Traditional Pathway Program Admission Requirements

We consider two grade point averages during the review of applications: prerequisite GPA and overall GPA.

A minimum 3.0 prerequisite GPA is required. This prerequisite GPA includes the highest grade attempts for courses included on transcripts at the time of application.

Due to the competitive nature of our programs, we strongly suggest a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Note that the overall GPA calculation includes all previous course attempts from regionally accredited institutions, regardless of the year courses were completed. Grade forgiveness and repeat/delete policies are not honored.

To be eligible for consideration, applications must be Verified, and all References must be in a Complete status, by the published application deadline. View the Application Deadlines for important dates regarding this program.

The primary application fee is charged by and paid to NursingCAS; have a credit card for payment. A $50.00 Supplemental Application fee paid to the University of Colorado College of Nursing is also required; instructions for payment are included in the NursingCAS application.

Within your NursingCAS application, you will be asked to upload a 500-word essay which responds to the following prompt:

• Given your personal background, describe your interest in nursing and what makes you special or unique?

Essay guidelines: the content of this essay will be used in the scoring/evaluation of your application. Essays need to be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced with one-inch margins.

Applicants without a bachelor's degree:

• All prerequisites listed below are required (must be completed within 10 years of the application deadline).
• A grade of C or better is required for each prerequisite (grades of C- or below are not accepted).
• 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 16 semester credits (11 quarter credits), the semester before you start the program. Of these 16 semester credits (11 quarter credits), only one (1) course can be from Anatomy, Chemistry, Physiology, or Microbiology.
• If your outstanding course(s) drops your prerequisite GPA to below a 3.0, your offer of admission will be withdrawn.

The following courses need to be satisfied for prerequisite fulfillment:

1. Human Anatomy (or A&P I)
2. Human Physiology (A&P II)
3. Microbiology
4. Statistics
5. General Chemistry*
6. Science*
7. College Algebra
8. General Sociology
9. General Psychology
10. Developmental Psychology
11. Cultural Anthropology or Multicultural Studies
12. English Composition II
13. Creative Arts
14. Nutrition
15. Two 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.

View BS Prerequisite Descriptions.

Download and fill out the Nursing BS Prerequisite Form to keep track of your progress.

Elective Courses

For an application without a bachelor's degree, 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:

• Degrees have no expiration date, but need to be posted on your transcripts the semester before you start the program.
• Bachelor's degrees awarded by an international institution must be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. For evaluation of internationally awarded degrees, please forward copies of your transcripts directly to the University of Colorado College of Nursing Office of Admissions & Student Affairs.
• The prerequisites listed below are the only courses required (all must be completed within 10 years of the application deadline):
  • Anatomy (or Anatomy & Physiology I)
  • Physiology (or Anatomy & Physiology II)
  • Microbiology
  • General chemistry
  • Statistics
• Only two of the following prerequisites may be taken the semester before you begin the program: statistics and one (1) course from anatomy, chemistry, physiology, or microbiology.
• A grade of C or better is required for each prerequisite (grades of C- or below are not accepted).
• If your outstanding course work drops your prerequisite GPA to below a 3.00, your offer of admission will be withdrawn.

The CASPer Test is not required for the summer 2023 application process.

Three professional/academic references must be included as part of the NursingCAS application process. We recommend that at least one reference be from an academic source. References will be contacted to complete an online likert-scale reference form. Personal references from friends/family members do not meet the application requirement. Letters of recommendation are not required nor reviewed in the admissions process.

All applicants are required to upload a CV/Resume as part of the application process.

Selected applicants are required to complete an interview if they wish to proceed with the admissions process. Traditional Pathway interview dates are included on the home tab of the NursingCAS application (within the Program Materials section).

All required transcripts and/or AP/IB/CLEP score reports must be received by the application deadline. Official transcripts must be submitted directly to NursingCAS from all institutions an applicant has attended. All score reports for AP/IB/CLEP credits are submitted directly to the University of Colorado College of Nursing.

All offers of admission are contingent upon students meeting the following criteria. Inability to meet these requirements may result in an offer of admission being rescinded.

Negative drug screens are required of all admitted students.

Students who take legally prescribed medication (see note regarding marijuana below) that may result in a positive drug screen need to contact American Databank/Complio (http://uccollegeofnursingcompliance.com) before completing the drug screen to inquire about necessary steps.

Note that marijuana usage, regardless of type of usage (recreational or medicinal), is strictly prohibited.

Criminal background reports are processed through the American Databank/Complio system.

Any past criminal convictions, regardless of year, must be disclosed during the application process. Convictions are reviewed on an individual basis and must be vetted by the college for admission.

Note that admission is contingent upon the University of Colorado College of Nursing being able to place students in clinical rotations at healthcare agencies. If criminal history or a pending criminal charge prohibits the possibility of clinical placements, admission will be rescinded/denied.

Prospective students who have criminal convictions (or pending criminal activity) are encouraged to contact an Admissions representative prior to submitting an application.

Application for nursing licensure requires all criminal convictions be reported in the application process. The State Board of Nursing approves licensure for individuals with a criminal charge on an individual basis.

Through the American Databank/Complio system, students will upload proof of BLS certification. Note that American Red Cross certification is not acceptable; certification must be through the American Heart Association.

Admitted students must submit documentation of required immunizations by the Clinical Compliance deadline. The list of immunization requirements and compliance deadline are provided to students upon admission to the program.

Transfer Credit

All of your prerequisite classes will be considered transfer credit. This college level credit may be accepted by the University of Colorado if:

• It has been earned at a regionally accredited college or university.
• A grade of C (not C-) or better has been attained.
• The credit is for courses appropriate to the degree sought at this institution.
• It is not vocational-technical course work.
• It is not remedial course work

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

• Only specific prerequisites and electives can be met using AP credit; view the AP Credit Transfer Guide.
• The minimum score shown is required to transfer the AP credit to meet prerequisites and electives.
• The official transcript (score report) from the College Board is required to show the score(s) earned. This document needs to be sent directly to the University of Colorado College of Nursing.
• To ensure that your official score report is received by the College of Nursing, please request that the College Board mail the document to:

University of Colorado College of Nursing
Office of Admissions
13120 E. 19th Avenue, Mailstop C288-6
Aurora, CO 80045

International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

• Only specific prerequisites and electives can be met using IB credit. View the IB Credit Transfer Guide.
• The minimum score shown is required to transfer the IB credit to meet prerequisites and electives.
• Instructions for ordering your IB diploma are available through on the IB Requesting transcripts and certificates page.
• To ensure that your official score report is received by the College of Nursing, please request that the International Baccalaureate program mail the document to:

University of Colorado College of Nursing
Office of Admissions
13120 E. 19th Avenue, Mailstop C288-6
Aurora, CO 80045

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit

• Only specific prerequisites and electives can be met using CLEP credit; view the CLEP Credit Transfer Guide.
• The minimum score shown is required to transfer the CLEP credit to meet prerequisites and electives.
• The official transcript (score report) from the College Board is required to show the score(s) earned.
• To ensure that your official score report is received by the College of Nursing, please use the following school code when ordering the report from College Board: 5281.

Pass/Fail Credit

• Standard Policy for Prerequisite Requirements - For the College of Nursing, courses taken on a Pass/Fail (P/F) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis may not be used to fulfill prerequisite requirements.
  • COVID-19 Exception for Prerequisite Requirements - The CU College of Nursing's strong recommendation is that students choose to have standard grades listed on their transcript and not the Pass/Fail grade option. However, for courses completed in Spring 2020 only, Passing (P) or Satisfactory (S) grades may be accepted to fulfill prerequisite courses, provided the P or S indicates that the student has earned a C grade or higher. For GPA calculation purposes, an approved P or S course grade will be converted to the lowest score associated with the P or S by the sending institution (e.g. a C grade will be calculated as a 2.0). For spring 2020 grades only, the student, via the sending institution, will have the option of submitting the underlying/actual grade earned, e.g. A, B, etc., which will be used in the GPA calculation for review purposes. There will not be a cap to the total number of prerequisite credits that may be taken on a P/F or S/U basis for spring 2020 coursework, provided that the aforementioned criteria are satisfied.
• Standard Policy for Academic Electives - The College of Nursing will accept up to 6 credits of P/F or S/U courses in transfer to fulfill Academic Electives, provided the P or S indicates that the student has earned a C grade or higher. Academic Elective credits may be needed for applicants to reach the minimum 60 semester credits required to transfer into the Traditional Pathway program.  

Foreign Transcripts and Study Abroad Credits

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:

1. A student must be able to communicate clearly and effectively in English with clients, teachers and all members of the health care team. Written and oral communication must use standard, professional medical terminology.
2. He/she must communicate with clients clearly and effectively in English to elicit information regarding history, emotional status and activity, and to perceive nonverbal communications.
3. Communication includes speech, hearing, reading, writing and computer literacy.
4. A student must be able to clearly and effectively report in English to members of the health care team. Additionally, students must be able to relay appropriate information to clients, as well as teach, explain, direct and counsel a wide variety of individuals.
5. In some instances the student will be required to provide clear, direct communication in English during highly stressful, crisis situations. These skills necessitate a strong command of the English language and prompt, timely interpretation of pertinent patient data.
6. Students must be able to communicate online in a timely, professional manner, e.g., enter an electronic medical record immediately after the patient visit.

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:

1. You are a citizen of a country whose official language is English including Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Ghana, United Kingdom, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
2. You have obtained a total score of at least 560 on the paper-based TOEFL and 50 or above on the Test of Spoken English (TSE); a score of 83 on the Internet-based TOEFL with 26 or above on the spoken English section. For other minimum subscores see internationaladmissions.ucdenver.edu. The College of Nursing TOEFL Exam Code is 3377. Be sure to use this code when registering for the exam to ensure that we will receive the results.
3. You have obtained a total score of 6.5 on IELTS with a minimum speaking subscore of 8. Official IELTS scores must be sent directly to the College of Nursing.
4. You have graduated from the University of Colorado Denver’s ESL Academy.
5. You have graduated from a US/UK accredited school abroad with English as the medium of instruction.
6. You have earned a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. or you have successfully completed a minimum of 2 semesters of full-time study in a master’s program at an accredited institution in the U.S.

*For non-international applicants whose primary language is not English (i.e. permanent residents), there may also be an opportunity to complete an English language evaluation to demonstrate language proficiency. Candidates may be identified and contacted during the application cycle if proof of English language proficiency is required.

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.

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 Experiences section in NursingCAS.

All College of Nursing students must meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Technical Standards for admission, progression and graduation.