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 as required course varies between the different institutions across the united states.
One year of biology
- BILD 1, 2, 3, & any upper division Biology lab course (must be at least 4 quarter units)
- CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C, & lab 7L (lab)
- CHEM 40A, 40B & 43A (lab)
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**40AB is a prerequisite for biochemistry, which is a requirement for BIMM 100 Molecular Biology, which is necessary to take BIMM 120 Microbiology at UC San Diego. Some programs will not require organic chemistry**
- One Anatomy Course with Lab
- BILD X13 at UC San Diego Extended Studies
- OR, community college
- One Human Physiology Course with Lab
- BIPN 100
- BIPN 105 (lab)
- TDGE 25
- OR, Community College Courses
- The Analytical Writing Program and UC Entry Level Writing Requirement courses
- The Analytical Writing Program and UC Entry Level Writing Requirement,
- OR, Community College Courses
- BIMM 120 & BIMM 121 (lab)
- MATH 11 Or PSYC 60
Recommended Courseswork (dependent on school list)
Social/Behaviorial Science
- SOC 1 Introduction to Sociology
- PSYC 1 Psychology
- OR, An abnormal psychology course
Nutrition
- BILD 22 Human Nutrition
- OR, BIBC 120 Nutrition
Medical Terminology
- FPM-40632 at UC San Diego Extended Studies
- OR, Alternatively community college coursework
Medical Spanish or Spanish
- LASP-40150 at UC San Diego Extended Studies
- OR, Alternatively students take general education Spanish courses.
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.