School of Nursing

To be eligible for consideration, all interested persons are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the prerequisite core courses. Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 for these courses are not considered for admission to the School of Nursing. 

The Admissions Committee also closely considers applicants’ performance in the science courses. 

Each semester, 40-56 students begin their studies in the School of Nursing. 

Typically, the School of Nursing considers up to 100 applications during each admission cycle. 

USC system transfer students must complete a change of campus for the semester they wish to begin nursing. You must be accepted to USCA by the application deadline. 

This GPA varies from one admission cycle to the next. Because admission is a competitive process, applicants need to demonstrate academic excellence. 

All applicants are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 for consideration. 

Only one failed science course may be repeated. Students with 2 or more failures of required science courses are not eligible to apply. 

Applications consist of several parts, depending on the application pathway selected: Direct Admission Pathway (November 1 deadline):

• Completed application form
• Responses to personal statement
• Three (3) references

Competitive Process Pathway (September 1: Early Application Option; October 1: General Application Option)

• Completed application form
• Responses to essay questions
• Two (2) references

All parts of the application must be submitted by the deadline date. If elements of the application are missing by the deadline, the application is considered incomplete and will not be considered during that admission cycle. 

The School of Nursing does not notify applicants if portions of the application are incomplete or missing.  

For current USCA students: 

The School of Nursing will only consider applicants who have completed nine (9) prerequisite courses as outlined in the program of study. A copy of the program of study is available online. 

For transfer students: 

Students intending to apply to the School of Nursing need to be admitted to USCA before submitting their application to the nursing program. Students should allow at least eight (8) weeks for this process to be completed. Transcripts from all colleges or universities and, when applicable, high school records of Advanced Placement or dual enrollment courses need to be sent to the USCA Registrar for evaluation. 

Students enrolled at other USC System sites are required to apply for admission to USCA and, like all other applicants, be accepted before applying to the USCA School of Nursing. If admitted to the School of Nursing, these students need to complete a change of campus just prior to beginning the nursing program at USCA. 

Transfer students are required to complete the same nine (9) prerequisite courses before they are eligible to apply. A copy of the program of study is available online. 

Please note: Science courses that were completed more than 10 years before beginning the application process must be repeated. 

The School of Nursing’s academic advisor is available to assist pre-nursing majors as they navigate the application process. The academic advisor can help students with the following: 

• academic advising 

• review of unofficial copies of transcripts 

• assessment of progress toward completing USCA general education requirements 

Students who are not currently attending USCA may email their unofficial transcripts to the Academic Advisor, Ms. Simmons, at [email protected] or call 803-641-3392. Transcript reviews are not conducted in February and March or in September and October since the Academic Advisor is completing advisement appointments ahead of registration. 

Tours of the nursing building, including classrooms and simulation labs, may be scheduled by contacting the USCA Admissions Office at 803-641-3366. Please ask to have the nursing building included on the tour. 

All applicants receive notification within 4 weeks of the application deadline. 

Applicants receive notification of 1 of 3 outcomes of the application process: 

1. Accepted: Students accepted to the School of Nursing will receive a notification letter.  With this letter, students are expected to confirm or deny their intent to begin nursing courses in the next semester. 
    
2. Waiting list: If an admitted student declines the opportunity to study in the USCA School of Nursing, a student on the waiting list will be substituted. Because some students on the waiting list have been notified of their admission to the program as close as 1 day prior to the start of the semester, students on the waiting list should be prepared to begin studies up until the first day of class.
    
3. Denial: Students who were not admitted to the School of Nursing will receive a notification letter. 

Students who were not accepted are welcome to reapply. A new application must be initiated, but only some components need to be resubmitted: 

• Application Form: A new application form is required for each application attempt. 

• References:  
  • First 2 admission attempts: References do not need to be re-submitted unless applicants have identified other references. 
  • More than 2 admission attempts: New references are required after they have been reviewed on 2 previous admission attempts. 

In most situations, students who were not able to complete another nursing program are ineligible to apply to this program. 

On rare occasions, students who experienced extenuating circumstances may be considered for admission to the nursing program at USCA. Students may email the School of Nursing Academic Advisor or call 803-641-3277 for an assessment of your eligibility. Students may be required to provide a letter of reference from the previous school as part of the consideration process. 

All classes are conducted during the day, although some clinical experiences may be necessary during evening or weekend hours. 

No courses are offered solely online for traditional BSN students. Some non-clinical courses may be conducted as hybrid courses with in-person and online formats. 

• Completion of an accredited nursing program (USCA is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) 
• Endorsement to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)
• Successfully passing the NCLEX-RN
• Approved application by the designated state of licensure