Admission to the University of Colorado College of Nursing's Traditional bachelor of science program (TRAD) is competitive. To keep the selection process fair, admission requirements are definitive and applied to each application in the same manner. Please keep in mind that applications are not reviewed until they are received by the application deadline and coded as ‘verified’ in NursingCAS.
Students requiring an F-1 visa are encouraged to contact the Office of International Admission prior to starting the TRAD application
How to Apply
Applicants without a bachelor's degree are required to complete a total of 60 semester credits (or 90 quarter credits) from a regionally accredited institution. You may take a maximum of 18 semester credits (12 quarter credits), the semester before you start the program. Of these 18 semester credits (12 quarter credits), only one course can be from Anatomy, Chemistry, Physiology, or Microbiology.
The required courses include: (view BS prerequisite descriptions and track your prerequisite progress)
Watch our video guide on prerequisite information.
*One of these science lectures must have an accompanying lab.
Note: Prerequisites alone often do not total 60 semester (or 90 quarter) credit hours. Some electives may be necessary. Elective credit hours may be selected from most major academic disciplines. Examples of exceptions are commercial or vocational courses, doctrinal courses in religion, and physical education activity courses.
Applicants with a bachelor's degree are only required to complete five prerequisite courses listed below. Only two of the following prerequisites may be taken the semester before you begin the program: 1) statistics and 2) one course from anatomy, chemistry, physiology, or microbiology.
The required courses include: (view BS prerequisite descriptions and track your prerequisite progress)
Watch our video guide on prerequisite information.
Note: Degrees have no expiration date, but need to be posted on your transcripts the semester before you start the program.
A select number of students will be invited to interview for a position in the TRAD cohort. The admission interview consists of program presentations, individual and group interview activities.
All admission notifications are delivered by email to the address listed in NursingCAS. Admission decisions are generally admitted, waitlist, or deny. All admits are given 10 consecutive days to respond to the offer of admission. Failure to respond to the offer will result in administrative withdrawal. An enrollment deposit is not required.
Students placed on the waitlist are notified by phone if space becomes available. The waitlist ranks are not provided.
All students at CU Nursing are admitted conditionally pending successful completion/passing of the pre-enrollment requirements including, but not limited to background checks, drug screens (including marijuana), immunizations, etc. Prospective students who have criminal convictions (or pending criminal activity) are encouraged to contact an admissions representative prior to applying. If criminal history or a pending criminal charge prohibits the possibility of clinical placements, admission will be rescinded/denied.
Admitted students should not start any of the pre-enrollment requirements until properly informed and instructed to do so. Many of the pre-enrollment requirements are timed and starting items prematurely can result in a financial loss to the student.
Admitted students are considered CU Nursing students and are held to all policy and procedures that govern the university and college.
All of your prerequisite classes will be considered transfer credit. This college level credit may be accepted by the University of Colorado if:
University of Colorado College of Nursing
Office of Admissions
13120 E. 19th Avenue, Mailstop C288-6
Aurora, CO 80045
University of Colorado College of Nursing
Office of Admissions
13120 E. 19th Avenue, Mailstop C288-6
Aurora, CO 80045
Transcripts for all foreign (non-study abroad) coursework must be submitted directly to the University of Colorado College of Nursing for evaluation through the Office of International Affairs. Transcripts for study abroad coursework from a non-U.S. institution may be required depending on how foreign coursework is posted on the domestic (receiving institution) transcript. If all course information (course title, credits hours and grades) is posted to the domestic transcript, applicants do not need to submit a separate transcript from the study abroad institution. If any course information is incomplete, or the grades are posed as Pass/Fail, a transcript for the study abroad coursework will need to be submitted directly to the University of Colorado College of Nursing Office of Admissions & Student Affairs.
Due to the clinical nature of the nursing profession, all students must meet the following communication standards, as outlined in the Technical Standards of our Student Handbook:
If your primary language is not English, or if you are an International Student, you will need to demonstrate required English language proficiency by meeting one of the following criteria:
Applicants who were previously enrolled in another nursing program (prerequisite courses excluded) are required to submit a letter of good standing from the previous school indicating that the student left in good academic standing. Documentation can be sent to nursing.admissions@cuanschutz.edu and will also need to be included in the NursingCAS application profile.
All College of Nursing students must meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Technical Standards for admission, progression and graduation.
Healthcare experience is not an admissions requirement for the Traditional Pathway. However, it is strongly recommended that applicants have exposure to the nursing field so that they better understand the expectations for this career path. Applicants are encouraged to include information about healthcare experience in their resume and the Experiences section in NursingCAS.
CU Anschutz
Education II North
13120 East 19th Avenue
3rd Floor - Room 3255
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-1812