University of South Florida College of Nursing

Program Length & Format

• 16 months (4 consecutive semesters)
• In-person instruction
• Campus-specific start terms: Tampa (Summer), St. Petersburg (Fall), Sarasota-Manatee (Spring)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution conferred before the nursing application deadline
• Admission to the University of South Florida as a second baccalaureate, degree-seeking student for the term of entry
• Overall undergraduate GPA minimum: 3.0
• Nursing prerequisite GPA minimum: 3.0
• Applicants who previously attended a nursing program must upload a letter of good standing from the prior program’s Dean to NursingCAS

Entrance Exams

• No entrance exam requirement
• TEAS and HESI scores are not reviewed and will be removed from applications

Prerequisites

• Eight state-mandated nursing prerequisite courses required; all eight used to calculate nursing prerequisite GPA
• Prerequisite grade requirement: C or better (C- accepted at institutions with +/- grading for eligibility)
• One final prerequisite may be in progress at NursingCAS deadline; conditional admission requires proof of C or better by end of spring semester
• AP/CLEP exam scores and Pass/Fail/S/U grades that earn credit are calculated as a B (3.0) for prerequisite GPA
• Applicants may submit the best grade for each prerequisite; completion within the last five years provides an admissions advantage

Deadlines

• Tampa (Summer entry): NursingCAS application closes Feb 1; Admission to USF deadline Mar 1
• St. Petersburg (Fall entry): NursingCAS application closes Jun 1; Admission to USF deadline Jul 1
• Sarasota-Manatee (Spring entry): NursingCAS application closes Oct 1; Admission to USF deadline Nov 1

Application

• Submit USF undergraduate application selecting Bachelor’s Degree, Nursing major, Tampa campus, and apply as second baccalaureate for intended term
• Submit a NursingCAS application with fee and obtain “verified” status by the NursingCAS deadline
• Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to both USF Admissions and NursingCAS
• Submit official AP/IB/CLEP scores and military joint service transcripts, if applicable
• NursingCAS includes four short essay prompts; additional personal statements, letters, resumes, and TEAS/HESI scores are not reviewed and will be removed

Selection Process

• Applications reviewed after the deadline; eligible applications evaluated following submission deadlines (not rolling)
• Admissions decisions released simultaneously to applicants
• No interview requirement; NursingCAS essay responses reviewed anonymously
• Cohort size determined by available faculty, laboratory/classroom space, and clinical teaching resources
• Admission to USF does not guarantee admission to the nursing pathway

Clinical & Simulation Lab

• Background checks (level one and two) required after admission for clinical placement
• Clinical partners may require additional vaccines or screenings after matriculation
• Proof of current health insurance required for admitted students
• Failure to meet clinical partner requirements may delay or prevent clinical coursework and program completion
• Social Security number commonly required by most states to sit for NCLEX and obtain licensure

Credit Transfer

• Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended for transfer evaluation
• Credits from regionally accredited institutions that match USF course prefix, number, and description generally transfer and meet prerequisite requirements
• Applicants who completed prerequisites outside Florida may be asked to provide course syllabi for faculty review
• AP/CLEP and other accepted exam credits counted as B (3.0) for prerequisite GPA when credit is earned

International Students

• International applicants must meet USF Admissions requirements and provide approved foreign credential evaluation
• Syllabi required for prerequisites completed outside the U.S. for faculty review
• International students on F-1/I-20 visas are eligible only for the Tampa (Summer) term; not eligible for St. Petersburg or Sarasota-Manatee campuses

Contacts

• Alaina Boudreau, Admissions Recruiter | Advisor II
• College of Nursing address: 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC Box 22, Tampa, FL 33612
• USF Admissions phone for transcript processing and DegreeWorks questions: (813) 974-3350
• NursingCAS technical support: 617-612-2880