Undergraduate 150 Credit Hour
A resident undergraduate student who exceeds the maximum number (150) of semester credit hours at an institution of higher education may be required to pay nonresident undergraduate tuition rates. This includes all courses attempted, even if withdrawn, failed, or repeated, at any Texas Public institution of higher education. Call 713-500-3361 for more information.
Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) Option
Veterans who are accepted into the Pacesetter or RN-BSN program may take advantage of the Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing option. Students must meet the same admission requirements for the Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) as per the BSN or RN-BSN programs. Students applying to the VBSN option must be military veterans or active duty military personnel. Veterans must have an honorable military discharge.
Students accepted into the VBSN program may be allowed to test for course credit and/or validation of clinical skills based on their D0214, Joint Military Transcript, and other military training documents. Students accepted into the VBSN receive the services of a VBSN case manager to assist them as they transition through the program.
BSN Program Outcome
Upon the successful completion of the baccalaureate program in nursing, graduates should be able to:
- Provide patient centered nursing care using a systematic approach (e.g. the nursing process) to meet health care needs for individuals, families, populations and communities in diverse settings.
- Demonstrate principles of collaboration with inter-professional team members, patients, and families to resolve complex health problems to promote, improve or maintain optimum health.
- Plan and implement evidence-based interventions based on principles and methods of the research and evidence based practice processes.
- Utilize informatics to recognize, locate, evaluate, store and classify information in order to mitigate error and use the information to support patients', nurses’ and other providers’ decision making.
- Demonstrate professionalism by accepting responsibility and accountability for nursing practice and its outcome and valuing lifelong learning.
- Utilize management and leadership theories, concepts and skills in the practice of professional nursing.
Core Curriculum Policy
Students must successfully complete the Texas General Education Core Curriculum requirements. The core curriculum consists of 42 semester credit hours in specified component areas. The table below lists core curriculum component requirements and required semester credit hours. For further information on which courses that may be used to satisfy core curriculum requirements, please see the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Texas General Education Core Curriculum WebCenter. Pre-requisite course requirements are listed below.
Texas General Education Core Curriculum Component Areas and Required Semester Credit Hours
| Component Area | Required Semester Credit Hours (SCH) |
|---|---|
| Communication | 6 SCH |
| Mathematics | 3 SCH |
| Life and Physical Science | 6 SCH |
| Language, Philosophy and Culture | 3 SCH |
| Creative Arts | 3 SCH |
| American History | 6 SCH |
| Government/Political Science | 6 SCH |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 SCH |
| Component Area Option | 6 SCH |
| TOTAL | 42 SCH |
Prerequisite Courses
Applicants must complete the following courses from any accredited college or university with a grade of “C” or better in each course. Minimum overall prerequisite grade point average and prerequisite science course average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are required prior to admission.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| American Government | 3 | |
| Texas Government | 3 | |
| United States History | 6 | |
| Introduction to Psychology | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sociology | 3 | |
| Growth and Development through the Lifespan or Family Growth & Development | 3 | |
| Statistics | 3 | |
| Visual or Performing Arts | 3 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology | 8 | |
| Microbiology | 4 | |
| General Chemistry | 4 | |
| Nutrition | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Introduction to Philosophy or Logic or Ethics | 3 | |
| Electives | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Six semester hours in American Government or Political Science which includes “consideration of the Constitution of the United States” and an emphasis on Texas Government and six semester hours in United States History are required by the Texas Education Code, Section 51.301 et seq. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits must appear on an official transcript from an institution showing both grade and hours received. As many as three (3) semester credits or its equivalent in Texas History may be submitted as partial satisfaction of this history requirement.
Must take a component laboratory with all science courses.
Only university-parallel courses taken in an accredited college or university may be accepted as electives. Technical or vocational courses are not university-parallel courses. Neither practical nursing nor physical education courses may be accepted as electives.
Undergraduate Academic Requirements for Progression
Eligibility for Graduation: Undergraduate
To be eligible for graduation with a BSN degree, students must:
- Have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
- Successfully complete the prescribed curriculum and meet all other requirements of Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth, including but not limited to all mandatory HESI examinations or other standardized examinations with documented reliability.
- Supply the Cizik School of Nursing with transcripts of courses taken outside the School.
- Complete a minimum of 31 of the 60 semester credits of the nursing major in residence.
- Apply to graduate in myUTH prior to the deadline date established each semester.
- Pay the required graduation fee.
- Clear through all designated services and complete the clearance packet upon completion of the program.
- Be enrolled in the Cizik School of Nursing during the semester in which graduating.
Graduation with Honors: Undergraduate
To graduate with honors, an undergraduate student must have the following cumulative grade point average:
- Highest Honors: 3.90 - 4.00
- High Honors: 3.70 - 3.89
- Honors: 3.50 - 3.69
Only nursing course work taken at the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston will be used in determination of honors.
Honors Program
The purpose of the Honors Program is to encourage scholarly achievement in talented and highly motivated students in nursing; promote a high level of achievement in nursing education and practice through curricular enrichment and freedom to work independently; provide mentorship to students to promote commitment to further education in nursing; stimulate creative and critical thinking; and facilitate acquisition of research and leadership skills. BSN and MSN students may participate in the School's Honors Program. Students must meet the eligibility requirements to apply to
Goals
- To provide opportunities for talented students to engage in nursing research
- To stimulate creative and critical thinking
- To facilitate acquisition of research and leadership skills
- To provide meaningful scholarly experiences for students
- To encourage growth and lifelong learning in the discipline of nursing
- To provide opportunities for interprofessional scholarly collaborations
- To provide students with opportunities for professional development
Eligibility Requirements
Students interested in participating in the Honors Program should meet the following requirements when applying:
- Be enrolled full-time as a BSN or MSN student at the CSON
- Must have completed at least one semester at the CSON with a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA in CSON coursework
- Must be able to complete at least one semester in the Honors Program
- Submit an electronic application which includes an application statement. The application statement should be no longer than one page and should describe the candidate’s career goals, the reason for applying to the Honors Program, and include a research interest. The candidate’s interest will be used only to facilitate placement with a particular mentor. However, identifying a specific interest does not guarantee placement with that type of research mentor.
- Two nursing faculty recommendations from didactic, clinical faculty, or clinical preceptors submitted electronically by the nursing faculty. Nursing faculty must have an email associated with a university/college to validate their role as nursing faculty.
Maintenance Requirements
- Maintain a GPA of 3.7 in nursing schoolwork
- Be enrolled full time as a BSN or MSN student in the Cizik School of Nursing
The Honors Program Coordinator will inform students each semester of when applications are due and the process of how to submit an electronic application and the electronic nursing faculty recommendations. Students who submit an incomplete application or who do not have two recommendations submitted from faculty will not be eligible for the program. Students who meet the selection criteria will be notified of acceptance into the Honors Program and mentor assignment by the start of the semester. During each of the semesters the students are in the Honors Program, students will enroll in a one credit-hour Honors Independent Study course, complete 45 contact hours (for BSN students) and 60 contact hours (for MSN students) each semester on mutually agreed upon activities with a faculty mentor and participate in dissemination activities with their mentor whenever opportunities are available.
Repetition of a Course
A student must petition the Baccalaureate Council to be allowed to repeat a course. If a student repeats a failed course, the official grade is the last one earned. Students are not allowed to repeat a course once it has been successfully completed.
Incomplete Work
A grade of “I” indicates that a student’s work in a course is incomplete for the semester. To receive an “I” grade, a student must submit a request for an incomplete status to the instructor prior to the last class day of the course. Failure to remove an “I” prior to the end of the following semester will result in the student receiving an “F” in the course.