Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

• Applicants must be admitted to the University of South Carolina Upstate and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Minimum GPA requirements must be maintained through the completion of all prerequisite courses.
• Applicants must earn a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses to be considered for admission.
• Applicants must have a minimum required science GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • The five courses included in the science GPA are:
  • * Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II   
  • * Chemistry of Living Things
  • * Pathophysiology
  • * Microbiology
  • These courses must be successfully completed in two attempts (W, WF, and AUD count as one attempt) to remain eligible for admission.

• An applicant who fails two required science courses, any two nursing courses*, or a combination of the two by earning a grade less than a C will be ineligible for admission.
  • Examples that would cause ineligibility include, but are not limited to:
    • A grade below a C in Chemistry twice
    • A grade below a C in Anatomy and Physiology I and Medical Terminology
    • A grade below a C in Anatomy and Physiology II and Microbiology
    • A student withdraws and receives a W for A&P I. Then in a second attempt, earns a grade below a C in A&P I. The student has exhausted the attempts for the course.
    • A student withdraws and receives a W or WF for A&P I. Then in a second attempt, the student withdraws and receives another W or WF for A&P I. The student has exhausted the attempts for the course.
  • Retaking a course for a passing grade does not negate a previous failure.
• The College of Nursing does not recognize the grade forgiveness policy of USC Upstate or any other school.
• Applicants must have completed all prerequisite requirements prior to beginning upper-division nursing courses. All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the previous major semester (fall or spring). If applying for a fall term, one course is allowed to be taken over the previous summer at a USC campus only.
• Applicants must successfully complete a pre-admission exam. The details for this exam will be updated and posted in the most current application instructions when available.
• If a student has an academic integrity violation on record, their eligibility will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Upon tentative acceptance to the program, students must successfully complete:
  • a criminal record background check
  • a drug screening
  • American Heart Association Healthcare Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
  • clinical requirements as mandated by our clinical settings

Four-Year Admission Criteria (Español) (PDF)

There are several requirements that must be completed before your application will be considered “In Progress.” Please read all instructions thoroughly. All deadlines are strictly upheld.

1. Submit an online application form to the Mary Black College of Nursing (MBCON). A link to the online application can be found at top of this page. **USC Upstate cannot be held responsible for technical issues. If you have reason to believe that your application did not submit correctly, you must contact the College of Nursing at 864-503-5441.
2. All transfer/readmit students must also submit a separate application to the university.
   • Applications to apply to USC Upstate can be found on the apply page.
   • Any student who is not enrolled in classes the semester prior to the term for which you are applying to the nursing program must submit a transfer or readmit application to USC Upstate.
   • The MBCON cannot accept students to our program who have not also been accepted by the university.
   • Students will need to be fully accepted to USC Upstate for the correct term (the term in which you intend to enroll in classes) by Jan. 31 for a fall application or Aug. 31 for a spring application.  These deadlines are for University acceptance and are not the same as the deadlines for the Nursing application.
3. If you are a transfer student, all transcripts should be sent directly to the USC Upstate Admissions department.  The email address is admissions@uscupstate.edu.  Please do not send to the College of Nursing.
4. If you are a USC student and all classes taken at other schools are showing in your record in the Self-Service student portal, you do not need to send additional transcripts. If you have not sent the transcripts, they should be sent to the Registrar’s office.
5. If applicable, send official test results, such as AP, IB, CLEP or DANTES to USC Upstate. You will not receive credit hours for these test results without official scores sent just like a transcript.

To comply with clinical agency contracts, each accepted student must complete clinical requirements. Students who are accepted to the program will receive detailed information regarding these requirements. An Information Session will be held to answer all questions. Completion of these requirements is not part of the application process. The requirements may include:

• Immunizations/Titers
  • MMR
  • Tdap within the last 10 years
  • Varicella
  • Flu
  • HepB 
• TB Skin Test
• Physical Examination and Health History
• Waiver forms for clinical sites
• Health insurance as required by our clinical agencies
• CPR – must be Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare providers by the American Heart Association only.
• A Criminal Record Background Check

In addition to the science and nursing* course notes above:

• Applicants must have completed two of the five required science courses and be enrolled in a third required science at the time of application.
• All science and nursing* courses must be completed within the last five years.
• If an applicant has two nursing failures from any school within the last five years, he/she would be ineligible for the program.
• Science and Nursing policies are not an option for student appeal.

*Nursing courses are defined as any USC Upstate course with the prefix of NURS or any course that is accepted as an NURS course for our program.

*Applicants that meet one of the two following admission criteria are encouraged to apply (3.0 Cumulative GPA or 2.5 Science GPA). These students will be considered on a case by case basis when seats are available.

National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse

Upon successful completion of the four-year track, graduates will be eligible to apply to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) for licensure as a registered nurse.