BSN Student Guide: Curriculum and Plan of Study

Student Information | Curriculum and Plan of Study | Academic Information

MAKING IT THROUGH THE MAZE…Important Things To Know!

This section provides helpful, important information that students need to be able to plan their course of study to meet graduation requirements.

BSN Program of Studies Tips

The Program of Studies provided in this Handbook is the BSN curriculum plan. The Program of Studies lists required courses by term for a full-time student carrying a full load who is planning to graduate in 4 years. All courses are shown, including those required by the Core Curriculum, except the foreign language (or computer science) sequence. Many students take these latter courses during a summer term.

1. In lower division (usually the first 4 semesters), many students choose not to carry the full load and vary from the plan shown on the Program of Studies. Students who deviate from the plan should know that they may take longer than four semesters to complete lower division requirements unless the student is receiving transfer credit for courses.
2. Students must earn a C- or above in all required courses. If the student receives a D or F, the student may take the course again here or at another college, with the approval of the ONSS.
3. CH 104 and CH 105 are sequential courses, which means they must be taken in the order listed. CH 104 is usually offered only once a year in the Fall. CH 105 is offered during the spring semester. Both courses are offered in the summer. CH 104 is a prerequisite course for CH 105.
4. BSC 215 and BSC 216 are sequential courses, which means they must be taken in the order listed. BSC 215 and BSC 216 are usually offered each semester. Students must have completed the CH 104/105 sequence prior to taking BSC 215.
5. BSC 242 (Microbiology) is usually offered each semester. Students must have completed the CH 104/105 sequence and one biology course (BSC 215 or BSC 216) prior to taking BSC 242.
6. Entering students will be placed in a Math course based on their SAT or ACT score. Depending on the placement, students may be required to take a remedial math course before they can take the math course required on the CCN Program of Studies. If a student is dissatisfied with their placement, they may elect to take a placement exam through an online assessment the summer prior to enrolling at UA. Students who anticipate difficulty with MATH 112 may desire to take MATH 110: Finite Mathematics. MATH 110, as well as MATH 112, meets one of the math (M) Core Curriculum requirements.
7. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that students take the two Literatures/one History sequence. Students who elect to take two History courses and one Literature course will be required to take an additional Humanities course in order to complete the Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature Core Curriculum requirements.
8. Entering students may take a foreign language placement exam. Students may choose the computer science sequence to meet the foreign language/computer science core requirements. NUR 309: Nursing Informatics, an upper division course has core designation as a computer science course.
9. BSC 215, BSC 216, BSC 242, CH 104 and CH 105 are prerequisite courses for NUR 305, Human Pathophysiology. A student who has not successfully completed the prerequisite courses but enrolls in NUR 305 will be dis-enrolled from the course.
10. If a student plans to take a lower division course at another campus, the student must obtain approval of the course(s) and a letter of transiency from the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar. Letters of Transiency are only required for community colleges in the state of Alabama. Institutions outside Alabama may require a Letter of Transiency.
11. Competition for promotion to upper division exists due to a limited number of positions. Students should strive to do their best in all required lower division courses to maximize their opportunities for promotion.
12. In upper division, there is less freedom to spread out the courses. Students are generally expected to carry a full-time load and take upper division courses sequentially as they are listed on the Program of Studies. If it becomes necessary for a student to withdraw from a clinical nursing course, the student must contact the Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs to request placement. Readmission is dependent on several factors including whether there is space available for the student in the course.
13. A student who fails one clinical nursing course must repeat the course before progressing to other clinical courses. The student must make an appointment with the Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs to request placement on a waiting list, and placement is subject to available space. Failure of more than one nursing course will cause the student to be academically suspended from the CCN
14. Not all clinical nursing courses are offered during summer terms. Non-clinical NUR courses in Semester I will be offered in summer terms. Depending on budgetary allocations, other non-clinical NUR courses may be offered in summer terms.
15. When planning for lower division course registration, students should look at the Final Exam schedule and select appropriate course sections, to avoid multiple exams on one day.
16. When selecting courses to meet Core Curriculum requirements, students must check the current listing in the Schedule booklet for courses that meet the Core requirement. Students should consult their academic advisor in the ONSS for answers to any questions concerning the core curriculum.