BSN Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Use the links to skip to a section:

• BSN Program General Info
• Applying to BSN Program
• TEAS FAQs
• Advising FAQs

BSN General Info

• Where can I find general information about the program?

  • Please visit our website and look under Programs. www.sjsu.edu/nursing

• How long is the BSN program?

  • The BSN program is completed in five (5) semesters, or 2.5 years. This does not include lower division coursework. A BSN degree is typically achieved within 4.5 years.

• Do you have an accelerated BSN program?

  • The program is the same length for all admitted students, five semesters or 2.5 years.

• If I already started a BSN program and completed some coursework, can I transfer this coursework to your BSN program?

  • The nursing department does not accept prior coursework from other BSN programs and will not apply previous coursework towards a degree at SJSU. All admitted BSN students will complete the entire program as offered.

• I already have a bachelor's degree. Are the degree requirements different for someone that already has a bachelor's degree?

  • Post-baccalaureates do not have to repeat lower division coursework. Students are responsible for completing the nursing prerequisites and corequisites if not already completed during your first degree. 

    Post-baccalaureate students are exempt from completing the SJSU studies area V requirement for graduation. 

• I have a bachelor's degree from a different country. Can I apply this to a BSN degree?

  • SJSU accepts previous degrees from U.S. regionally accredited institutions. If you have taken transferable units outside the United States, official transcripts from the institution(s) attended must be transmitted to SJSU so that your coursework can be evaluated and transferred accordingly. Please note that we are not able to pre-evaluate your coursework prior to admission. Once you submit your application and all of the documents required to process your application as referenced on your MySJSU "To Do List", we will evaluate your file for admission.

    The nursing department does not give credit for courses taken outside of the U.S. unless the degree is accepted from SJSU admissions and the coursework is deemed as equivalent.

Applying to the BSN Program

• What are the requirements to apply to the BSN program?

  • Complete the nursing prerequisites and corequisites with a C grade or better, and achieve a minimum score of 84% on the TEAS exam. For further details, review the BSN Admission Requirements.

• How do I apply for the BSN program

  • There is a two-step application process. First, apply to SJSU if you are not already a student. Second, apply to the nursing program after completing the nursing admission requirements. For further details, review instructions for How to Apply.

• When are the deadlines for the applications?

  • The nursing application deadlines are separate from the university application deadlines. Visit the admissions website for university deadlines.

    Fall CSU application: November 30th
    Fall NursingCAS application: February 15th

    Spring CSU application: August 31st
    Spring NursingCAS application: September 15th

     

• Do I have to be a current SJSU student to apply to the BSN program?

  • If you are not at SJSU, you must apply to the university as a transfer student before completing the nursing application. There is a two-step application process for the BSN program. 

• I already have a bachelor's degree. Can I apply for the BSN program to receive a second bachelor's degree?

  • The BSN program admits second bachelor students for spring semesters only (10% of the admitted cohort may be post-baccalaureates). Previous degrees must be from a U.S. regionally accredited institution. Applicants must verify accreditation or equivalency before applying. The admissions office does not perform pre-evaluations of transcripts to determine equivalency and will evaluate transcripts as part of the application review process.

• What are the requirements to apply to the BSN program as a second bachelor student?

  • Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA minimum in the last 60 units taken and complete the nursing admission requirements to be eligible to apply.

• I am a transfer student. Can I apply for any semester?

  • Transfer students can apply for fall semesters only.

• I am a second bachelor student (post-baccalaureate). Can I apply for any semester?

  • Second bachelor students can apply for spring semesters only. 10% of the admitted cohort may be second bachelors.

• I am international student. Can I apply for the BSN program?

  • The BSN program does not admit international students. 

• I am a former military student. Do you give preference to military students?

  • Beginning January 1, 2017, U.S. military veterans may receive priority selection for the nursing program [pdf] [pdf]. This includes those who have completed active duty, have an honorable discharge (DD214), and meet the minimum program and university requirements.

    Three spaces will be held per application cycle. After these three spaces are filled, other applicants with prior service will be considered and ranked with others in the regular selection process.

• Do I have to submit transcripts to both NursingCAS and SJSU?

  • Yes. When you apply to the BSN program, transcripts are required for both applications. After submitting your Cal State application, check your MySJSU account for to-do list items such as sending official transcripts to SJSU admissions. Request transcripts through NursingCAS when completing the application. 

• If I am a student at SJSU, do I have to send my SJSU transcript to NursingCAS?

  • Yes, the nursing department requires current SJSU students to submit their SJSU transcript with their NursingCAS application. 

• I sent transcripts to NursingCAS when I applied. Does SJSU admissions have access to these transcripts?

  • Transcripts submitted to NursingCAS are not shared with SJSU admissions. Check your MySJSU account for to-do list items such as submitting official transcripts to SJSU admissions.

• How are the nursing applications evaluated and ranked?

  • The nursing department evaluators review the NursingCAS applications only. The combined GPA of the 8 nursing prerequisite courses are calculated using the letter grades achieved. 

• Does the nursing department give preference to applicants with healthcare experience?

  • Applicants can now submit a Healthcare Experience form to report any paid or volunteer work that involved hands-on experience with human clients. Applicants with at least 100 hours of experience will receive extra points towards the overall NursingCAS applicant score. The first 60 students with the highest applicant scores are offered admission to the program. 

• Does the nursing department give preference to applicants that can speak a second language?

  • At this time, no additional points towards the overall NursingCAS applicant score are given to students that speak a second language.

TEAS FAQs

• Where can I take the TEAS exam?

  • Testing is offered on campus at SJSU or at other locations that can be found on ATI's website.Visit their official website to register for the TEAS.

• What is the minimum TEAS exam score accepted?

  • The mininum score accepted is 84%. A competitive score is 90% or better.

• Do you provide study guides for the TEAS exam?

  • Study guides and practice tests can be found on ATI's official website.

• Does the nursing department accept remote TEAS exams or TEAS taken online through ATI?

  • The nursing office will accept remote TEAS taken online through an approved ATI site, though it is strongly encouraged to take the test in-person when possible. Visit the ATI Testing website to find an approved site.

• How many times can I re-take the TEAS exam to achieve the minimum score?

  • The nursing department allows a total of two attempts.

• If I do not achieve the minimum TEAS exam score in two attempts, am I still eligible to apply to the BSN program?

  • Applicants must meet the minimum requirements to be eligible to apply. The minimum accepted score is 84%.

• How do I submit my TEAS exam score?

  • Upload the first page of your TEAS score that shows the overall score and attempts to the NursingCAS application. Follow the instructions on NursingCAS to upload.

• Do I send my TEAS exam score through ATI to SJSU?

  • No, do not send your scores to SJSU through ATI. Upload a copy of your score to the NursingCAS application in the Documents section.

• When is the deadline to submit the TEAS exam score?

  • Submit the TEAS score for the NursingCAS applications only. Fall application deadline is February 15th. Spring application deadline is September 15th.

Advising FAQs

• Do I need to be a pre-nursing student to apply?

  • No, it is not required for applicants to be a Pre-Nursing student. 

• How do I change my major to Nursing or Pre-Nursing?

  • Meet with a Pre-Nursing advisor at the CHHS Student Success Center if you are an undeclared student with less than 60 units. If you have 60 units or more, you cannot change to the Pre-Nursing/Undeclared track.

    You do not need to be a pre-nursing student so you can apply to the program. There is no guarantee for admission by being a pre-nursing student.

    Applicants can apply to the BSN program from any other major. If you are selected for admission, your major will be changed to Nursing once you are admitted.

• Can I meet with an advisor to go over the courses I need to take?

  • All prospective students should plan to attend a group advising session first. These are held once a month and the sessions are also recorded so you can watch at a later time. These sessions are very detailed and go over the entire application process for the BSN program.

    After attending or watching a session, students can schedule a quick individual advising session to have specific questions answered. Check the Advising page for more info.

• Do you offer advising for future students?

  • Group advising is offered online once a month during the fall and spring semesters. The schedule and links to the sessions can be found on the Future Student Advising website.

• Can someone look over my transcript to make sure I am on track?

  • Use the BSN Roadmap [pdf] as a guide to help you select classes each semester. The nursing advisors have very limited availability and heavily rely on students being proactive and using the resources available online.

    SJSU provides articulation agreements for all public California community colleges and universities that can be accessed by students and counselors. Use these articulation agreements to determine transferability of coursework. Another resource is Assist.org. 

    If the courses that you took are not on the articulation agreement or the school that you attended does not have a written articulation agreement with SJSU, please submit a nursing prerequisite substitution form to have the course approved for transfer by the coordinator. 

• I went to school out of state. How do I know if the courses I took will transfer over to SJSU?

  • Students can use SJSU's articulation website and view the Transfer Evaluation System (TES). This list of equivalencies in TES is NOT comprehensive. SJSU continues to update TES with more equivalencies on a regular basis. An official course-by-course evaluation of specific transfer credit will be completed by the admissions evaluation area once a student matriculates at SJSU. Nursing applicants can submit a Nursing Prerequisite Substitution form with their NursingCAS application for approval as well. 

• I don't see the course that I took listed as one of the nursing prerequisites. Can I substitute this course for a nursing prerequisite?

  • Submit a Nursing Prerequisite Substitution form as early as possible to receive approval from the nursing program. 

• Can you tell me if these courses will transfer over to SJSU?

  • SJSU admissions does not perform pre-evaluation services. Applicants can use the articulation websites to determine course transferability. If it is not clear if the course will transfer over, please submit a Nursing prerequisite substitution form before applying for approval.

• How do I know that I am on track to graduate?

  • Current SJSU students can access their My Progress Report in the Student Center on MySJSU.