University of Florida College of Nursing

Program Length & Format

• begins each May and is completed after four consecutive semesters of full-time study, finishing the following August
• Offered at Gainesville and UF Health Jacksonville campuses
• Total credit hours: 60
• Total clinical hours: 765
• Course delivery: traditional classrooms, teleconferencing, web-based delivery; in-person clinical rotations at campus and regional sites

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution in a field other than nursing
• GPA requirement: 3.0 or higher using the most recent 60 credits toward the bachelor’s degree,
• GPA requirement: or cumulative 3.0 or higher for a master’s or doctoral degree
• Applicants must meet admissions requirements by the end of the spring semester before the summer term they intend to apply
• Disclosure of arrests or criminal charges required on UF Program application
• Admitted students must complete background check, fingerprinting, drug screening, mandatory immunization verification, and provide proof of health insurance

Entrance Exams

• HESI A2 required; must be completed by the application deadline
• HESI A2 examination areas: Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Grammar, Math, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Learning, Personality Style
• Applicants may only take the University of Florida HESI A2 once
• No minimum required score; suggested competitive targets: cumulative score 85 and critical thinking score 800 or higher
• HESI A2 must be completed in a single testing session

Prerequisites

• All prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C or better
• 4 credits Anatomy & Physiology I (including lab)
• 4 credits Anatomy & Physiology II (including lab)
• 4 credits Microbiology (including lab)
• 3 credits Statistics
• 3 credits Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology
• 3 credits Human Nutrition

Deadlines

• Summer 2026 application deadline: December 1, 2025
• HESI A2 must be completed by the application deadline
• Exxat health-compliance requirements must be completed by May 12, 2025 (per incoming student resources)

Application

• Submit application via NursingCAS
• Required documents on NursingCAS: official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Application components: essay responding to NursingCAS questions, one academic letter of reference, one personal letter of reference, CV or resume
• HESI A2 registration and completion required

Selection Process

• Admissions Committee uses a holistic assessment including student experiences, attributes, and academic metrics
• Admissions decisions limited by classroom and clinical space
• Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission

Cost & Financial Aid

• Tuition per credit hour: $212.74 (Florida resident); $1,029.53 (non-Florida resident)
• Semester enrollment typically 15 credit hours
• Pre-enrollment estimated costs total $700–860 (excluding student health insurance); sample items: Exxat approval $36, drug test $29, background check $73, fingerprinting $50–60 + tax
• Student health insurance (optional/waivable): $3,039 annual (2025–2026)
• Semester fees and charges:
  • Semester 1: Elsevier/fees $1,018; ExamSoft $30; Tophat $60
  • Semester 2: Elsevier/fees $1,301.56; ExamSoft $30
  • Semester 3: Elsevier/fees $1,018; ExamSoft $30
  • Semester 4: Elsevier/fees $1,018; ExamSoft $30
• Licensure and testing fees: Florida Board of Nursing application $110; Pearson VUE testing center fee $200; fingerprinting $80 (if needed); transcripts $10

Clinical & Simulation Lab

• Total clinical hours across program: 765
• Clinical settings include UF Health Jacksonville sites, UF Health primary care and specialty care centers, and other medical centers within a 75-mile radius of campus
• Students may be required to travel up to 100 miles from campus to assigned clinical sites
• Curriculum includes classroom, laboratory activities, and supervised clinical practice across adult acute, mental health, women/children, population health, and complex adult care rotations

Credit Transfer

• Prerequisite courses may be completed at university or community college level
• Course equivalency for prerequisites requires a detailed course syllabus to determine content

International Students

• International transcripts require certified, literal English translations if documents are not in English
• International transcripts require a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation
• TOEFL minimum scores for applicants whose primary language is not English: 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 80 (internet)

Contacts

• Academic advisor for first-semester registration: Kianna Barnett
• Physical address: 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610
• HESI support contacts: Elsevier Support (800) 222-9570; ProctorU (855) 772-8678