The curriculum of the BSN program encompasses general, foundational and professional studies within a liberal-education perspective. The curriculum is driven by the belief that nursing knowledge and skills are essential to improving the health and well-being of patients and populations.
As first year and second year students, nursing students are considered pre-nursing majors. Students are required to complete approximately 60 semester hours of general-education and prerequisite coursework while applying the clinical nursing major.
Students apply for admission to the clinical major during the last semester of general-education and prerequisite coursework. After admission, a student must earn 60 additional credit hours in nursing to complete the clinical major. MU requires a minimum of 120 credit hours for the bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Academic curriculum plans are developed for each student by the academic advisor. All students are provided a copy of their plan. The plan is also filed in the student’s folder in the academic advisor’s office. Any alteration in the curriculum plan has the potential of delaying the completion of the program one or more semesters.
Nursing knowledge is developmental in nature. Each course is designed to build on knowledge and skills acquired in previous nursing and non-nursing courses. Therefore, the faculty strongly encourage students to keep syllabi, notes, and required texts from previous courses so that they can refer to them as needed.
A condensed plan of study is below or you may download more detailed plan.
For Pre-nursing Majors
| Semester 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| 1010 | General Biology | 3 |
| 1100 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| 1100 | College Algebra**** | 3 |
| 1100 or 1200 | American History or American Government | 3 |
| 1000 | Intro. to Sociology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| 2800 | Microbiology | 4 |
| 1000 | English Composition | 3 |
| 1000 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| Varies | Humanities or Fine Arts | 3 |
| 1200 or 4170 | Statistics or Educational Statistics (ESC PS) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| 3202 | Human Physiology (MPP) | 5 |
| N2000 | Nursing as a Profession** | 3 |
| Varies | Humanity or Fine Arts Course | 3 |
| 2400W | Human Development | 4 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| 2201/2203 | Human Anatomy (PTH AS) | 5 |
| 2380 | Diet Therapy for Health Professionals (NUTR S) | 3 |
| N2100 or N2100H |
Communication Issues in Nursing |
2-3 |
| 2000 or higher | Upper-level behavioral science* | 3 |
| Varies | Humanities or Fine Arts Elective | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16-17 | |
For Clinical Majors
| Semester 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N3170 | Nursing Skills, Technology and Simulations | 4 |
| N3200 | Pathophysiology & Therapeutics | 4 |
| N3270 | Foundations for Nursing: Assessment & Nursing Process (Beginning Spring 2017, this class will be 5 credit hours) |
6 |
| N3300 | Pharmacology & Nursing Implications | 4 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N3470 | Mental Health Nursing (beginning in fall 2017, this course will be 5 credit hours) |
4 |
| N3670 | Nursing of Adults I | 6 |
| N3870 | Gerontological Nursing Care | 3 |
| N3900 | Introduction to Nursing Science | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N4200 or N4200W | Nursing Ethics & the Law | 3-4 |
| N4270 | Nursing of Children | 5 |
| N4300 | Nursing Issues/Leadership/Management | 2 |
| N4470 | Nursing of Women & Newborns | 5 |
| Total Hours | 15-16 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N4870 or N4870H | Nursing of Adults II | 7-8 |
| N4970 | Nursing in Communities (capstone) | 5 |
| Total Hours | 12-13 | |
Summer Option
Twenty (20) extra students are admitted in the Fall semester who go into the Summer Option. Students will be able to graduate a semester earlier than their peers.
| Semester 5 (Fall) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N3170 | Nursing Skills, Technologies and Simulation | 4 |
| N3200 | Pathophysiology & Therapeutics | 4 |
| N3270**** | Foundations for Nursing Assessment & Nursing Process (beginning in spring 2017, course will be 5 credit hours) |
6 |
| N3300 | Pharmacology & Nursing Implications | 4 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
| Semester 6 (Spring) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N3470**** | Mental Health Nursing (beginning in fall 2017, course will be 5 credit hours) |
4 |
| N3670 | Nursing Adults I | 6 |
| N3870 | Gerontological Nursing Care | 3 |
| N3900 | Introduction to Nursing Science | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 7 (Summer) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N4270 | Nursing of Children | 5 |
| N4470 | Nursing of Women and Newborns | 5 |
| N4400 | Nursing Issues/Leadership/Management | 2 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| Semester 8 (Fall) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Course | Credit Hours |
| N4200 or N4200W | Nursing Ethics & the Law | 3-4 |
| N4870 or N4870H | Nursing of Adults II | 7-8 |
| N4970 | Nursing in Communities (capstone) | 5 |
| Total Hours | 15-17 | |
* A list of humanity/fine art and/or behavior science options is available in S235 School of Nursing.
** Nursing 2000 is offered only during the fall semester. N2100 is offered during both fall and spring semesters. Students must be pre-nursing majors and have a 3.0 or higher GPA to enroll or obtain permission from department/instructor.
*** N4200 should be taken for writing-intensive (WI) credit, 4 credit hours, if the pre-nursing HDFS 2400 requirement was not completed at MU OR if HDFS 2400 was taken at MU during the summer semester.
**** Beginning in Spring 2017, N3270 will be 5 credit hours. Beginning in Fall 2017, N3470 will be 5 credit hours.
***** Please visit mathplacement.missouri.edu for more information on the ALEKS math placement requirements.
Cultural Competency Course Requirement
Students will be required to complete three (3) credit hours of coursework that fulfills the cultural competency course requirement. These courses are intended to prepare nursing students to interact with diverse patient populations, work to address health disparities, understand how different cultures interact, gather knowledge of other cultures, and use this knowledge to adapt to various cultures as they are encountered. Students will take one (1) of the three (3) humanity/fine art courses OR the upper level behavioral science course to fulfil this requirement.
The Student Advising Office will maintain and distribute the list of approved courses to students on a regular basis. This course will be built into a student’s personal timeline during their first advising appointment. (Approved by Faculty Assembly 4.25.2016)