Freshman Admissions

Four freshman in Bentson Center

Start your nursing program on day one

The University of Minnesota admits freshmen directly into the School of
Nursing on the Twin Cities campus. From day one, students are full members of the School of Nursing. Given demand for this program, admission is highly competitive.  

To be considered, students must submit their complete application including nursing supplemental questions for freshman admissions (Available August 1), scholarships and the University Honors Program by November 1. More information can be found on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions webpage

Notice of Non Discrimination

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Why Nursing at the University of Minnesota?

The school collaborates with premier hospitals, specialty clinics and community clinics to place you in settings where you can interact with patients, gain knowledge and receive continuous feedback.

Learning and living on a major research university campus, there are opportunities to work with and learn from faculty who are leading the nation in conducting important research. Few professions will offer you the flexibility, satisfaction and respect that a career in nursing delivers.

The University’s academic health sciences, including the schools of Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine, are nationally recognized. As a nursing student, you will have the opportunity to participate in classes and activities that will teach you how to work effectively with other members of the health care team to improve patient care.

If you are interested in continuing your education, you can explore your interest right here in our Doctor of Nursing Practice or PhD in Nursing programs.

Founded in 1909 and recognized as the first nursing program established within a university, the University of Minnesota School of Nursing continues to lead the profession into the future.

Length and Commitment: Four Years

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a four-year degree program that includes one year of prerequisite courses and 2 introductory nursing courses (NURS 1030 and 1031) followed by three years of sequenced nursing courses and placements in clinical settings.

The BSN curriculum plan is full time during fall and spring semesters, but does not include summer semester coursework. Due to the sequencing of coursework, the BSN program is always four years in length, which includes students who may have earned college credit while in high school

The majority of coursework will be Monday through Friday during the day with the possibility of an evening course. However, junior and senior year clinical/practicum experiences could occur during the day, evening, early morning, nights, or on weekends. Providing your own transportation is highly encouraged during the clinical/practicum experiences as many of the locations are not accessible via public transportation.

Practicum Experiences

The practicum experiences in the School of Nursing include both clinical sites and simulation experiences. Our practicum experiences are guided by providing the best educational strategy for our learners to achieve course outcomes and program competencies. 

Clinical sites include hospitals, specialty clinics and community sites throughout the region. You are placed in clinical settings where you can interact with patients, gain knowledge and receive continuous feedback. Students may be assigned to eight and/or twelve hour shifts that occur on either day, evening, night, or weekend shifts. Clinical instructors and/or preceptors provide supervision and feedback to the student. A variety of clinical sites are used in the program and may vary related to the site’s availability to host students. This can vary each semester. 

Simulation experiences allow all nursing students to have the opportunity to experience a specific patient situation that otherwise might be missed in a scheduled clinical shift. Simulation encompasses various methods and may include standardized patients (actors), manikins, screen based and/or virtual reality (VR) scenarios. Students experience the simulated event and then are guided through a structured debriefing session with leaders who are experts in the content and trained as “debriefers.”