Prepare for
Nursing School
Confirm your interest in nursing, prepare academically and develop the necessary skills and experience.
Academic Pre-Requisites
This is a general guideline. Please check individual schools for their specific pre-requisites.
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- One year of biology
- BILD 1, 2, 3, & any upper division Biology lab course (must be at least 4 quarter units)
- One year of general chemistry
- CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C, & lab 7L (lab)
- **One year of organic chemistry (FAQ)
- CHEM 40A, 40B & 43A (lab), or
- Student who are Chem/Biochem, or Engineering majors will use: CHEM 41A, 41B, 41C, & 43A (lab),
- One year of anatomy and physiology
- Anatomy + lab (BILD X13 at UC San Diego Extended Studies, or community college)
- Human Physiology (BIPN 26, BIPN 100, or BIPN 102) & BIPN 105 (lab)
- Oral Communication
- TDGE 25
- Written Communication or English Composition
- The Analytical Writing Program and UC Entry Level Writing Requirement courses
- Critical Thinking
- The Analytical Writing Program and UC Entry Level Writing Requirement, Or
- Community College Courses
- Microbiology
- BIMM 120 & BIMM 121 (lab)
- Statistics
- MATH 11 Or PSYC 60
**40AB is a prerequisite for biochemistry, which is a requirement for Molecular Biology, which is necessary to take Microbiology at UC San Diego.
- One year of biology
Experience
- Conduct an informational interview, shadow or volunteer with a nurse. Find nurses through your network of family and friends, and professional associations.
Student Organizations
New! Nursing Hearts at UCSD is the only club dedicated solely to the nursing profession at the UCSD campus. Our goal is to raise awareness and inform on the broad subject of nursing. We aim to support pre-nursing students with various resources and community through a network of other nursing-bound students. We welcome anyone who may be interested in nursing as a potential career or to simply satisfy curiosity. Get in touch via email: ucsd.nursinghearts@gmail.com, Nursing Hearts Facebook or Instagram.
Please visit Center for Student Involvement for list of student organizations.
Additional Preparation Information
Click to learn more about gaining experience - clinical, service, leadership, and research.