Admission to the baccalaureate degree in nursing major does not guarantee admission to the upper division.
Progression is competitive, based on progression GPA and interview/essay. Progression to upper division is limited to a set number of qualified students based on available clinical faculty and placement sites. Factors considered in the progression decision include:
All freshman and first sophomore semesters (I – III) designated asterisked (*) courses must be completed with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 (see BSN plan document below).
Student must have a minimum 3.000 institutional GPA.
In the fall term of application, all designed (*) courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better to be eligible for upper division consideration.
Student is allowed only one below “C” grade in a required science or lower division nursing course.
Every attempt at each course is included in the Progression GPA calculation. Grade Forgiveness does not supersede this progression requirement, i.e., a grade may be forgiven by the University, however, the College of Nursing requires that each grade from every designated (*) course taken be calculated into the GPA.
Required nursing and sciences courses can only be attempted twice. "W" grades count as attempts for NURS courses.
A completed parallel plan must be on file with the nursing advisor as part of the application.
About 200 students are accepted into upper division each year. This limitation is based on clinical seats.
The average progression GPA for the last few years has been between 3.6-3.7.
Courses calculated in your progression GPA:
ENGL 101 and 102
PSYC 101 or SOCY 101 (the higher grade)
CHEM 102
or complete combo of CHEM 111+L & CHEM 112+L
BIOL 243+L, 244+L, 250+L
NURS 216
(BIOL 243+L, BIOL 244+L, and CHEM 102 must be passed with C or higher before enrolling in NURS 216)
Use the university's GPA calculator. See the document below for credit hours and to keep track of your progression grades.
GRADE SPREADS This is public information provided by the Registrar's Office.
GRADE FORGIVENESS The university's grade forgiveness policy states that undergraduates who earn grades of D+, D, F, FN, or WF may take up to two undergraduate courses for a second time. Their suggestion: Be prudent with grade forgiveness and wait as long as possible to use the policy. Only two classes may be forgiven, and decisions cannot be revoked.
The grade to be forgiven must be a "D+", "D", "F", "FN" or "WF".
The original course (first attempt) to be forgiven and the second attempt in the course used for forgiveness must be the same course, taken as a degree seeking student. A course equivalent used to meet degree requirements does not necessarily meet grade forgiveness requirement.
The grade to be forgiven is for a course taken at UofSC Columbia or at a Palmetto College campus (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter and Union).
Financial aid and or scholarship eligibility may be affected by grade forgiveness and you should consult a financial aid counselor prior to requesting grade forgiveness.
The College of Nursing does not apply grade forgiveness to the Progression GPA. Every attempt at each course is included in the Progression GPA calculation, and required nursing and sciences courses can only be attempted twice.