Am I a transfer student?
Yes: You are considered a transfer student to the School of Nursing if you have registered or enrolled at a college, university (including the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities), or any other school after graduating from high school.
No: If you are a high school student and are enrolled in PSEO, College in the Schools, International Baccalaureate programs or have earned AP credit and have not enrolled in college, you are not considered a transfer student. You will want to pursue the Freshman Admissions path.
Transfer options
Rochester: One program, two locations
Rochester transfer students begin the program in Rochester at the start of their sophomore year. BSN students in Rochester enjoy being part of a smaller campus dedicated to students in the health sciences where some courses are taught in-person and interactive TV by faculty located on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses.
Students also gain exceptional clinical experience at the Mayo Clinic, where more than 6,000 medical professionals address the health and treatment needs of patients from around the world each day.
Every student will have learning experiences in a variety of settings throughout the Mayo Clinic as part of their last two years of the BSN program. Students participate in classes with their peers on the Twin Cities campus, and will graduate as one cohort together upon the completion of the program.
Transfer Option for Saint Paul College Students
We are excited to offer students who have completed required prerequisite courses at Saint Paul College the opportunity to apply to our program to be considered for admission as a BSN transfer student. To be eligible for this option, all or most of the required prerequisite courses must be completed at Saint Paul College and meet the transfer requirements outlined here. Admission for students meeting the Saint Paul College transfer requirements will be limited to ten students for enrollment on the Twin Cities Campus, but consideration for the Rochester BSN option is also available. Applicants eligible for consideration under the Saint Paul College agreement follow the standard transfer application process.
Length of Time to Degree Completion
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a three-year, full-time program preceded by one year of prerequisite courses. Students also complete liberal education courses to meet the requirements of a University of Minnesota bachelor degree. Each student is advised and guided through course registration to ensure completion of all BSN curriculum requirements. The BSN program is always three years in length, no matter how many credits have been previously completed.
Timing and Commitment
Practicum (clinical) experiences during junior and senior years take place in the evenings, weekends, early mornings and during the day. Students are expected to determine their own transportation needs to attend practicum sites. Courses on-campus are taught Monday through Friday during the day. There are no summer course requirements to complete the degree.
Program Delivery and Location
Transfer students admitted to the program through the transfer admission process are located in Rochester and will attend courses and labs on the University of Minnesota-Rochester campus. While some hands-on courses, such as labs, are delivered with the instructor in the classroom, other courses are taught in person and via interactive TV by instructors located on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses. Students attending the Rochester-based program will learn in a variety of clinical settings at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
What courses (prerequisites) are required before I apply?
The first step to applying for BSN transfer admission is to understand the prerequisite requirements. Visit our Prerequisites page for more information.
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.