Dec 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Nursing, Traditional Program, B.S.


This program prepares individuals to begin their nursing practice in a variety of healthcare settings and in specialty areas. Graduates possess generalist nursing knowledge, an orientation to leadership, and a foundation to begin graduate studies.

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.

Recommended Course Sequence


Year 1, Spring Semester (16.5 credits)


Year 2, Fall Semester (14 credits)


Year 2, Spring Semester (15 credits)


Year 3, Spring Semester (13.5 or 14.5 credits)


Year 4, Fall Semester (13.5 or 14.5 credits)


Total credits for the sample plan of study: 120


*Must be completed prior to NUR 300 , NUR 301 , NUR 306 , NUR 307 , and NUR 331 

Core curriculum requirements in science exploration, ethical inquiry, international, culture, power, and equity, engaged learning, sociocultural analysis, and writing, reading, and inquiry 3 are met through the Nursing curriculum.

The plan of study is subject to change.

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.