Application Process

The admissions process for Biola University's nursing program has two phases:

Applying to and being admitted as a pre-clinical nursing major
Applying to and being admitted to the clinical nursing program

Please refer to the Clinical Nursing Program Student Selection Guidelines below for more information.

General Information

The Biola University nursing program is a four and a half-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

Program Phase	Important Notes
Pre-Clinical Nursing (2 years)	This is the “first phase” of your nursing program, consisting of two years of instruction. Please note for transfer students, the timeline may vary depending on the number of courses transferred to Biola. To find out how courses transfer, refer to the first step under Steps to Apply. Applying and being admitted to Biola as a nursing major means you will begin as a pre-clinical nursing major. As a pre-clinical nursing major, students will take specific nursing prerequisite courses and about four to six Bible courses. Admission into the university as a pre-clinical nursing major does not guarantee admission into the clinical phase of the BSN program.
Clinical Nursing (2.5 years)	The “second phase” of your nursing program begins after you apply and are admitted to the clinical nursing program. This consists of two and a half years of instruction and training. Note: The two and a half years of instruction is required and non-negotiable, even for transfer students. Admission into clinical nursing is competitive and requires a secondary application to the Department of Nursing. Selection of students into the clinical nursing portion of the program is exclusively determined by the full-time nursing faculty members.

Program Phase

Important Notes

Pre-Clinical Nursing
(2 years)

This is the “first phase” of your nursing program, consisting of two years of instruction.
- Please note for transfer students, the timeline may vary depending on the number of courses transferred to Biola. To find out how courses transfer, refer to the first step under Steps to Apply.
Applying and being admitted to Biola as a nursing major means you will begin as a pre-clinical nursing major.
As a pre-clinical nursing major, students will take specific nursing prerequisite courses and about four to six Bible courses.
Admission into the university as a pre-clinical nursing major does not guarantee admission into the clinical phase of the BSN program.

Clinical Nursing
(2.5 years)

The “second phase” of your nursing program begins after you apply and are admitted to the clinical nursing program. This consists of two and a half years of instruction and training.
- Note: The two and a half years of instruction is required and non-negotiable, even for transfer students.
Admission into clinical nursing is competitive and requires a secondary application to the Department of Nursing.
Selection of students into the clinical nursing portion of the program is exclusively determined by the full-time nursing faculty members.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements, students seeking admission to the pre-clinical nursing program must meet the following requirements:
- First-Time College Students and Transfer Students (<24 college units):
  - The student must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.6.
  - The student must have one year each of chemistry and algebra.
  - The student must receive A's and B's (U.S. letter grade or equivalent) in any science prerequisite courses.
- Transfer Students (25 college units or more):
  - The student must have a minimum cumulative college GPA of 3.2.
  - The student must have no repeated science courses.
  - The student should have no more than one C (U.S. letter grade or equivalent) in any science prerequisite courses.

Steps to Apply

1. Apply to Biola University as a pre-clinical nursing major.

Complete the online application for Biola University.
"Pre-clinical" refers to the period of time prior to working in hospitals or other health care agencies.
Those who complete their application by December 1st will be notified by January 15th, and those who complete their application by February 15th will be notified by March 23rd.
Pre-clinical nursing admission stipulations:
- Admission to the university and declaring a nursing major does not guarantee later admission into the clinical nursing program. The clinical program is competitive, so be sure to review the Clinical Nursing Program Student Selection Guidelines below.
- Transfer students are required to apply as a pre-clinical nursing major. After one semester of studies (minimum) at Biola, students will be able to apply to the clinical nursing program.
  - Review the Nursing, B.S. Course Sequence page and check how courses transfer from your current institution by using the Transfer Course Equivalency Tool (TES).

2. Complete the pre-clinical nursing major requirements.

As a pre-clinical nursing major, you will take general education courses as well as specific pre-clinical nursing courses.
Prior to applying for the clinical nursing program, you will also take the clinical nursing prerequisite course, “Introduction to Professional Nursing.” In this class, you will review the specific instructions for applying to clinical nursing, including the application deadline.

3. Apply to the clinical nursing program.

During your time in the pre-clinical nursing program, specific instructions on applying to the clinical nursing program will be covered in the prerequisite course, “Introduction to Professional Nursing.” Transfer students will also be required to take this course at Biola.
Note:
- There is an additional fee to apply to clinical nursing.
- The TEAS exam is required for the clinical nursing application.
- Student selection into the clinical nursing program is exclusively determined by the full-time nursing faculty members within the Department of Nursing.

4. Be admitted to the clinical nursing program.

The Department of Nursing will notify you of their admission decision. You will receive an email from the Department of Nursing, which serves as notification that you will be able to pick up your decision letter from the department.
Once you are admitted, the healthcare agencies the Department of Nursing has contracts with will require you to:
- Pass a criminal background check and physical examination
- Pass a 10-panel drug test
- Submit documentation of having received all required immunizations and titer results. The current immunizations are based upon requirements from clinical agencies utilized throughout the clinical program including: MMR, TB screening, Hepatitis B, Tdap, Varicella, Covid-19 (including required boosters) and Flu. Students must have these prior to the start of the clinical program and remain current throughout their program. These are subject to change based on information received from facilities.
- Have a current American Heart Association CPR/AED certification for the Health Care Professional Rescuer, valid driver's license and proof of personal car insurance turned in by the stated required submission date. A current passport is recommended.
Note: A current passport is not necessary in order to participate in the program; however, we strongly urge you to obtain a passport in order to participate in international nursing opportunities.

Clinical Nursing Program Student Selection Guidelines

The table below outlines the standards used to admit pre-clinical nursing majors into the clinical nursing program. Note that admission to the program is exclusively determined by the full-time nursing faculty members within the Department of Nursing.

All applicants must:	Be a student in good standing at Biola University with no known history of academic dishonesty, behavioral or other disciplinary problems. Submit — through an online Centralized Access System (CAS) — a complete application package by the stated deadline, including satisfactory personal references and a well-written biographical sketch meeting the criteria described on the application form. Demonstrate adequate English language oral and writing skills, and effective communication and motivation fit during an interview with the nursing faculty. Receive a grade of B or higher in NURS 112: Introduction to Professional Nursing. Not apply to the clinical nursing program more than two times. Understand that a gap semester is allowable for some students who have completed their prerequisites and general education courses, but the Nursing Department does not recommend taking a gap year.
Minimum requirements considered for letter of acceptance include:	Perform at or above 70 on the comprehensive TEAS nursing pre-admission test. Preparation for the exam is highly encouraged. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher from all colleges attended. Have a total science GPA of 2.5 or higher on all required prerequisite sciences. Have completed 3 of the required sciences by the time of application review. Have earned a minimum grade of "C" (2.0) in all required prerequisite courses. Special circumstances: If applicant has to repeat any one required prerequisite course for a grade of C- or lower, and then successfully repeats the required course at Biola with a grade of B or higher by the time of application review, the failure grade will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA.
Life factors which may enhance applicant’s potential for admission include, but are not limited to, the following:	Work experience of any kind. Employment in health care settings preferred. Volunteer experiences. Volunteer experience in health care settings preferred. Leadership activities in church, high school, or college. Missions and other cross-cultural experiences. Biola student extra curricular activities.

Application Process

General Information

Admission Requirements

Steps to Apply

1. Apply to Biola University as a pre-clinical nursing major.

2. Complete the pre-clinical nursing major requirements.

3. Apply to the clinical nursing program.

4. Be admitted to the clinical nursing program.

Clinical Nursing Program Student Selection Guidelines

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