Undergraduate Program

Overview

UMSON offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with two options. The traditional BSN is for those who do not have a previous nursing degree, as well as those who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing. Applicants who will have an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution prior to the start term have only 25 prerequisite credits to complete. Graduates of the traditional BSN option are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to obtain RN licensure. The RN-BSN option is for licensed RNs who have either a diploma in nursing or an associate degree in nursing.

• For information on the Entrance Exam Requirement for the BSN and RN-BSN options »

BSN Program Outcomes

• Articulate a personal philosophy of nursing that serves as a framework for professional practice.
• Adhere to ethical, legal, and regulatory mandates and professional standards for nursing practice.
• Use insight, intuition, empathy, empirical knowledge, reasoning and creative analysis for critical thinking in all aspects of professional practice.
• Use evidence-based knowledge from nursing and related disciplines to shape practice.
• Use communication skills to establish therapeutic, caring, and collaborative relationships.
• Conduct assessments of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations as the basis for planning and delivering care.
• Demonstrate clinical competencies needed for the delivery of safe and effective nursing care in a variety of health care settings and additional competencies in an individually selected emphasis area.
• Provide nursing care that reflects sensitivity to physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and environmental diversity of persons.
• Use current and emerging information handling and other technologies as integral components of professional nursing practice.
• Use resource management, delegation, and supervision strategies in planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care.
• Critique research findings for their applicability to theory-based practice.
• Collaborate with experienced investigators in identification of clinical problems, access to sites, protection of human subjects, data collection, and dissemination of findings.
• Use political, economical, organizational, educational, and advocacy strategies to improve health care delivery to individuals, groups, families, communities, and national and global populations.
• Function as a leader in health care systems, in professional organizations, and within interdisciplinary teams for the promotion of health, prevention of disease, and management of care delivery.
• Accept personal accountability for lifelong learning, professional growth, and commitment to the advancement of the profession.

Program Options

Traditional BSN Option

The traditional BSN option provides a two-year course of study for students seeking a career in nursing. More information about the BSN option »

RN-BSN & RN-BSN Online Options

The registered nurse option includes RN-BSN and RN-BSN Online. More information about RN-BSN options »

Locations

Students may complete the traditional BSN option at either the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, Md. or at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Md. Both the Baltimore and Shady Grove locations admit students in the fall and spring semesters. Both locations have identical curricula, course progression, and plans of study. Students may attend full-time or part-time; RN-BSN students may take classes at either location.

Choosing Your Location

The Universities at Shady Grove is a small interprofessional campus run by the University System of Maryland, located in the I-270 corridor, just off of Shady Grove Road. Many state-supported universities have programs at this location. The campus has the advantages of a suburban setting, free parking, a smaller student body with a more intimate feel, and state-of-the-art technology in the classrooms. No student housing is available. Clinical assignments for nursing students at The Universities at Shady Grove are typically located at nearby institutions. Students are expected to furnish their own transportation to clinical sites.

The University of Maryland is an urban university accessible by MARC trains, light rail, and bus lines. The main building for the School of Nursing was opened in 1998 and has integrated technology in the classrooms. Classes tend to be large, and since most master's and all doctoral programs are housed in Baltimore, there are many students in the building at once. Extremely limited student housing is available. Reduced fees for student parking are available. Clinical assignments are typically in Baltimore or Annapolis, but may be further away. Students must furnish their own transportation to clinical sites.

BSN & RN-BSN Prerequisites

Students must successfully complete required coursework in the social and behavioral sciences, the natural and physical sciences and the arts and humanities. These lower-division pre-professional courses may be completed at any accredited college or university. Students who have completed coursework in Maryland may review transfer courses at ARTSYS – Articulation System for Maryland Colleges and Universities. This is an online evaluation system that enables students to determine how courses taken at any two year college in Maryland transfer to any four year college or university in Maryland. Visit the ARTSYS website at http://artweb.usmd.edu.

Students may mail or fax unofficial transcripts to the Office of Admissions for evaluation or bring transcripts to one of the Information Sessions conducted by the Office of Admissions. The Unofficial Transcript Evaluation Request Form (Word) must accompany all submitted transcripts. (Normal response time is two weeks. However, requests received the month prior to and after an application deadline may take longer for processing. All requests will be processed as quickly as possible in the order received.)

For applicants who will have an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution prior to the start term, only the courses in bold (below) are required:

Please Note:

• Each course may only be used to fulfill one pre-requisite.
• A minimum of seven general electives are needed.
• Social Science electives include psychology, sociology, anthropology, social work, political science, geography, history, criminal justice, economics, and women's studies.
• Humanities include three courses from at least two of the following disciplines: literature, language, art, music, history, philosophy, speech, mathematics, communications, women's studies, theatre, and dance.