Coordinator: Dr. Gerald W. Long

MISSION STATEMENT

Francis Marion University provides two mechanisms for students to continue their pursuit of a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The University offers a pre-nursing curriculum which prepares students for transfer to an institution offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or to apply to the cooperative program offered by the Medical University of South Carolina at Francis Marion University.

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM OPTION

The cooperative program offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; this basic type of program is often called the 2+2 program because applicants to the program must complete 60 semester hours of lower division, prerequisite course work prior to enrollment in the nursing curriculum offered by MUSC at Francis Marion University. All lower division prerequisite course work is offered at Francis Marion University. Any prerequisite course taken at Francis Marion University will be accepted for transfer if the student meets the minimum course content requirements and a grade "C" or better is earned. However, the student must apply and be accepted by MUSC in order to enroll in the nursing program.

The pre-nursing program offers appropriate courses and learning opportunities which, with a strong performance and acceptable admission materials, will allow for transfer. Students who elect to participate in the pre-nursing program at Francis Marion University are fortunate to begin their studies in the well-equipped classrooms and laboratories. After completing the pre-nursing curriculum, students are prepared to transfer to a baccalaureate nursing program (assuming they apply and are admitted) where they will have the opportunity to apply the liberal arts background they have acquired at Francis Marion University to the health needs of the clients they serve.

Admission to any Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is competitive and cannot be guaranteed. Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the application procedures and admissions criteria of the degree granting institution.

Pre-Nursing Lower Division

All nursing programs require English 112 and 200, three upper-level biology courses (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology) and at least three courses in General Education. Most programs also require a year of Chemistry and Mathematics and Statistics. What follows, on page 168, is a recommended curriculum for pre-nursing students at Francis Marion University.