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Nursing and Health Studies

Nursing and Health Studies

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There are a variety of different academic paths to achieve a BSN degree at the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Applications for the Fall 2025 Cohort are now CLOSED.
The application for the Fall 2026 Cohort will become available later this year.

From students who begin their studies at UMKC as pre-nursing students directly out of high school to transfer students who have chosen to complete prerequisite requirements elsewhere, there is a path for you here.  Upon completion of application requirements and admission to the clinical major, students complete our three-year Pre-Licensure (traditional) BSN program, which is intentionally designed to maximize student engagement in clinical experiences. If you already have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline, please consider visiting our Accelerated BSN program page. 

Check out our Direct Admit Program for High School Students!

Advantages of completing your Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies (SoNHS):

  • Complete 1,050 clinical hours, the most in the Kansas City region.
  • Due to the extensive amount of clinical hours completed, clinical partners consistently report that UMKC BSN graduates are “job ready” for success as a new graduate nurse.
  • Clinical courses are enhanced with experiences in our state of the art experiential learning spaces, including a nursing skills laboratory and high-fidelity simulation center.
  • Click here to view our BSN Mission, Student Learning Outcomes and Competencies

BSN-Pre-Licensure Program Prerequisites

Prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of spring semester the year you apply:
  • N120 Anatomy & Physiology I (4)  N160 Anatomy & Physiology II (4) or Equivalent course(s) (Anatomy and Physiology separately are ok, courses must total 8 credits to be accepted)
  • BIOL 112 Microbiology (3) or equivalent Microbiology course (no lab required)
  • Chem 115 Chemistry (4) and Chem 115 L Chemistry Lab (1) or Equivalent Chemistry w/lab course
  • Math 110 Pre-Calculus (College) Algebra (3) or Equivalent College Algebra course
  • N101 Nursing (2) this class is only offered at UMKC, MU, and UCM. No online option available - transfer students can take this as a visiting student.
  • HLSC 101 Intro to Health Sciences (2) (Waived if 60+ credits and a 3.5+ GPA)

Additional Requirements: Admission to Pre-Nursing (nursing undeclared) does not ensure admission to the Clinical Major.

  • Chemistry w/lab, Anatomy and Physiology w/lab and Microbiology must not be more than five years old.
  • Cumulative GPA 2.75 or higher (3.5 or higher is recommended) comprised of all UMKC and transferred coursework
  • UM System GPA of 2.75 or higher (if applicable) comprised of all UM System courses (UMKC, MU, UMSL, MO, S&T)
  • A minimum grade of B- is required for each prerequisite course.
  • TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) with a minimum score of 60. You can sign up to take this test here: ATI-TEAS
  • Resume or CV
  • Personal Statement Essays: Prompts will become available when the application is open between November 1-January 31
  • Exploring the Nursing Profession Documentation

    Please use the following form to document and upload:

    • Minimum 30 hours required of direct human patient interaction experiences completed in a healthcare setting.
    • Hours must have been completed in the two years prior to the BSN application submission.
    • Documentation can include paid work, volunteer, and/or educational training experiences.
    • Examples: volunteer experiences in a skilled nursing or hospice facility, clinical hours completed for CNA/LPN/Paramedic certification, or a hospital volunteer program, etc.
    • Shadowing experiences with a nurse that provides direct patient care are accepted.
    • The following are NOT accepted: veterinary care, pharmacy technician experience, or hospital transporter as an example, as these do not include direct patient interaction.
Apply generally to UMKC first under Health Sciences-Plan to be an RN.

The clinical supplemental is completed after the general application between November and January each year (you have until May to complete the pre-reqs).

If you plan on taking any pre-reqs at another college, visit the BSN course equivalency page, or check with a BSN advisor to be sure your courses will transfer. If you will be taking classes at a school other than UMKC, you will need to have official transcripts sent to the UMKC Admissions Office as soon as grades are posted.

Sample Plans of Study

4-Year BSN Pre-Licensure Sample Plan of Study 5-Year Pre-Licensure BSN Sample Plan of Study

Who makes a strong candidate: 

The committee looks at the Pre-Req GPA (3.5 or higher is recommended, 2.75 is required) and cumulative GPA (2.75 required, but 3.5 or higher is recommended-this is all courses ever taken, including repeated courses), UM System GPA (if applicable) must also be a minimum 2.75. The GPA for consideration will be an average of the pre-requisite and cumulative GPA. TEAS scores (taken as part of the application, a minimum score of 60 is required), a personal essay, as well as 30 hours of Direct Patient Interaction Documentation from the past two years (such as CNA, hospice volunteering, or nursing home volunteering).

Our unique clinical experience offers:

  • The opportunity for extensive clinical experience in adult medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetric, mental health, community health, leadership, and critical/emergency care nursing.
  • A 300 hour final semester capstone/internship experience in one of the aforementioned specialty areas.
  • Interactions with diverse patients in urban and suburban settings within agencies and hospitals that are privately-owned, publicly-owned, and teaching institutions.
  • Optional weekend clinical experiences based on individual student preference.

Highlights of completing your BSN with the UMKC community of learners:

  • All Kansas residents receive in-state tuition through UMKC’s Kansas Rate.
  • Residents of 15 regional Midwestern states receive discounted tuition through UMKC’s Heartland Rate.
  • Be part of a community that values respect, inclusion and diversity, integrity, excellence, innovation, and health. Read more about the SoNHS Statement of Values on page 10 of the SoNHS Policy and Procedure Manual and the UMKC Statement of Values.
  • Attend one of only 18 universities in the country located within a dedicated Health Sciences District where Nursing and Health Studies, Dentistry, Medicine, and Pharmacy share a single, walkable campus, fostering exceptional interprofessional student learning opportunities.
  • Get involved in student life activities centered around your personal interests.

Current high school student interested in coming to UMKC as a freshman pre-nursing student?

  • Tailor your prerequisite and general education coursework with our four and five year degree plan options, to include either one or two years of pre-nursing coursework.
  • Five year degree plan option allows students the ability to get involved in campus life, participate in athletics/intramurals, work part-time, and balance other responsibilities.
  • Alternatively, check out our Direct Admit Program - for outstanding high school students who intend to enter UMKC as freshmen. Eligible students are offered direct admission into the Pre- Licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) Program as freshmen, in accordance with the clinical major.

Current university student interested in transferring to UMKC?

  • While the clinical program is three years, transferring in additional general education credits will reduce your semester course load to help support your academic goals and school life/balance. 
  • UMKC has strong partnerships with area community colleges. Check out our transfer credit equivalencies.
  • Have questions about transferring? Click here to sign-up for a virtual consultation with our Student Recruitment Specialist!

    Pursuant to Section 335.066, RSMo, of the Missouri Nursing Practice Act (http://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=335.066), completion of the BSN PL or BSN AT programs do not guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination.

Take a Virtual Tour - SoNHS & Health Science District

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When you want to apply to our Pre-Licensure BSN program as a new student attending college for the first time, you'll actually need to apply for the BHS major, but with the designation of "Pre-Nursing". That's because our BSN is set up in a 1-to-3 (for the 4-year track) or 2-to-3 (for the 5-year track) ratio of years doing prerequisites and general education courses versus dedicated clinical nursing courses. You'll spend the first year or two knocking out all the gen ed & pre-req courses needed before applying for the 3-year PL-BSN Clinical Program (yes, you will need to submit a supplemental application to get into the clinical portion).

The 3-year clinical portion is a "lockstep" program - meaning that there is no way to speed up the timeline and finish it "early" or in less than the 3 years set out for you. As stated, the general education courses will be taken care of, so this 3-year section has been laid out to get you the experience you need on a concise schedule (most of the courses can't be "moved around the schedule") to prepare you to take (and pass!) the NCLEX and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing! You can view sample plans of study for the 4 and 5 year tracks under "Resources" further up this page. 

The application process is a holistic application process. The committee reviews the Nursing (prerequisite) GPA, written essays, reference forms and healthcare hours. This will begin in the Spring, shortly after the January 31st deadline. After great consideration, the committee will prepare 3 letters: acceptance, wait-list, and deny. Students who receive an acceptance letter will have the Summer to prepare for the Fall semester program start, while those who receive a wait-list letter may be called at a later date if one of the admitted students does not accept their seat in the program.

Six semesters or 3 academic years, without summer coursework. Students will complete 1200 clinical hours upon graduation. You can view two sample plans of study further up this page under Resources. (This does not include the 1 year of general education courses taken as a BHS Pre-Nursing student prior to the clinical BSN program)

The clinical program begins every fall semester, in August.

The Pre-Licensure BSN degree is 128 credit hours of prerequisites, general education requirements and core nursing coursework.The tuition cost per credit hour can be found on the Cashier's website. Multiply the amount per credit hour by 128. Of those 128 credit hours, 23 are associated with lab/clinical and are assessed an additional Clinical Lab Fee, so you'll also need to multiply that fee by 23 and add the final amount calculated there to the first amount you calculated for the 128 credit hours. Additional resources are available below.

Affordability Net Price Calculator  Cost of Attendance Estimator  Cashier's website (Tuition by program)

The UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies admits approximately 70 students each year into the clinical Pre-Licensure BSN Program (clinical admission is for the fall semester only) and approximately 50 into the Accelerated BSN Program. This number is dictated by the Missouri State Board of Nursing. Although the number of applications received fluctuates every year, we anticipate receiving between 130 and 200 PLBSN applications, but the average fluctuates year to year.

Although it is not required to be certified, we ask that prospective students complete 30+ hours of healthcare experience (patient interaction) through paid or volunteer experience.  These certifications can aid in acceptance, but are not required.