On average, students apply in their third semester (fall second year in the Pre-Nursing program) when enrolled in NURS 216.

No, while this is encouraged it is not required. Read our minimum eligibility requirements. Applicants for upper division are scored only on progression GPA and interview score. Click here for more details.

Read our minimum eligibility requirements. Students must be competitive for admission. 

No. We do not admit anyone directly to Upper Division with the exception of Smart Start Nursing Students or a maximum of (3) Navy ROTC Nursing Scholarship students and (3) Army ROTC Nursing Scholarship students. 

First, meet with Exploratory Advising to find out if you are a good candidate based on our requirements. If you wish to proceed with a change of major, complete the Change of Major application.

• Students may indicate a preference, but this is only a preference. 
• Summer or Fall start dates are assigned to admitted students based on clinical availability only.  No other factors (i.e., ranking, Progression GPA) are taken into consideration for placement.
• Only ROTC students are guaranteed a Fall start based on summer obligations to ROTC/military service.

Students may take advantage of accommodations if they are registered with the university SDRC to have extra time on the interview portion of the application. Students are required to submit documentation on the application form in order to receive this accommodation.

Students will know of their acceptance to Upper Division before Spring semester begins. If accepted, students are also given their Summer or Fall start assignment within the acceptance letter. 

Accepted students attend a mandatory Upper Division Orientation. We also highly encourage accepted students to view these resources for more information on the program, financial aid and scholarships, housing and more. 

• BIOL 243* & BIOL 243L* 
• BIOL 244* * BIOL 244L* 
• BIOL 250* & BIOL 250L* 
• CHEM 102* 
• NURS 112* 
• NURS 216*

Course descriptions are listed in the undergraduate academic bulletin.

• Students have access to a read-only Progression GPA calculator which they can use to calculate their own Progression GPA at any time. A tutorial is available for students to determine how to calculate their Progression GPA with nuances, such as transfer credit or grade forgiveness. 
• Our Pre-Nursing (Lower Division) advisors also calculate each student’s Progression GPA during advisement meetings for classes each semester. 

Review the university policies to make sure you understand the process before you submit a grade forgiveness request.

No, please refer to the university policy. Undergraduates who earn grades of D+, D, F, FN, or WF are eligible to submit a grade forgiveness request. 

• It depends. If a student withdrew and earned a WF, then yes, the grade forgiveness policy can be applied. However, if a student earned a W, then no, the grade forgiveness policy cannot be used.
• A grade of W is not factored into the Progression GPA as there are not quality points associated with a W. 

Yes, however, grade forgiveness attempts must be used prudently due to limits on this option set by the University Registrar. Students should talk to their academic advisor before submitting a grade forgiveness request. Only two classes may be forgiven, and decisions cannot be revoked. 

• No. Courses taken at Aiken, Beaufort, and Upstate cannot be used to forgive courses taken at Columbia or any of the four Palmetto College (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter or Union) campuses.
• If the credit was earned at another Palmetto Campus (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, or Union) it may be eligible for grade forgiveness pending Registrar approval. 
• If the credit was earned at any other institution (including USC-Aiken, Beaufort or Upstate), grade forgiveness may not be applied, and those grades will be applied to your Progression GPA. 

If a student retakes a course using the grade forgiveness policy, then the new grade earned will be used in the Progression GPA calculation for admission to upper division; and the original below-C grade will not be applied to this calculation.

Upper Division courses are taken exclusively at our new College of Nursing Clinical Education Building in West Columbia, in partnership with Lexington Medical Center. This is a short drive from main campus, but students are responsible for their own transportation to class and clinical sites.

Yes. Students will need to provide their own transportation to clinicals. Students may be placed anywhere within an 80-mile radius from the College of Nursing for clinical sites. 

Students may have clinical experiences at Lexington Medical Center, Medical University of South Carolina Columbia, Prisma-Midlands locations, William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, other sites in Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Orangeburg.