Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans is a public institution in New Orleans, Louisiana with both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university has an open admission/open enrollment policy with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. It is also home to six different schools, including a School of Nursing. The university has a very low student to faculty ratio, with just five students per faculty member. Most incoming students are residents of Louisiana. However, the university does admit 40 out-of-state students each semester. The school was founded in 1931 as the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. It also manages two teaching hospitals. The University Hospital and Charity Hospital are both a part of the university system. A new state-of-the-art academic medical center was opened in 2015.
Seven nursing programs are offered at the university. The undergraduate programs include a traditional BSN, RN to BSN, LPN to BSN, and accelerated BSN program. Those with a BSN may continue their education with an MSN program. Other options include an RN to MSN path and a PhD program. The traditional BSN track is designed to be completed in three years. The class sizes are limited, which makes admission competitive. During the freshman year, BSN students complete 37 credits of general education courses before getting into the core nursing courses.