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2022-2023 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Second Degree

The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) second degree B.S.N. program is for individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university and wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree. This accelerated second degree nursing program is designed for full-time study and is delivered in a hybrid format. KCON accepts applications twice a year and admits three cohorts, which are divided into a spring/summer, fall, or winter semester start.

Admissions Requirements

  • Apply to and earn admission to Grand Valley State University
  • Declare nursing as a major
  • Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (including transfer credits)
  • Complete with a grade of C (2.0) or better all admission prerequisites coursework by time of application
  • Earn a minimum prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 (including transfer credits)
  • Adhere to the KCON course repeat policy which states that a student may repeat three admission prerequisite courses and two of those courses can be BMS, CHM, or BIO. No prerequisite course may be repeated more than once.

Admission to the program is highly competitive and a student may not be admitted if only meeting the minimum requirements. Additional information about the admissions process, including application deadlines, can be found on the KCON website at gvsu.edu/kcon.

Prior to beginning KCON clinical courses, students must complete comprehensive health compliance requirements including, but not limited to, a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening. Clinical sites can refuse to accept students who have not successfully completed all GVSU health requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to establish and maintain all compliance requirements. Please note: If there is illegal activity in the background check/fingerprinting or if there is evidence of one or more prohibited substance(s) in the drug test, the clinical sites have the right to refuse a student's placement which may negatively impact a student's ability to progress in the B.S.N. program and subsequently graduate.

In addition, all State Boards of Nursing review records of all graduates who have completed a nursing program to determine eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX-RN). All State Boards of Nursing retain the right to deny a B.S.N. graduate permission to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination if convicted of a crime.

All courses listed as follows must be completed by B.S.N. students with a minimum grade of C (2.0). In addition, continued progression through the nursing major requires a minimum grade of C (2.0) in corequisite and nursing courses. All required courses for the nursing major must be taken for graded credit, with the exception of some clinical nursing courses that are designated as credit/no-credit.

Prerequisite Admission Courses

Admission prerequisite courses that must be completed before applying to the nursing program (21 credits).

Courses to be completed prior to the start of the professional nursing program.

Corequisite and Nursing Courses

Suggested Order of Coursework

Semester One
There are 14 credits required, including:

Semester Two
There are 13-15 credits required, including:

Semester Three
There are 15 credits required, including:

Semester Four
There are 12 credits required, including:

To progress in the B.S.N. program, a minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in the prerequisite, required, corequisite, and all nursing courses.

A grade less than a C (2.0) is considered a failure in all required B.S.N. courses. Students who fail more than one required course will not be allowed to remain in the program. Withdrawal from a course when "not in good standing" will be considered a course failure regardless of when the withdrawal occurs.

Minimum Number of Hours for Graduation: Completion of 56 credits in the professional nursing curriculum is required for the Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree. 54 credits if approved to take NUR 338 instead of NUR 336.

Nursing Program Description

Click here for the program description.



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