CU Nursing/Fort Lewis College Collaborative Admissions Requirements and Application Process

The minimum admission requirements differ depending on if you have an earned bachelor’s degree or not. Regardless of the degree, the following must be met:

1. 3.0 cumulative GPA in the required prerequisite courses (requirements differ if a degree has been earned). All courses must be earned with a grade of C or higher and completed within ten years of the application deadline.
2. Meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Technical Standards for CU Nursing admission, progression, and graduation.
3. Students selected for admission will be required to show the ability to complete the full prerequisite list prior to the start of the program. Completing prerequisites while enrolled at CU Nursing is strictly prohibited.
   A maximum of 18 semester credits (12 quarter credits) can be taken, the semester before you start the program. Of these 18 semester credits (12 quarter credits), only one (1) course can be from Anatomy, Chemistry, Physiology, or Microbiology.
4. Letter of good standing if you have previously attended or are transferring from another nursing program.
5. International credential evaluation for degrees/courses earned outside of the United States. To request an evaluation of a foreign degree, a prospective student should submit copies of their diploma and transcripts to nursing.admissions@cuanschutz.edu.
6. Meet CU Nursing English proficiency requirements if the English language requirements are not met (see below for more information).

Prerequisite course requirements for applicants without an earned bachelor’s degree

• 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 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.

Note: Prerequisites alone often do not total 60 semester (or 90 quarter) credit hours. Some electives may be necessary to reach the 60-credit requirement. Elective credit hours may be selected from most major academic disciplines. Electives not accepted include commercial or vocational courses, doctrinal courses in religion, and physical education activity courses.

Students enrolled at Fort Lewis College will be encouraged to follow the pre-nursing curriculum plan which will ensure the appropriate prerequisite courses are taken that meet CU Nursing’s requirement. To discuss your prerequisite course plan at Fort Lewis College, please reach out to the pre-nursing advisors at FLC.

Prerequisite requirements for applicants with an earned bachelor’s degree

To be considered for admission a 3.0 cumulative GPA must be reported for the following courses:

• Anatomy (or Anatomy & Physiology I)
• Physiology (or Anatomy & Physiology II)
• Microbiology
• General Chemistry
• Statistics

Things to keep in mind

• The 3.0 prerequisite GPA includes the highest-grade attempt for courses included on transcripts at the time of application.
• Preference in the admission review process is given to students who have completed at least 50% of the required prerequisites at Fort Lewis College.
• The BS prerequisite descriptions can help determine if your prerequisite meets the CU standard. Additionally, a form is also available to help track your prerequisite progress, or you can watch our video guide on prerequisite evaluations.

How to Apply

Application to CU Nursing can be made through NursingCAS where all documents and materials should be sent.

To apply, please take the following steps:

• Complete the application and pay the required application fee through NursingCAS. Note that there are two fees associated with the application: NursingCAS ($60) and CU Nursing ($50). Both fees must be paid for an application to be considered complete. Income and service-based fees waivers are available through NursingCAS; CU Nursing will waive any application fees for students approved through this process.
• Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. All courses taken must be entered individually into the NursingCAS with official transcripts sent to initiate the NursingCAS verification process. Failing to accurately report or submit transcripts from all institutions can result in an application being denied or withdrawn from admissions consideration.
• Three professional or academic references are 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 Times Roman font, double-spaced with one-inch margins).
• Resume. Learn more about services at FLC for writing a resume.

Applications to the FLC/CU Nursing Collaborative for Summer (June) 2025 admission will be conducted in two application cycles:

1. Cycle 1 - Priority application deadline – September 15, 2024 Current and previous Fort Lewis College students who meet the minimum grade and course requirements are highly encouraged to apply for the Fort Lewis College & CU Nursing Collaborative Program through the priority application deadline. Students in the priority application cycle will receive the first review/decision on admission.
2. Cycle 2 – Extended application deadline - January 6, 2025
   If seats remain after the priority application reviews, the application will remain open for others to apply in the extended application review. Community members, FLC alumni, and even current FLC students can apply during this cycle.

The application for Summer 2026 admission will open on February 1, 2025.

For an application to be considered the NursingCAS application must be in verified status AND all supporting documentation including recommendations must be received. A small grace period of 10 days is provided to all students with submitted applications to provide the greatest opportunity to be reviewed.

Students requiring an F-1 visa are encouraged to contact the Office of International Admission at the University of Colorado prior to starting the Fort Lewis College & CU Nursing Collaborative application.

After you have submitted your application, please take the following steps to ensure that your application is considered for interview:

• Send official transcripts to NursingCAS to initiate the verification process. Official transcripts from all institutions must be sent regardless of the number of credits enrolled, or grades earned. 
• 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. Information regarding the NursingCAS application statuses is available online.
• Make sure that you are available for the interview and orientation dates listed in the NursingCAS application. The interview dates are not negotiable.
• Check your application regularly to ensure that your recommenders have submitted the recommendation form which is delivered directly to the recommender by NursingCAS.
• Be sure to report any grades/credits earned after the application is submitted through the NursingCAS Academic Update process.

A select number of students will be invited to participate in CU Nursing’s Interview Day. The interview day consists of two components: the group interview and the spontaneous writing sample. The interview activities may be performed virtually or on campus.

Admission notifications are expected to be delivered by email in mid-December for priority applicants and early March for extended applicants. Students accepted are required to confirm their intention to enroll within two weeks of the admission offer. Admission decisions can include admit, waitlist, and deny. CU Nursing does not require a deposit to accept a position in the cohort.

All students at CU Nursing are admitted conditionally pending successful completion/passing of the pre-enrollment requirements including, but not limited to outstanding prerequisites, 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 a criminal history or a pending criminal charge prohibits the possibility of clinical placements or future licensure, 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.