Freshmen who select Nursing on their USF undergraduate application are classified as either “Pre-Nursing” or C.A.R.E. students.
Pre-Nursing
All freshmen students who select Nursing on their undergraduate application are initially classified as “Pre-nursing.” These students are advised in the College of Nursing to ensure that they complete the prerequisites necessary to apply for the Upper Division program. Once all prerequisites are completed, students may apply for the Upper Division Nursing program by completing the Nursing on-line application. Admission to the Upper Division program is competitive and those with higher GPAs are more likely to gain acceptance. Pre-nursing status does not guarantee a seat in the Upper Division program.
C.A.R.E
The C.A.R.E., or Creating Access to RN Education program, is a restricted program designed for high-achieving first time in college students. In order to be considered for acceptance to the program, students must meet the program requirements designated by the College. Qualification will be determined by the College of Nursing and qualified students will be contacted during their freshman orientation regarding the C.A.R.E. program.
Prior to enrolling in the Upper Division Nursing curriculum all students must:


Upper Division Prerequisite Requirements (Credits):
  • English Composition I and II (6)
  • Chemistry and Lab (4)
  • Gordon Rule Math (Algebra or Finite Math preferred) (3)
  • Life Span (Human Growth and Development) (3)
  • Introductory Sociology (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • Microbiology and Lab (4)
  • Nutrition (3)
  • Anatomy & Physiology I and II and Lab (8)
  • General Psychology (3)
Other USF Requirements:
  • Fine Arts (3)
  • Historical Perspective (6)
  • African, Latin American, Middle Easter, and Asian Perspectives (3)
  • Foreign Language(6-8)
Students who are unable to meet CARE program requirements can still apply for the Upper Division program after completing the Nursing prerequisite courses, but must compete with the entire application pool and will not be guaranteed a seat. Applicants must have completed all prerequisites before the application deadline to be considered for the term they plan to apply to the College of Nursing
Despite the fact that nurses are desperately needed throughout the country, Colleges of Nursing are seriously restricted to the numbers of students we can admit each year. We currently admit two classes of students per year for a total of 144 students (or 72 students per class admitted). Students are admitted based on their GPA standing within the very large applicant pool. Although the minimum grade point average requirement to apply is a 3.0, successful applicants for admission in the past have had an average grade point average of 3.6 or better.
The College of Nursing reserves the right to limit the size of its entering class, and therefore merely meeting or exceeding the stated minimum GPAs does not ensure or guarantee admission. Each applicant must have a completed application on file in the College of Nursing by the deadline for the term of anticipated entry. A College of Nursing application is considered complete when the all prerequisites have been met, the online application has been completed, and official transcripts of all college course work have been received, verified, and posted in the applicant’s file by the deadline date. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their materials are received at the College of Nursing by the deadline for the term of anticipated entry.
Disclaimer

Past experience has proven that new nursing students are more successful if they begin the program with an orientation. Therefore, students accepted to any program at the College of Nursing are required to attend a new student orientation. This is the final step in the application and acceptance process and it cannot be waived or postponed. Accepted students should not make final plans for travel, studying abroad, or other activities that may interfere with attendance at the mandatory orientation. In addition, students are encouraged to clear attendance at the mandatory orientation with their current professor if they are enrolled in a class at the time of orientation. Students who are unable to attend the orientation will not be permitted to enter the program that semester and may apply again to be accepted for a later term. A tentative schedule of Orientation Dates has been published on the College of Nursing web page at (list link), but may be subject to change. It is the responsibility of each applicant to monitor the orientation page for changes and updates.
How to Apply
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