Pre-Nursing
Introduction
Students interested in a career in nursing may pursue a bachelor degree in any subject along with specific prerequisites. They then enter an Accelerated Nursing Program which allows students to earn the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree typically in one year. Students may also elect to pursue a direct-entry Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) via a BSN-MSN combined program. A competitive score on the GRE may be required for some master-level programs. Students should gain a thorough understanding of the profession through hospital volunteerism and/or working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, or Personal Care Assistant. Students should work with the Pre-Health advisor as soon as possible after entering the pre-nursing pathway to select appropriate coursework based on their schools of interest. In addition to the information in this section, please check the general information at the pre-medical and pre-health section of the catalog.
Recommended Pre-Nursing Courses
Academic admission requirements vary by school. The following coursework prepares students to apply to multiple programs. Note that some prerequisites may need to be completed through our WNY cross-registration program.
Anatomy & Physiology
Please note that the University at Buffalo Nursing has very specific coursework in anatomy and physiology that may affect your course selections.
One year of Anatomy & Physiology with laboratory:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| BIO 114 & 114L | Human Biology: Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology and Human Biology: Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIO 115 & 115L | Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Physiology and Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| Option 2: | ||
| BIO 324 & 324L | Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Lab | 4 |
| BIO 340 & 340L | Physiology and Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
Microbiology
One semester of general microbiology with laboratory:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 307 & 307L | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
Nutrition
One semester of nutrition:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 109 | Nutrition | 3 |
| or KIN 115 | Basic Nutrition | |
Chemistry
One semester of general chemistry with laboratory:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHM 111 & 111L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
Mathematics
One semester of statistics.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 201 | Basic Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | 3 or 4 |
| or MAT 131 | Statistics for Social Sciences | |
| or MAT 141 | Inferential Statistics and Computers for Science | |
| or KIN 398 | Statistics and Research Design | |
Psychology
One semester of Developmental Psychology, with additional coursework in psychology such as PSY 101, PSY 102, or PSY 303 helpful:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 203 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 3 |
Medical Terminology
One course in medical terminology is required by some schools:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HRP 111 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
Additional Pre-Nursing Courses
Some schools recommend addtional coursework from the following:
Science Courses: Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Human Genetics and additional Physiology courses may be required by some programs. These may be taken through our WNY cross-registration program.
Bio-Medical Ethics: PHI 243 or RST 345
Elective Courses
HRP 101 allows students to explore different health professions.
HRP 111 introduces students to medical terminology.
HRP 201 and HRP 202 allow students to explore areas of medicine in more depth.
HRP 498 is an internship in medical informatics. A medical scribe internship is also available.
HRP 498A is a medical service learning trip.
