Pre-Nursing

Is this career right for you?

  • Do you enjoy serving in a nurturing, caregiving role?
  • Can you be firm and set boundaries with people?
  • Do you work well under pressure?
  • Do you have the communication and interpersonal skills to advise and educate patients?
  • Do you work well with others, and are you a team player?

Prerequisite courses

There are many pathways to become a nurse. Obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) is considered the first, entry-level step to a career in professional nursing. Since CU Boulder does not offer the B.S.N., our students are typically planning to either:

  • Finish a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major while completing all nursing prerequisites to prepare to apply to earn a second Bachelor’s degree in nursing at another institution; OR
  • Complete all nursing prerequisites at CU Boulder and then seek to transfer to an institution that offers the B.S.N. degree.

For students who wish to finish their degree in a non-nursing major, any major at CU Boulder is acceptable for applying to earn a second degree in nursing at another institution. Nursing schools seek applicants who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, care and compassion in a service setting, and who have done well in their coursework. The best major for you to choose is the one you will find most interesting and challenging. For students who seek to transfer to an institution that offers the B.S.N degree, after achieving the B.S.N. degree, those students will then be prepared to take the certification exam to become a Registered Nurse (R.N.). For students who complete a non-nursing Bachelor’s degree at CU Boulder, there are some institutions that offer an entry-level Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.), although there are no such programs in babyÖ±²¥app. Please see a Pre-Health Advisor for assistance in determining the path to nursing that might work best for you.

You will prepare for your nursing career by engaging in leadership, community service, and clinical experiences in the various settings of the profession.

Your academic preparation is also important. Nursing programs expect strong science preparation in addition to social and behavioral sciences. The courses listed below are typical prerequisites for many nursing programs. However, there is great variability in nursing school requirements and this is not a definitive list. Additionally, many of the lower division science courses listed below are prerequisites to upper division science courses. You are responsible for verifying the requirements and prerequisites for each of the schools that interest you.

OPHA's Pre-Health Advisors can help answer complex quesitons regarding pre-requisites; however, OPHA generally recommends retaking AP/IB credits that are part of the course requirements for health professional schools. Because many schools do not accept AP/IB credits for prerequisite requirements, this helps students keep their options open when it comes time to apply as each school can differ in their exceptions.

Most nursing programs require grades of at least C or higher for all prerequisites. If you do not receive satisfactory grades in required courses, we highly recommend you retake to ensure mastery of content and competitiveness of application.

OPHA's Pre-Health Advisors can help you determine the best pathway for you to achieve your nursing goals.

Biology

At CU Boulder, there are multiple options to fulfill this requirement. Additional biology courses may be required depending on the school. See two options for completing the biology requirement below.

  • General Biology 1 (EBIO 1210), 3 credits, OR Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (MCDB 1150), 3 credits
  • General Biology 1 Lab (EBIO 1230), 1 credit
  • General Biology 2 (EBIO 1220), 3 credits, OR Principles of Genetics (MCDB 2150), 3 credits
  • General Biology 2 Lab (EBIO 1240), 1 credit OR one of the following first-year biology labs:
    • From Dirt to DNA: Phage Genomics Lab (MCDB 1161), 2 credits
    • Drug Discovery Through Hands-on Screens (MCDB 1171), 2 credits
    • Biological Probiotic/Drug Discovery Through Hands-on Screens (MCDB 1181/IPHY 1181), 2 credits
    • Drug Discovery Through Hands-on Screens 2 (MCDB 2171), 2 credits

Additionally, the following courses are also required:

  • Human Anatomy (IPHY 3410 and IPHY 3415), 5 credits
  • Human Physiology (IPHY 3430 and IPHY 3435), 6 credits
  • Microbiology (EBIO 3400), 3 credits and Microbiology Lab (EBIO 3410), 1 credit

Chemistry

At least one semester of general (inorganic) chemistry with an associated lab is often required. Additional chemistry courses may be required, depending on the nursing program and/or your major degree requirements. Here at CU Boulder, we recommend at least the courses below.

    • Introductory Chemistry (CHEM 1021), 4 credits (Recommended, but optional to provide foundational knowledge)
    • General Chemistry 1 and Lab (CHEM 1113 and CHEM 1114), 5 credits
    • General Chemistry 2 and Lab (CHEM 1133 and CHEM 1134), 5 credits
      • ​General Chemistry 2 may not always be required by specific schools, but it is a necessary pre-/co-requisite for IPHY 3430: Human Physiology at CU Boulder

    Math and Statistics

    One semester of statistics is typically required. Choose one of the following:

    • Psychological Science 1: Statistics (PSYC 2111), 4 credits 
    • Introduction to Statistics (IPHY 2800), 4 credits -  no longer offered
    • Introduction to Data Science & Biostatistics (IPHY 3280), 4 credits 
    • Introduction to Statistics (MATH 2510), 3 credits

    The following may be required by some schools and will serve as necessary preparation for college chemistry:

    • Precalculus (MATH 1150), 4 credits

    Human Nutrition

    Many nursing programs require coursework in human nutrition. The following courses are available here at CU Boulder.

      • Introduction to Nutrition (IPHY 2420), 3 credits
      • Clinical Nutrition (IPHY 3440), 3 credits
      • Nutrition and Human Performance (IPHY 4420), 3 credits

      Psychology

      Many programs expect various psychology courses, with the most common being that of Development Psychology. Consider the following:

      • General Psychology (PSYC 1001), 3 credits
      • Developmental Psychology (PSYC 3684), 3 credits
      • Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 3303), 3 credits

      Additional Coursework

      Some nursing programs require additional coursework in subjects such as public speaking, critical thinking, sociology, religious studies, philosophy, upper division chemistry, and pathophysiology.

      Prerequisites will also vary depending on whether you plan to finish your bachelor’s degree at CU Boulder and then seek a second bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) or entry-level master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or if you plan to finish nursing prerequisites at CU Boulder and then transfer to another university to finish your BSN.

      Courses in additional disciplines that are of interest to you will provide you with a broad and relevant foundation for nursing school. Consider enhancing your studies in ethics, philosophy, global and public health, cross-cultural studies, and social and behavioral sciences.

      Becoming a Nurse Practitioner

      A Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) is the minimum degree requirement for becoming a nurse practitioner. There is a growing movement toward requiring nurse practitioners to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree.

      To become a nurse practitioner, students must first get their basic nursing education by completing a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing (B.S.N.). Once they have completed their undergraduate education, students can enroll in a graduate program to obtain a master’s degree in nursing (M.S.N.).

      Some graduate programs may be open to individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in a field related to health or science, whereas some may require a B.S.N. as a prerequisite.

      All states require nurse practitioners to be licensed. Nurse practitioner licensure candidates must hold an M.S.N. and a valid state R.N. license, and also pass a national certification examination.

      National certification for nurse practitioners is available from various professional associations, depending on a candidate's chosen area of specialization. National organizations that certify N.P.s include the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.

      Alternatively, students with career goals related to healthcare administration, nursing education, or research may choose to earn an M.S.N. and then go on to earn a Ph.D. in nursing or a related field.

      Updated June 2022