CU Denver/CU Nursing Bridge Nursing Bachelor’s Program

Admission to the University of Colorado College of Nursing’s CU Denver/CU Nursing Bridge program is competitive. This bridge pathway is designed to be a 3+2 program consisting of 3 years of prerequisite coursework at the CU Denver downtown campus (Phase I) + 2 years of nursing coursework at CU Nursing (Phase II) resulting in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Students accepted to the CU Nursing Bridge program will be required to meet the minimum requirements below to enroll in the Traditional BS program. All admission offers are contingent upon meeting these criteria including all pre-enrollment requirements which are outlined in the letter of admission.

• Resident of the state of Colorado.
• All nursing prerequisites earned at the University of Colorado Denver.
• 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher in the required 60 semester credits (90 quarter credits) of nursing prerequisite courses. All prerequisites are required to be completed within 10 years of the application deadline); a grade of C or better is required for each prerequisite. All prerequisites must be earned from a regionally accredited institution.

Requirements overview

In order for an application to be reviewed for admission the following requirements must be met by the application deadline:

• 3.0 cumulative prerequisite GPA in all required prerequisites required for application. A grade of C or better is required for each prerequisite.
• Document enrollment in the following courses at CU Denver in the spring term of application:
  • ENGL 2030
  • BIOL 2020
  • BIOL 2021
  • CHEM 2031 and CHEM 2038 or Chem 2061 and 2068
  • MAT 1110 or MATH 2830
• Ability to have all outstanding prerequisites completed by the start of the term with no more than 16 prerequisite credits outstanding in the semester prior to transitioning into the Traditional BS in Nursing Pathway.

Prerequisite course requirements while at CU Denver

• ENGL 1020- Core Comp. I-3
• ENGL 2030-Core Comp. II-3
• BIOL 2010- Organisms to Ecosystems-3
• BIOL 2011-Organisms to Ecosystems Lab-1
• CHEM 2031- Gen CHEM I-3 or CHEM 1000
• CHEM 2038 - General Chemistry Lab
• MATH 1110
  

Prerequisite course requirements for entry into the Traditional BS in Nursing Pathway

• Human Anatomy (or A&P I)
• Human Physiology (A&P II)
• Microbiology
• Statistics
• General Chemistry*
• Science*
• College Algebra
• General Sociology
• General Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cultural Anthropology or Multicultural Studies
• English Composition II
• Creative Arts
• Nutrition
• Two courses from: Foreign Language, History, Microeconomics, Philosophy or Political Science (courses must be from two different content areas)

*One of these science lectures must have an accompanying lab.

• Complete the application and pay the required application fee. Note that there are two fees associated with the application (NursingCAS and CU Nursing). Both must be paid for an application to be considered complete. Applicants can request application fee waivers through NCAS. If approved, CU Nursing will also waive their application fee.
• Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. For an application to be considered complete all institutions must be recorded and courses entered for each institution into the NursingCAS application. Failing to accurately report can result in an application being withdrawn from admissions consideration.
• Two professional or academic references required (at least one academic reference is recommended). The NursingCAS application will ask for the contact information of three references. References will be contacted to complete an online Likert scale reference form. Letters of reference are not accepted.
• Personal statement – Prepare a personal statement responding to the following: “Given your personal background, describe your interest in nursing and what makes you special or unique”. Statements must be one page in length (12pt, New Time Roman font, double spaced with one-inch margins).
• Resume. Resume tips for CU Denver students available through LynxConnect.
• Submit official TOEFL scores reports (international applicants only).

• The application process often takes several weeks (including entering courses into NursingCAS, receiving recommenders' ratings, and ordering all official transcripts [domestic and foreign]), therefore applicants should allow themselves ample time to complete each section. We recommend applicants submit their applications 4 to 6 weeks prior to the application deadline. For details on deadlines, refer to undergraduate application deadlines.
• Applications must be submitted (i.e., in a Received status) by the application deadline. After the application deadline, there is a consecutive 10-day grace period which allows for: all references to reach a Completed status, all official transcripts to be received by NursingCAS, and the application to reach Verified status. Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered based on space availability. All required documents must be received for an application to be considered. Learn more about your application status.
• All five prerequisites must be completed (including final grades on transcripts) by the application deadline.

• Make sure all references and final official transcripts have been received in NursingCAS, and enter any new courses and final grades within the consecutive 10-day grace period.
• Make sure your application is listed in ‘verified’ Status. Verified status means the application has been received and transcripts have been delivered and determined to be accurate and complete. Learn more about your application status.
• You must be available for the interview and orientation dates listed in the NursingCAS application. Please note the interview dates are not negotiable.
• If any academic history (grades, courses, student standing, etc) has changed after your application has reached Verified status, you may do an Academic Update in NursingCAS. Please contact the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs to discuss if your application needs to be amended. Information of additional hours, and certifications earned after the deadline cannot be submitted as an update after the deadline has passed.

CU Nursing participates in a holistic review process that considers all facets of a student’s application. In order for an application to be reviewed, all application materials including transcripts, recommendations, resume, etc. must be received by the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.

Select applicants will be chosen for an in-person interview and will also participate in a separate spontaneous writing sample activity.

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. Information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine requirement is available online. 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 policies and procedures that govern the university and college.