The first step in applying to the program is to understand the prerequisites. There are nine prerequisites for the Master of Nursing program, and you must have five completed by the application deadline.
If you do not have a strong science background in your previous coursework, we recommend that at least 3 of the 5 courses be in the sciences (see the starred courses below). All 9 prerequisites must be complete prior to the start of the program. You may take the courses in either an online or classroom format at any accredited college or university. All prerequisite courses must be taken for a grade and you must earn a C+ or better to fulfill the requirement. The admissions committee does prefer upper level or graduate courses if possible; however it’s not required.
Please note that our prerequisites satisfy requirements for nursing licensure in the state of Minnesota. Other states may require lab components with anatomy, physiology, or microbiology courses in order to be licensed in that state. Please check the board of nursing requirements in the state in which you plan to apply for licensure after passing the NCLEX. Applicants should review their own transcripts and the syllabi to determine whether or not their coursework meets the requirements listed under each prerequisite below. We are unable to review transcripts to determine if a course meets our requirements. We will review course syllabi if you have taken a course that you believes meets our prerequisite requirements but the course has an unusual title, or may not clearly meet our prerequisites requirements for another reason. Please email gophernursing@umn.edu if you would like us to review the syllabus for a course to determine if it meets our prerequisite requirements.
Nine Prerequisites for the Master of Nursing Program
General Chemistry* (Minimum 3 credits)
Courses designed to prepare students for college-level chemistry or survey courses are not adequate. Biochemistry or organic/inorganic chemistry courses are not appropriate either. Choose a course that is a college-level general chemistry course or one designed for pre-health professions majors. A lab is not required, but may be helpful.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: CHEM 1015, CHEM 1061
Human Anatomy* (Minimum 3 credits)
Covering all aspects of human anatomy; a lab is not required, but may be helpful. Some schools combine anatomy and physiology and offer a 2-course series (i.e. Anatomy & Physiology I & II). At these schools you must take both courses to fulfill the anatomy and physiology requirements. Comparative or animal anatomy courses do not fulfill the prerequisite.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: ANAT 3001, ANAT 3301, ANAT 3601, ANAT 3611, KIN 3027
Human Physiology* (Minimum 3 credits)
Covering all aspects of human physiology; a lab is not required. The course cannot be older than 10 years at the time of entry into the program. Some schools combine anatomy and physiology and offer a 2-course series (i.e. Anatomy & Physiology I & II). At these schools you must take both courses to fulfill the anatomy and physiology requirements. Comparative or animal physiology courses do not fulfill the prerequisite.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: PHSL 3050, PHSL 3051, PHSL 3061, KIN 3385, PHAR 3601
Microbiology* (Minimum 3 credits)
Covers principles of microbiology; a lab is strongly recommended but not required. An appropriate course will include all or most of the following: bacterial metabolism, growth, and genetics; biology of viruses and fungi; control of microorganisms; host-microbe interactions; microorganisms and disease; applied microbiology. Molecular/cellular biology or immunology courses are not appropriate. Course cannot be older than 10 years at the time of entry into the program.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: FSCN 2021, VBS 2032, MICB 3301
Lifespan, Growth & Development (Minimum 3 credits)
This is a developmental psychology course and must cover the entire human lifespan (infancy through older adult).
Accepted course at the U of M-Twin Cities: NURS 2001
Human Nutrition (Minimum 2 credits, 3 preferred)
A nutrition course that addresses topics such as essential nutrients needed from the diet; major functions of nutrients and physiological changes with deficiency or excess; digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients; scientific method and nutrition; food safety issues. Courses that only discuss topics such as diet fads are not appropriate.
Accepted course at the U of M-Twin Cities: FSCN 1112
Human Pathology* (Minimum 3 credits)
A course covering general and organ system pathology. An appropriate course will include all or most of the following: understanding human disease as an alteration of normal structure and function; understanding the concepts and underlying general pathology, and correlating these patterns with specific diseases in different organ systems; becoming familiar with common terms used in clinical medicine and pathology and the frequently used suffixes and prefixes, e.g., - itis, -emia, dys-, as in dysplasia, etc.; being able to, for each of the systems delineated (e.g., the cardiovascular system): indicate the common diseases of the system, inherited, infectious, neoplastic, etc.; explaining the primary features of each disease; and understanding the interdependence of anatomic and functional systems. It is sometimes called pathophysiology. The course cannot be older than 10 years at the time of entry into the program. An upper-division course is recommended.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: LAMP 4177, PUBH 6355
Introduction to Psychopathology (Minimum 3 credits)
Overview of a wide range of mental disorders as well as descriptive information including prevalence rates, ages of onset, and cultural differences. General psychology does not fulfill this requirement.
(Course name formerly: 'Abnormal Psychology')
Accepted course at the U of M-Twin Cities: PSY 3604, CPSY 4311
Inferential Statistics (Minimum 3 credits)
This course is a specific prerequisite for the graduate-level research course taken during the MN program. The appropriate course must include methods of statistical estimation and inference (hypothesis testing). It may also include some or all of the following: sampling methods, experimental design, data exploration (e.g., using graphical and numerical summaries), data modeling and simulation, normal distributions, sampling distributions, correlation, and simple linear regression. Additional topics may include measures of center and spread and experimental design. It is strongly recommended that the course be taken at the upper-division or graduate level.
Accepted courses at the U of M-Twin Cities: EPSY 5261, EPSY 3264, STAT 3011, PSY 3801, SOC 3811
*Science courses—three of the five courses to be completed by the application deadline should be in the sciences.