Students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and we welcome the benefits that a diverse student body brings not only to the college but ultimately to the profession of nursing. That's why we look at each individual applicant as just that an individual.

Holistic admission is a competitive and thorough process that considers not only a critical evaluation of grade point averages and test scores, if applicable, but also includes healthcare related service and a completed essay form submitted by the applicant describing personal attributes and experiences that they feel would support their admission. This entire package is what the Undergraduate Admission Committee uses to determine which students will best fit the program. The best place to begin learning more about the college and its programs is to attend one of our monthly Information Meetings for the Traditional BSN pathway, which cover prerequisites, admission requirements and program curriculum in detail and provide the opportunity to ask questions.

Pre-admission advising

Prospective students are able to work with the Pre-Nursing Advising Team in the University Advising Center to learn about applying to the Traditional BSN program. You may take advantage of the many pre-nursing services the University Advising Center has to offer, including Informational Pre-Nursing Essentials workshops, Essay and Application Workshops, and Friday Drop-in Advising.

Drop-in sessions will be held by either pre-nursing advisor Helen Wilson or Christina Patten every Friday from 11 a.m.-noon during the fall and winter semesters. These sessions are for questions about applying to the nursing program and registration and majors. No records will be shown/discussed. We will NOT meet on Friday, November 29, since it is Thanksgiving that week and NOT meet on December 27 since it is Christmas that week.

• Friday, December 13, 11 a.m.-noon
• Friday, December 20, 11 a.m.-noon

Students may join the Zoom meetings at any time. If you have further advising questions after visiting the Pre-Nursing page and attending a drop-in session, you can schedule an appointment with Pre-Nursing advisor Helen Wilson through your stars.wayne.edu page.

Prerequisite courses

Make sure you have reviewed the prerequisite courses that must be completed before you apply.

• BIO 1510/1511 Basic Life Mechanisms
• BIO 2870 Anatomy & Physiology
• CHM 1060 - General, Organic and Biochemistry
• ENG 1020 Introductory College Writing
• PSY 1020 Elements of Psychology or PSY 1010 Introductory Psychology*
• PSY 2410 Health Psychology or PSY 2400 Developmental Psychology*
• NFS 2030 Nutrition and Health
• Quantitative Experience (QE)
  • Quantitative Experience Completion Methods
  • QE is not factored into your prerequisite GPA
  • Students who have been admitted to Wayne State may take the Math Placement Assessment and place into Level 3 (ALEKS score 61-75) or higher to satisfy the QE requirement.

*You may choose either course. However, if a grade below "C" is earned in one course and you take the other in order to meet the requirement, it will count as a repeat.

The Traditional BSN prerequisite & GPA verification checklist tool can be used as a guide to help applicants determine if they have met the minimum prereq and overall GPA requirement for admission. BEFORE APPLYING, please verify:

1. 1. Each course meets the minimum “C” grade.
   2. That the term in which each course was taken does not exceed June 2015 (10-year expiration date).
   3. Each course transfers directly to WSU as an EXACT equivalent course (if taken at another institution).
   4. All 8 prerequisite courses have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA.

Prerequisite transfer guide

The College of Nursing evaluates courses from other institutions based on guidelines and requirements established by the College. These evaluations take precedence over evaluations by other departments or the university transfer credit department. Please note: prerequisites taken at another institution must transfer to WSU exactly as the courses listed above.

• College of Nursing Prerequisite Transfer Guide - BSN
• Transfer Credit Evaluation

Steps to apply to the College of Nursing

• Step 1: Apply to WSU and the College of Nursing
• Step 2: Submit supplemental materials
• Step 3: Academic requirements and prerequisite courses
• Step 4: Submit official transcripts
• Additional Information and Important Dates

Step 1: Apply to WSU and the College of Nursing

Applying to the College of Nursing is a two-step process. You must first apply and gain admission to Wayne State by April 1. Following admission to Wayne State, you must then apply directly to the College of Nursing via the online secondary application, which opens in September. The deadline to apply to the Traditional BSN pathway and submit all required documents is May 1.

Step 2: Submit Supplemental Materials

When completing the College of Nursing Secondary Application, you must also include supplemental materials, which you may upload to your AppStatus page. Failure to submit all supplemental materials by the May 1 deadline will result in your application not being reviewed. These materials include: 

• Application Fee: A $50 College of Nursing application fee (nonrefundable) must be paid in order for applications to be processed. 
• Essay Questions: Applicants must submit answers to the following four questions. Each response is not to exceed 250 words. Upload a completed College of Nursing Application BSN Essay Form to your application.
  1. Describe a leadership experience that you have had (i.e., work, school, team) and/or led an initiative/campaign to generate change and/or interest and discuss what you learned from this experience. Personal attributes of a leader include inquisitiveness, ambition, empathy and problem-solving abilities. Include a description of the leadership qualities that you possess and how they will assist you with success in the nursing program.
  2. The College of Nursing's mission statement states:
     "We create and translate knowledge and educate a diverse student body prepared to excel as clinicians, scholars and leaders who improve health in local and global communities."
     How does your passion for nursing align with the mission of the college? Describe any experiences that you have had with diverse groups of people (or people who are different from you in some way). What did you learn from this experience?
  3. Courage, resiliency, and an ability to overcome adversity are important characteristics for success in the College of Nursing. Describe a time when you were faced with a difficult situation. How did these traits contribute to successfully achieving your goals?
  4. Describe how your 10+ hours of volunteer healthcare related service experience that you detailed on the Healthcare Related Service Experience Form have contributed to your desire to become a nurse.
• Healthcare Related Service Experience: You are required to complete a minimum of 10 hours of healthcare related service. Provide a completed Healthcare Related Service Experience Form for each experience, if multiple, and upload to your Nursing Secondary Application. Examples of healthcare-related service include, but are not limited to, volunteering (unpaid) at health fairs; with senior citizens or those in assisted care facilities; with support groups or programs for children/adults with special needs; as a non-clerical volunteer in a hospital or community health organizations; soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
• • Service must be completed within one year of the application deadline.
  • Shadowing of a professional nurse is acceptable.
  • Volunteer experiences must be clearly distinct from any paid positions or required school-based internship or work hours.
  • Volunteer experiences may not include caring for a friend/family member.

Step 3: Academic requirements and prerequisite courses

To be eligible to apply to the Traditional BSN pathway:

• You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA (based on prerequisite courses only).
• You must have a minimum grade of "C" or higher in all prerequisite courses. Note: Pass/No Pass (P/N) and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grades are not accepted by the College of Nursing.
• Prerequisite courses may not be older than 10 years by the application deadline. For the 2025 cohort, courses taken prior to June 2015 will not be accepted. ENG 1020, PSY 1010/1020, and QE requirements will not expire.
• Preference is given to science prerequisite courses taken at WSU.
• Credit by exam:
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP):
    • CLEP exams taken to replace an existing grade (grade less than C) will count as a repeat.
    • A maximum of one CLEP exam may be used to substitute a prerequisite.
  • AP credits or official scores for the ACT/SAT or CLEP exam must be sent to and received by the College of Nursing no later than June 1.
  • AP, ACT/SAT, and CLEP scores older than 10 years at time of application deadline will not be accepted.
• English Proficiency:
  • Non-native students whose prior bachelor’s degree was earned outside the US may need to provide proof of English proficiency. Countries exempt from English proficiency by exam can be found on the WSU international student English proficiency requirement page. If the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required, the minimum accepted scores for the College of Nursing are higher than those listed by WSU. You will need to provide scores at the following level: 101 total score with a minimum of 25 in Listening, 25 in Reading, 25 in Writing and 26 in Speaking.
  • If you have earned any degree from an accredited US college or university (associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate), you are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency.

Use the Traditional BSN prerequisite & GPA verification checklist form to make sure you’ve taken all the courses needed and that your prerequisite GPA meets the 3.0 minimum.

Step 4: Submit official transcripts 

Courses completed at WSU are already provided as part of your student profile. WSU transcripts are not necessary.

Applicants who have completed college courses outside the U.S. (including Canada) must provide an official international transcript evaluation to Wayne State University. WSU accepts World Education Services and Education Credential Evaluators.

Applicants who are transferring courses from another institution and have not yet had official transcripts sent should request official transcripts be sent to admissions@wayne.edu or have them mailed to:

Wayne State University
Transfer Credit Evaluation
P.O. Box 02759
Detroit, MI 48202-0759

If you are taking courses during the fall semester (August-December) of the application year, all final transcripts with posted grades must be sent directly to the College of Nursing. Transcripts must be received by the College of Nursing by June 1. Official transcripts may be emailed to nursinginfo@wayne.edu.

Additional information and important dates for the 2024 cohort

All updates and communications from the College of Nursing will be sent to your Wayne State University email account. It is important to check this account regularly for updates regarding registration and other information. After applying, applications can be monitored by checking the AppStatus page. Contact us at nursinginfo@wayne.edu if there are any discrepancies.

Important dates