequence must be taken prior to matriculation into the program. Note: Chemistry or Biology may be required prior to the A&P sequence at some colleges/universities; please check individual college requirements.
  • Human Development – 3 quarter credits: Course should cover the social and psychological developmental process of human life including the full lifespan (birth through death). Courses that cover only a part of the life span will not be accepted.
  • Intermediate Algebra/Math 95 (or higher): Competency for Intermediate Algebra/Math 95 or higher must be demonstrated prior to matriculation into the nursing program, either by a math placement test or by successful completion of an appropriate course.
  • Nutrition – 3 quarter credits: Class should cover biological functions, dietary sources of essential nutrients and the relationship of diet to health.
  • Written English/English Composition (WR 121 & 122 or equivalent) – 6 quarter credits: Class should involve the development and support of ideas through the medium of written English. Remedial English such as sentence structure and punctuation will not be accepted as sufficient to meet the prerequisite. These courses are preparation for scientific or technical writing, which will be required later in the nursing program. The requirement can also be met through college/university courses that are identified as writing intensive and include the above elements in addition to at least one composition course (i.e. WR 121, 122, or 123). Applicants who have completed a non-nursing bachelor’s degree in an English speaking country can use it to meet this requirement. However, additional elective credit may be needed for graduation.
  • Social Science Electives – 6 quarter credits: Selection of these electives may serve as a foundation for a focused area of study. Specific options include courses from the following departments: Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Business, Criminology, and Sociology.