For more information, contact Ms. María Luisa Mendoza, Manager for Undergraduate Admissions, prenursingadvising@hunter.cuny.edu or attend an information session.

The Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing is the flagship nursing school of The City University of New York. The HBSON is located on the Brookdale Health Sciences Campus of Hunter College, 425 E. 25^th Street at 1^st Avenue, adjacent to the VA Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, and NYU Langone Medical Center. The undergraduate nursing program combines liberal arts and professional education with a humanistic and comprehensive approach to health care, leading to a bachelor of science (BS) degree.

The baccalaureate degree in nursing programs at Hunter College, CUNY, are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

About the Program

The Bachelor of Science [Generic Pathway] nursing program is designed for students who wish to become nurses over a four-year course of study in the liberal arts & sciences and professional nursing. On completion of the program, students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam, the licensing examination for registered nurses. The undergraduate program also provides a strong foundation for graduate study at the master's and doctoral levels, of which programs are offered at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing.

The BS Generic Pathway program consists of two parts:

• Liberal arts, general education requirements, and prerequisite courses
• Professional nursing education

Admission Requirements

Students are considered for admission to the nursing program in the spring semester of their freshman year after completing prerequisite course work and submitting an application to the School of Nursing. Only those admitted to the School of Nursing are allowed to declare nursing as their major.

Eligible applicants must meet all requirements below:

• Be admitted to Hunter College (lower division) as an undergraduate freshman or transfer student. You must be a matriculated student in the spring semester before entering the program the following fall.
• File a separate application for admission to the School of Nursing after meeting nursing prerequisite requirements (see below; Deadline: February 1).
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher (in all undergraduate courses from all schools) by the end of the fall semester preceding the nursing application.

• Prerequisite courses must have been taken for credit with a minimum grade of 'B' in the science and math courses. Prerequisite courses offered by Hunter College are shown in parentheses; see Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions.
• General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 100/101) or higher equivalent (CHEM 102/103, CHEM 102/106, CHEM 111)
• Organic Chemistry with lab (CHEM 120/121) or higher equivalent (CHEM 222/223)
• Introduction to Statistics (STAT 113) or higher equivalent (STAT 213)
• English Composition (ENGL 120)
• General Psychology (PSYCH 100)
• Human Development (PSYCH 150: Developmental Psychology of the Life Span) - 1 course
• US History (see catalog) - 1 course

• Prerequisite courses taken at other institutions must be evaluated and transferred to your Hunter transcript with the appropriate Hunter course equivalencies prior to applying to the nursing program. Generally, only math and science courses designed for math, science, or pre-medical/pre-health majors are accepted as equivalencies.
• Students may be enrolled in up to 4 prerequisite courses during the spring semester of their application. Prerequisites may not be taken during the summer immediately preceding fall entry into the program. All prerequisite courses must be completed by June 1 with a GPA of 3.2 or higher and minimum grades of 'B' in science and math courses, no exceptions.
• Students must have completed at least 30 credits by the end of the summer session prior to beginning the nursing major.
• The School of Nursing does not accept repeated prerequisite science or math courses.

U.S. Citizenship or Residency Status

In order to advance into nursing clinicals, students must provide documentation of U.S. citizenship or residency status via one of the following categories:

1. U.S. Citizenship
2. Permanent Residency
3. International Student with F1 Status
4. Granted Asylum, Refugee Status, Temporary Protected Status, Withholding of Removal, Deferred Enforced Departure*; or Deferred Action Status by the U.S. government

How to Apply

The application and admission process involves three phases:

Apply to Hunter College

All students must apply to Hunter College as an undergraduate student in the lower division as a freshman or transfer student:

• https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply/cuny-application/
• CUNY curriculum code: Nursing
• Fall application deadline: February 1

Once admitted to Hunter College, students must attend a mandatory freshman or transfer orientation session. Any credits being transferred will be evaluated at orientation to ensure accurate course transfer and registration.

Apply to Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

• While completing first-year prerequisite requirements, students must file a separate application for admission to the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing through NursingCAS at www.nursingcas.org. Applications are accepted beginning November 30 and are due no later than February 1. Please note that the deadline for the application is subject to change.
• Make sure to submit all transcripts to NursingCAS, including your Hunter College transcript.
• A career goal statement is required with the NursingCAS application, submitted on the "Personal Statement" tab of the application.

Take the Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX)

• Register in advance for the National League for Nursing's Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX). Registration is open from early December to January. The exam should be taken by the end of February to be considered for Fall admission.
• The exam may be taken remotely or in person at the Hunter College Testing Center (68th St Campus, Rm. 150N). View Registration Details

How Applications are Evaluated

Admission to the School of Nursing is very competitive. At present, 100 students are admitted annually and no one is guaranteed a seat into the program. Admittance to the program is based on an acceptance composite score, determined as follows:

• Cumulative GPA (50%)
• NEX score (50%)

Composite scores of all applications recieved in an academic year are rank-ordered from highest to lowest. Applicants are offered admission based on this ranked composite score and their satisfaction of all other admission requirements. Applications that do not meet all admission requirements will not be reviewed.

Since admission decisions are made before the spring semester is completed, applicants with grades pending may be conditionally accepted until receipt of final grades and recalculation of GPA (due no later than June 1). Once accepted, students must attend a nursing orientation session in order to maintain their accepted status.

Nursing Scholars Program

An alternate route of entry is available to first-year (freshmen) students who are accepted to Hunter's Nursing Honors Scholar Program. The Nursing Scholars Program is for highly engaged students to pursue nursing education within the context of an enhanced, academically-challenging curriculum that instills a desire for learning. Graduates of the program will be uniquely-qualified to enter the profession of nursing and to become leaders in the profession, obtain doctoral education, and make valuable contributions to the profession and discipline of nursing though nursing education, research, or advanced practice. Students admitted to the program receive priority consideration for admission to the School of Nursing upon submitting Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) scores and completing first-year generic program requisites with required grade and GPA standards.

Course of Study

The program is designed for students to earn a baccalaureate degree in nursing in four years of full-time study. The course of study entails two parts: meeting general education and prerequisite requirements in the liberal arts & sciences during the first year, and advancing to professional nursing courses beginning in year two. Students are required to attend the program full-time.

Course descriptions are available in the undergraduate catalog.

First Year Prerequisite Requirements

First Year: Fall Semester (15 cr)

• ENGL 120: English Composition 1 - Expository Writing (3 cr)
• STAT 113: Elementary Probability and Statistics or STAT 213 (STEM): Intro to Applied Statistics (3 cr)
• PSYCH 100: Introduction to Psychology (3 cr)
• CHEM 100: Essentials of General Chemistry Lecture (3 cr)
• CHEM 101: Inquiries into the Nature of Matter (3 cr)

First Year: Spring Semester (13.5 cr)

• ENGL 220: Introduction to Writing about Literature (3 cr)*
• PSYCH 150: Human Development (3 cr)
• CHEM 120: Essentials of Organic Chemistry Lecture (3 cr)
• CHEM 121: Essentials of Organic Chemistry Lab (1.5 cr)
• US Experience in its Diversity [see catalog] (3 cr)

* While ENGL 220 is not a nursing prerequisite, it is recommended that prospective nursing students take this core requirement (English Composition 2) for the bachelor of science degree prior to their acceptance into the nursing program.

Professional Nursing Education Requirements and Policies

After completing first year requirements and applying to the School of Nursing, admitted students continue to complete general education requirements while taking courses in professional nursing.

• Progression in the nursing program is dependent on successful completion of all courses required for the degree with an earned grade of 'C' or better.
• Students who do not earn a grade of C or better will not be permitted to progress in the coursework required for the nursing degree, including BIO 120, BIO 122, and BIO 230. Nursing students who have not earned the required grade for progression must meet with their advisor to formulate a progression plan. This will add, at minimum, 1-2 semesters to the nursing program.
• Nursing students have one opportunity to repeat a course in which the grade earned was below a C. Students who earn grades below C in more than one course must withdraw from the nursing program.
• Students matriculated in the nursing program are not allowed to take any courses by e-permit. All courses must be taken at Hunter College.

Nursing Curriculum

Second Year: Fall Semester (14.5 cr)

• BIOL 120: Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4.5 cr)
• NURS 200: Introduction to Nursing (2 cr)
• NURS 240: Foundations of Genetics for Nurses (2 cr)
• Hunter Core - Individual & Society: Humanities [see catalog] (3 cr)
• Hunter Core [see catalog] (3 cr)

Second Year: Spring Semester (14.5 cr)

• BIOL 122: Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4.5 cr)
• BIOL 230: Fundamentals of Microbiology (3 cr)
• NURS 210: Nursing Fundamentals and Health Assessment (4 cr)
• NURS 343: Pathophysiology and Nursing Care (3 cr)

Third Year: Fall Semester (15 cr)

• NURS 380: Nursing Research and Theory (3 cr)
• NURS 220: Adult Health and Illness (4 cr)
• NURS 331: Pharmacology I (3 cr)
• NURS 332: Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition in the Nursing Process (2 cr)
• Hunter Core [see catalog] (3 cr)

Third Year: Spring Semester (17 cr)

• NURS 339: Pharmacology II (3 cr)
• NURS 352: Nursing Care of Women and Childbearing Families (4 cr)
• NURS 360: Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4 cr)
• Hunter Core - Individual & Society: Social Sciences [see catalog] (3 cr)
• Hunter Core [see catalog] (3 cr)

Students who transfer credits in Chemistry and/or Biology to fulfill nursing prerequisites may still be short credits. Please schedule an advisement meeting with your nursing faculty advisor to devise a plan to achieve the additional credits needed to graduate.

Fourth Year: Fall Semester (16 cr)

• NURS 349: Foundations of Ethics and End-of-Life Care (3 cr)
• NURS 455: Public Health Nursing (4 cr)
• NURS 460: Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing (4 cr)
• Nursing Elective (2 cr)
• Hunter Core [see catalog] (3 cr)

Fourth Year: Spring Semester (16 cr)

• NURS 470: Adult Acute Illness/Immersion Clinical (4 cr)
• NURS 490: Gerontological Nursing (4 cr)
• NURS 492: Advanced Synthesis of Nursing Knowledge (2 cr)
• NURS 422: Health Policy and Leadership (3 cr)
• Hunter Core [see catalog] (3 cr)

Clearances for Clinical Practice

Prior to beginning any course work in the nursing major, students are required to submit documentation for health and clinical clearance. Please review due dates on the form. Clearance documentation must be kept up to date in Castlebranch (expiration dates for each requirement will be noted there).

Clinical course schedules are determined by the School of Nursing based on resources and clinical facility availability. Clinical schedules may include day and/or evening hours on any of the 7 days of the week. Criminal background checks may be required by clinical sites. A student who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor will have to undergo investigation by the Office of Professional Discipline, which might result in denial of RN licensure.

Tuition and Fees

Hunter College Tuition and Fees

Nursing student costs may include tuition, lab fees, textbooks, standardized exam fees, health and liability insurance, criminal background checks, uniforms, and medical equipment.

Baccalaureate Academic Program Outcomes

The program prepares graduates to:

1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and the arts and sciences to provide a theoretical framework for a humanistic, caring, and comprehensive approach to promotion of wellness, prevention of illness, and holistic management of health problems across the life span.
2. Use the nursing process as a guide in providing the range of health promotion, maintenance, and restoration activities needed to assist clients in achieving optimal wellness.
3. Use appropriate teaching strategies in educating clients for knowing participation in their own health and wellness.
4. Demonstrate computer and information literacy, beginning proficiency in the use of electronic health records.
5. Use nursing research as a basis for improving nursing care and advocating for changes in health policy.
6. Participate in inter-disciplinary activities to plan, implement, and evaluate health care for all client systems.
7. Demonstrate personal and professional accountability in providing global health care to people from diverse backgrounds.
8. Evaluate management and leadership processes with individuals, families, groups, and communities in a comprehensive approach to health promotion and holistic management of health problems (across the life span).
9. Demonstrate activism and advocacy in health care and health care policy on behalf of human and environmental health.
10. Continually demonstrate commitment to personal growth and lifelong learning through the active pursuit of knowledge and diverse life experiences.

Need academic advisement? Have questions?
Please contact Ms. María Luisa Mendoza, Manager for Undergraduate Admissions, at prenursingadvising@hunter.cuny.edu.

Revised August 16, 2024
All other fact sheets are now void.