The UMSL College of Nursing is committed to admitting a diverse group of students who will become nurse leaders responsive to the specific needs of the communities and populations we serve. We value diversity, intellectual discourse and rigor, caring, professionalism, mutual respect and support, innovation, collaboration, and transparency.

Applicants will be selected using inclusive and balanced admission criteria that measure their potential in nursing practice, education, research, and scholarship. We measure our success by graduates who become lifelong learners and leaders in their communities and in the profession of nursing.

Applicants to the nursing freshman guaranteed clinical program will be holistically reviewed using criteria such as GPA, academic performance in required pre-nursing courses, a personal statement, an essay, extra-curricular activities, honors, award recognitions, leadership roles, and work/volunteer experiences.

Incoming freshmen may qualify for a guaranteed clinical space in the Traditional Full-Time option. In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Admission to the University by completing the UMSL Undergraduate Application (the university's admission criteria for freshman can be found on the Office of Admissions site)
  • Minimum core high school GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by UMSL's Office of Admissions) and minimum ACT score of 24
  • Or a minimum core high school GPA of 3.4 (as calculated by UMSL’s Office of Admissions) in lieu of the ACT
  • Completion of the Traditional BSN Nursing Supplemental Application, which will require:
    • Personal statement indicating reasons for pursuing a nursing degree (no more than 2 pages)
    • Required essay (directions found in the supplemental application)
    • Resume outlining previous education, work/volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, leadership roles, honors and awards
    • Two Recommendation Forms (form found in the supplemental application)

In order to keep their guaranteed clinical space, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Maintain full-time enrollment at UMSL during fall and spring semesters
  • Earn a minimum cumulative college GPA of 3.0 (GPA is calculated on all transferable undergraduate courses combined with all UMSL courses)
  • Earn a minimum grade of B- in each of the required science courses (Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II, and Microbiology)

Students who maintain these criteria will not have to submit a separate clinical application to the College of Nursing; they will automatically be admitted to the clinical track of the Traditional Full-Time option after the successful completion of general education coursework in the preclinical track. Students who do not maintain the above-listed criteria will forfeit their guaranteed clinical space.

We’d love to meet you! Schedule a campus visit, join one of nursing’s academic information sessions, tour our state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab, and meet with a College of Nursing academic advisor. If you have questions about our nursing programs or the admission process, please don’t hesitate to contact nursing@umsl.edu or 314-516-6066.

Advance registration for our Academic Information Sessions is required. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the virtual information session. We recommend checking your "Junk Mail" folder if the confirmation email does not appear in your “Inbox.” If you have challenges registering or logging in, please contact Kelly Hogenmiller at kelly.hogenmiller@umsl.edu.  

In addition to virtual information sessions and daily campus visits, UMSL and the College of Nursing host an in-person Open House each semester. Prospective and admitted students learn about our nursing programs, tour our state-of-the-art simulation labs, speak with nursing faculty and current students, and meet with academic advisors and student success staff.

Note: Admission criteria are subject to change.