Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

You’ll enter the BSN as a college junior after completing either 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits) of college-level coursework or a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. Your previous coursework must include the required foundation in the natural sciences and humanities.

The BSN is a full-time, in-person program completed over two years in Seattle. It is not offered as an online or distance-learning program.

You’ll learn through classroom instruction, simulation and supervised patient care. After graduation, you’ll be prepared to take the NCLEX-RN examination and pursue licensure as a registered nurse. The program also provides a foundation for future careers in research, administration and education or for graduate nursing study.

Eligible students interested in research and graduate nursing education may apply to the BSN Honors Program, a mentored research pathway completed alongside the BSN curriculum.

View Sample Curriculum (PDF)

The BSN program prepares you to:

1. Integrate concepts from the arts and sciences in promoting health and managing complex nursing care situations.
2. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in the provision and oversight of nursing practice in a variety of settings.
3. Translate principles of patient safety and quality improvement into the delivery of high-quality care.
4. Appraise, critically summarize, and translate current evidence into nursing practice.
5. Integrate knowledge, processes, and skills from nursing science, information and patient care technologies, and communication tools to facilitate clinical decision-making and the delivery of safe and effective nursing care.
6. Describe the effects of health policy, economic, legal, political, and socio-cultural factors on the delivery of and advocacy for equitable health care.
7. Demonstrate effective professional communication and collaboration to optimize health outcomes.
8. Deliver and advocate for health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the individual, family, community, and population levels.
9. Demonstrate value-based professional behaviors that integrate altruism, autonomy, integrity, social justice, and respect for diversity and human dignity.
10. Demonstrate critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and psychomotor skills necessary for the delivery of competent, evidence-based, holistic, and compassionate care to patients across the lifespan.
11. Demonstrate critical interrogation of positionality, recognition of implicit biases, as well as knowledge and application of anti-racism principles to promote health equity.

Both programs lead to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The primary differences are the pace, schedule and tuition structure.

The BSN follows a two-year schedule after you complete the required college-level coursework. The Accelerated BSN is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field and are prepared for a faster, more intensive schedule.

For eligible postbaccalaureate applicants, the right choice depends on your preferred pace, financial considerations, and ability to commit to an accelerated program.

To be considered for admission, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

Academic preparation

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 across all completed college-level coursework.
• At least 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits) completed by the time you begin the BSN program.
• At the time you apply, either:
  • At least three Natural Sciences prerequisite courses completed with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; or
  • At least four Natural Sciences prerequisite courses completed with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
• A minimum grade of 2.0 (“C”) in each BSN prerequisite course, including all Natural Sciences courses, Lifespan Growth and Development and Statistics.
• Satisfactory grades in all Natural Sciences prerequisites by the time you enroll.

Healthcare experience

• At least 100 hours of hands-on healthcare experience completed in one setting within a three-month span during the 12 months before you apply.
• Your experience should be concentrated and supervised, include direct patient contact and give you opportunities to work alongside registered nurses.

Many applicants complete nursing assistant training or work as nursing assistants before applying, but this is not required. The purpose of the experience is to help you develop a clear understanding of the registered nurse role and explain why nursing is the right fit for you.

Additional requirements

• Meet the Essential Qualifications for BSN students.
• Provide proof of English language proficiency, when required.
• Submit a credential evaluation for coursework completed outside the United States, when required.

Questions about your eligibility? Email asknursing@uw.edu or join an upcoming information session.

Not sure whether a course will transfer?

Start with the UW Course Equivalency Guide. If your course is not listed, compare its description and credit hours with the sample UW courses included on the prerequisite worksheet. Courses with substantially similar content and credit hours will generally meet the requirement.

UW does not accept CLEP credit. AP and IB credit may be accepted under the University’s standard guidelines.

Interested in declaring Pre-Nursing?

There is no separate application for Pre-Nursing status. Current UW students may declare Pre-Nursing at any time.

Declaring Pre-Nursing does not guarantee admission to the BSN program. You will still need to submit a separate BSN application, typically during your sophomore year.

Have a finding on your background check?

A finding on your background check does not automatically disqualify you from the program. Each result is reviewed individually and in context.

If you have a prior conviction, you may submit a statement explaining the circumstances and what has changed since then.

Applications are submitted through the UW School of Nursing Application Portal. There is no fee to submit the School of Nursing application, and the TEAS exam is not required.

If you are applying to the University of Washington as a transfer or postbaccalaureate student, you must also submit a separate UW undergraduate application and pay the UW application fee.

You will need to submit:

Academic history

• A list of every college or university you have attended.
• Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Unofficial transcripts are not accepted.
• A credential evaluation for coursework completed outside the United States, when applicable. WES is recommended.

Prerequisite courses

• Information about completed prerequisite coursework.
• Courses currently in progress or planned before enrollment.

Experience and training

• Descriptions of relevant healthcare, professional, volunteer and leadership experiences.
• Relevant training, certifications and language proficiency.

Essays

• Responses to required prompts about your motivation, preparation and alignment with the School of Nursing’s mission.
• An optional statement addressing academic concerns or providing additional context, when applicable.

Recommendation

• One required recommendation form addressing specific questions about your preparation and qualifications.

Your recommender does not need to be a nurse. Choose someone who can speak specifically about your professionalism, qualifications, readiness for nursing education and potential to succeed in the BSN program.

Before you apply:

• Review your academic record and request current transcripts.
• Confirm your completed, planned and in-progress prerequisites.
• Reflect on the experiences that have prepared you for nursing.
• Ask a recommender who knows your work well and can provide specific examples.

Use these resources to check your eligibility and prepare your application:

• BSN prerequisite worksheet (PDF) — Check which prerequisites you still need to complete
• Sample BSN prerequisite worksheet (PDF) — Review a completed example before filling out your own
• Evaluate your transcripts (PDF) — Learn how your transfer credits will be reviewed
• Healthcare experience guide (PDF) — Understand what counts toward the 100-hour requirement
• Pathways to Nursing (PDF) — Explore different routes into the BSN program

If you completed some or all of your coursework outside the United States, review the International Applicants page for information about English proficiency, transcript translation, and credential evaluation requirements.

Admission to the BSN program is highly competitive. Each application is reviewed in full and considered in relation to the overall strength of that year’s applicant pool. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

If you plan to reapply, review:

• Whether you met every prerequisite, grade, GPA and application requirement.
• The strength and consistency of your performance in Natural Sciences courses.
• The depth of your healthcare experience and how clearly you connected it to your nursing goals.
• Whether your essays fully addressed the prompts and demonstrated critical thinking, self-reflection and an understanding of the registered nurse role.
• How clearly your application showed that your experiences and goals have prepared you for nursing education.

Attend or watch a BSN information session to learn more about the admissions process and ways to strengthen a future application.

Join an upcoming information session