Program Requirements
The baccalaureate nursing program requires completion of a minimum of 120 credits of study and culminates in a baccalaureate degree (B.S.). Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Students must fulfill the USM general education requirements by completing any one of the following pathways: the USM Core Curriculum, the Russell Scholars Program, or the University Honors Program. Beginning coursework in the baccalaureate curriculum includes English composition, quantitative decision making, natural and behavioral sciences, arts, and humanities.
Nursing content at the upper division is organized to facilitate integration of nursing knowledge and skills and to draw on a foundation of learning from other disciplines. The nursing curriculum provides opportunities for students to develop skills in partnering with various community stakeholders to identify community strengths, resources, and needs. Students have experiences that involve assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care for individuals of all ages: in families, groups of clients, and communities across the health continuum. Inpatient and outpatient settings, community health agencies, public health settings, long-term care facilities, schools, and industries are used for clinical experiences.
Students follow a specific sequence of didactic and clinical courses with a student cohort group. Deviation from the sequence requires permission from the School of Nursing.
USM Core Requirements
The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements.
Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.
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