Advising Center

• Nursing is an upper division major in the junior and senior years, and students are admitted through competitive application.

Explore the criteria to be a pre-nursing major.

• Every year the School receives more applications to the upper division major than can be accepted, and students need to demonstrate strong academic performance to have a high likelihood of being accepted into the major.

For the nursing degree, college-level foreign language is NOT required. If a student is admitted with a language deficiency, however, the student must complete a foreign language through the 102 level. A language deficiency means the student did not complete the minimum requirement for high school foreign language, which is two years of the same foreign language. To remove a language deficiency, a student could return to take high school language, take language at a community college, or take the necessary course(s) at UNCG. Thus, a student who chooses to address the language deficiency at UNCG would have to take a college-level foreign language course. If you have a language deficiency, you were notified in your letter of admission, and you need to talk with the nursing advisor. It is rare for a recent graduate of a North Carolina public high school to be admitted with a language deficiency.

Advisors serve several roles for students. One important role is checking to see that students have planned an appropriate course schedule: the right courses, prerequisites met, and in the suggested sequence. Because the nursing curriculum has so many requirements, student who go too far “off track” with their requirements may need summer school or an extra year to finish. Advisors also serve as role models. They can tell students about working as a nurse, different career options in nursing, how to choose a first job, and answer many questions about nursing and nursing school. Advisors also know whom students can contact for tutoring, writing skills, study skills, test anxiety, or other needs. Faculty advisors can serve as a “sounding board” for questions and issues students may have.

Yes. Students who wish to pursue a minor may certainly do so, and the requirements for various minors are described in the Undergraduate Catalog in the section for each department. However, because a minor typically requires 15 to 18 semester hours of coursework in the selected area of study, pursuing a minor usually means the student requires an extra semester or year to graduate. Students thinking about this should talk it over with their advisors

If you are admitted to the upper division major, you will be required to take classes (NUR 210 and 220) the summer before your junior year. The School of Nursing does not require summer school for Nursing Interest students. However, some students choose to attend summer sessions in order to lighten their academic load during the regular academic year. Students should talk over this decision with the advisor. Courses taken elsewhere can be transferred to UNCG as hours toward the degree, but will not change the UNCG grade point average. However, when you apply for admission to the upper division, the application requires that you attach copies of transcripts of all post-high school education, so the Admission Committee will consider your grades in the courses you completed elsewhere in making their admission decision. Please ask your advisor about this before taking courses elsewhere to avoid inadvertently enrolling in a course that does not transfer or does not fulfill a requirement you are trying to meet.

Learn about applying to the Upper Division here.

There are more applicants to the Upper Division than can be accepted. Because admission cannot be guaranteed, students are encouraged to consider their options if they are not accepted to the Upper Division. There are three basic options for students who are not accepted:

1. Stay at UNCG and apply again the next year;
2. Stay at UNCG, but change majors;
3. Transfer to another nursing program.

Students who apply to other nursing programs must contact each school for information about prerequisite requirements and application deadlines. Students should talk with their advisors to better understand their likelihood of being admitted, discuss career options, and learn about campus resources.

The Financial Aid Office has the answers to financial aid questions. However, you need to know that if you are on financial aid, you must maintain a minimum GPA to qualify for aid in each semester. In addition, there are rules about how many hours you must complete to remain eligible for aid. The following paragraph comes from the Financial Aid website: “Each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer) a student (undergraduate or graduate) must earn a minimum of 67% of the hours registered for at the end of the schedule adjustment period, also known as Drop/Add (usually 5 days into a semester, check the University Catalog for specific dates for specific semesters). For example: if a student had 12 hours at the end of schedule adjustment, then the student would have to earn at least 8 hours to remain eligible for further financial aid (12 x .67= 8).” This is part of the “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP) Policy.

Learn more about Financial Aid

• The official evaluation of transfer credits will be completed after your application for admission to the University is complete. There are online resources you can use to see whether the courses you completed will transfer.

Learn more about Transfer credit.

• Only transfer courses with grades of C or higher will be considered for transfer; a grade of C- or lower will not transfer. If you are unsure if the course will meet a School of Nursing requirement, contact the School of Nursing to check with us. You will start a new GPA at UNCG when you begin here. However, when you apply for admission to the upper division, the application requires that you attach copies of transcripts of all post-high school education, so the Admission Committee will consider your grades in the courses you completed elsewhere in making their admission decision.

Studying abroad is enriching and a wonderful opportunity for students. However, a student who plans to complete the program in four years could spend only a full semester abroad before entering the major, or only during the summer. However, the School of Nursing sometimes has short-term study abroad opportunities for students in their senior year. Please contact your advisor as early as possible to map out your study abroad plan.

The prerequisite courses can be completed on a part-time basis; however, the upper division major requires full-time enrollment. 

Yes.

Once you are admitted, you will receive an email with registration instructions. You may also explore information housed in Spartan Central.

A graduate faculty member in the School of Nursing will be assigned to advise you when you are admitted to the program. Additionally, your program director or program coordinator in the School of Nursing can answer questions for you.

The class schedule is found by going to https://spartancentral.uncg.edu/ and select REGISTRATION. Then select Course Schedules, then choose the term and in the subject box, type Nursing. You will then see the list of courses offered for the term you chose. You can explore their meeting times and locations.

This varies. Some courses may be offered in specific semesters, including only in the summer, and may or may not be online. Explore the course catalog and reach out to your advisor for more information.

The PhD in Nursing is designed to produce a nurse scientist who will conduct nursing research and generate new knowledge. The DNP is designed as a practice doctorate for those who wish to engage in evidence-based advanced nursing practice. See https://www.aacnnursing.org/students/nursing-education-pathways/dnp-education.

If your master’s GPA is 3.2 or greater, you do not need to take the GREs. If your master’s GPA is lower than 3.2, please contact the Director to discuss.

The plan of study options are six-hour and nine-hour. The six-hour plan is part-time and will take four years to complete. The more intense nine-hour plan can be completed in three years. It is difficult to work and carry nine hours of coursework. It is possible to take fewer than six hours per semester, but it is difficult to complete the program within the seven-year limit.

Yes, a BSN, MSN, or DNP degree in nursing from an accredited program is required for admission to the PhD program.