Traditional BSN
and
LVN to BSN
California State University San Marcos
California State University San Marcos
College of
Humanities,
Arts & Social
Sciences
College of
Business
Administration
College of
Sciences and
Mathematics
College of
Education,
Health and
Human Services
Extended
Learning
B.S. in Nursing
B.S. in Nursing
Traditional BSN
LVN to BSN
Accelerated BSN
RN to BSN
M.S. in Nursing
RN to MSN
BSN to Masters
Accreditation
Professionally accredited by the
Commission of Collegial Nursing Education
(CCNE) for our undergraduate Nursing
programs at CSU San Marcos.
CSUSM Nursing Programs

Traditional BSN (Pre-Licensure)

LVN to BSN (LVN license required)

Nursing programs offered through
CSUSM’s Extended Learning Program:
http://www.csusm.edu/el/degreeprograms/i
ndex.html
Pre-Nursing Core
The following Pre-Nursing Core is required for CSUSM’s Traditional BSN and LVN to BSN programs.
CSUSM
GE Area for
‘Native’
Students
CSUSM
Course
Requirement
No. of
Units
C -- Co-requisite
P -- Pre-requisite
A1
GEO 102
Oral Communication (or any CSU approved GE A1 course)
3
None
A2
GEW 101
Written Communication (College English) (or any CSU
approved GE A2 course)
3
None
A3
Any CSU A3 Critical
Thinking Course
Any CSU approved A3 Critical Thinking course
3
Varies
B4
MATH 200
Mathematical Statistics for Nursing (or any CSU approved B4
Statistics course)
3
P --ELM requirement
B2
BIOL 175
Introduction to Human Anatomy/Physiology I and lab
4
Impaction Criteria
BIOL 176
Introduction to Human Anatomy/Physiology II and lab
4
P -- BIOL 175
BIOL 160
Microbiology for Health Sciences and lab
4
P –ELM requirement;
impaction
B1
CHEM 105
Inorganic, Organic and Biochemistry for Life (or any approved
General, Inorganic, Organic or Integrated Chemistry course)
3
P -ELM requirement;
Impaction
B3
CHEM 105L
Associated lab
2
C – CHEM 105
Pre-Nursing Core

Students must complete all of the Pre-Nursing Core courses, or their equivalents, with a grade of
C or better (including separate science labs).

University policy does not allow for a course to be repeated if a C or better
was earned on first attempt, with the exception of the CSU General
Education Areas A1 and A3, if taken as a different subject.

Courses (or labs) with substandard grades (C- or below) can be repeated only once, and grades
will be averaged for such repeated courses.

Applicants are limited to a maximum of two C’s in the Pre-Nursing Core Science classes.

Entry into CSUSM’s science courses, required for the Nursing program, are impacted. BIOL 175,
BIOL 176 and CHEM 105/105L are offered through CSUSM’s Extended Learning Program
(different fee structure).

No limit to the number of pre-requisite courses in progress at the time of application to the Nursing
program. All pre-requisite courses must be completed by the end of the Spring term preceding
entry into the Fall Traditional/LVN to BSN program.
Additional General Education and
Graduation Requirements for Traditional BSN
and LVN to BSN Students
Requirement
GE
Area
C1
C2
C3
Unit
s
3
3
3
Interdisciplinary Social
Science
Social Science
American Institutions
American Institutions
Lifelong Learning
D7
3
Any GE Area C1 course
Any GE Area C2 course
Any GE Area C1 or C2 course; approved language course will
meet this GE area
ANTH 200 (Cultural Anthropology)
D
Dh
Dc, Dg
E
3
3
3
3
PSYC 100 (Intro to Psychology)
HIST 130 or HIST 131
PSCI 100 (Political Science)
Any GE Area E course
Upper division
Math/Science
Upper division
Humanities
Upper-division social
science
BB
3
BIOL 323 (Physiology of Nutrition & Disease)
CC
3
PHIL 345 (Bioethics & Medical Ethics)
DD
3
ANTH 301 (Culture & Medicine)
Arts
Humanities
Arts or Humanities
CSUSM Course
All courses can be completed before entering the Traditional/LVN to BSN program or can be taken during the Nursing
program. Second baccalaureate applicants are exempt from the American Institutions requirements, general
education Areas C and E and the Language Other Than English Requirement.
Upper-division GE courses (BB,CC,DD) must be completed at CSUSM and cannot be taken before you have
completed at least 60 CSU eligible units (including transfer units).
Visit www.assist.org for course equivalencies at California .
Language Other Than English Requirement (LOTER)
The LOTER is a graduation requirement for all Cal State San Marcos students. Meeting
this requirement confirms that you have reached an intermediate level of linguistic and
cultural proficiency in a second language.
Applicants to CSUSM’s Traditional BSN program earn admission points for completing
the LOTER by the end of the Spring semester preceding admission to the Fall program.
There are various ways to meet the LOTER. Please visit http://www.csusm.edu/loter/.
NOTE: Second baccalaureate applicants are exempt from completing this requirement for
graduation, however, must meet the requirement in order to receive admission points for
the Traditional BSN program.
Note: High School foreign language classes will not clear this
requirement, unless you passed an AP/IB/CLEP language exam
with an acceptable score
http://www.assist.org
ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course
credits earned at one public California community college or university can be
applied when transferred to another. ASSIST provides the most accurate and upto-date information about student transfer in California.
Traditional BSN
Program

Minimum Requirements for Admission


Completion of Pre-Nursing Core with GPA of 2.75
TEAS composite score of 71.0%

Currently impacted (approximately 50 students in cohort admitted each fall)

Fall admission only; Pre-Nursing Core requirements must be completed by the end of
the spring semester preceding admission to fall program. (i.e., Pre-Nursing Core must
be completed by end of Spring 2015 for admission to Fall 2015 Traditional and LVN to
BSN programs).

Applicants are rank-ordered for admission based on total number of admission criteria
points earned.

Supplemental Admission Criteria Two is used in evaluating applicants to the program:
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/prospective/programs/traditional-bsn/2014-2015-TBSN%20supplemental-criteria.pdf

Three-year nursing program (includes two mandatory summer terms)
Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)

Version 5.0 required

Minimum composite score of 71% required for admission

Covers Math, Reading, English, and Science

$65 exam fee

Cal State San Marcos offers TEAS at School of Nursing in San Marcos. Current test dates and
registration procedures are located at http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/teas/index.html.

No limit on number of times test can be repeated; highest composite score will be used. Please note:
TEAS exam can be taken 3 times on CSUSM campus; test can then be taken at alternative test sites.

The School of Nursing has access to TEAS scores if taken at Cal State San Marcos. If the test is taken
outside of Cal State San Marcos, applicant must have their score sent to Cal State San Marcos
electronically. There is a fee for this request.

ATI TEAS study guides, practice modules, and other products are available for sale on the ATI Web site,
www.atitesting.com.
Fall ’14 Traditional
BSN Cohort
Admission Statistics

Average Pre-Nursing Core GPA: 3.89


Average Cumulative GPA at the end of Fall ‘13 semester: 3.83


High of 4.0 and a low of 3.45
Average TEAS score: 83.6


High of 4.0 and a low of 3.61
High of 94.7 and a low of 74.0
Total possible points: 68; point cutoff for admission: 51.5
LVN to BSN
Program
Admission requirements:

2.75 GPA in Pre-Nursing Core

2.0 overall cumulative GPA

Valid CA LVN license by May 1 before Fall admission to LVN to BSN program

LVN coursework must be completed at a WASC-accredited college/university (or
other regional affiliate of WASC) and LVN coursework must appear on a
college/university transcript from a regionally-accredited institution

Military ‘Corpsmen’ training accepted in lieu of LVN coursework (still requires a Calif.
LVN License).Admission to program on a space-available basis (limited to 4 LVN
students each fall)

Admitted students are awarded 17 lower-division nursing units for previously
completed LVN coursework



LVN students admitted to the 3-yr. Traditional BSN cohort in Fall
Attend first year on a part-time basis
Attend last 2 years on a full-time basis

No supplemental admission criteria utilized

TEAS exam is not required

Other general education and graduation requirements can be completed early, if
desired

Must be IV Certified

Must pass the CSUSM LVN Nursing Skills Assessment ($100 fee required)

$50 evaluation fee due at the time of application to the Nursing program.
Applications
Upper-Division Transfer Student Admission
Admission to the Traditional BSN and LVN to BSN programs are contingent upon admission to Cal State San Marcos.
Most transfer students will have taken Pre-Nursing Core courses at another college or university prior to being admitted
to the School of Nursing.
Application Process for Fall 2015 Admission
Step 1
Submit CSU Mentor Application, October 1 – November 30, 2014
Electronically apply and submit undergraduate application to Cal State San Marcos via
www.csumentor.edu. Additional information regarding admissions to CSUSM, visit
http://www.csusm.edu/admissions/transfer/.
You must track your admission to the University and keep abreast of important dates and deadlines
to submit official transcripts and other important documents to the Office of Admissions.
Step 2
Step 3
Submit a separate, online School of Nursing Application, October 1 – November 30, 2014
Traditional BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/tbsn/app-instructions.html
LVN to BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/lvn/index.html
Submit School of Nursing $50 program evaluation fee
(http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/information/nursing-fees.html)
You must follow application instructions and submit required application materials by stated deadlines. Separate sets of transcripts must be
submitted to the University admissions office AND the School of Nursing. Deadlines are firm and final. We do not grant extensions under any
circumstances.
Second Baccalaureate Admission
Second Baccalaureate applicants are students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another
discipline, and wish to obtain a BS in Nursing from Cal State San Marcos. Applicants follow the same
application process as upper-division transfer students; however, second baccalaureate applicants use
the Graduate application for admission to Cal State San Marcos. A second baccalaureate applicant
cannot be admitted to the University without being admitted to a Nursing program.
Application Process for Fall 2015 Admission
Step 1
Submit CSU Mentor Application, October 1 – November 30, 2014.
Visit http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/admission/2nd-bac.html
Step 2
Submit a separate, online School of Nursing Application, October 1 – November 30, 2014
Step 3
Traditional BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/tbsn/app-instructions.html
LVN to BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/lvn/index.html
Submit School of Nursing $50 program evaluation fee
(http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/information/nursing-fees.html)
You must follow application instructions and submit required application materials by stated deadlines. Separate sets of transcripts must be
submitted to the University admissions office AND the School of Nursing. Deadlines are firm and final. We do not grant extensions under
any circumstances.
International Students Admission
International Students -- (must hold an F-1 Visa) have different University Admission policies and
timelines. Course equivalency from colleges/universities outside of the U.S. will be determined by the
University Admissions Office. In some instances translated course descriptions will need to be
provided to the School of Nursing, especially for science courses.
Application Process for Fall 2015 Admission
Step 1
Electronically apply and submit undergraduate application to Cal State San Marcos via
www.csumentor.edu. Additional information regarding International Admissions, visit
http://www.csusm.edu/global/ugadmiss/ughowapply.html.
Step 2
Submit a separate, online School of Nursing Application, October 1 – November 30, 2014
Step 3
Traditional BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/tbsn/app-instructions.html
LVN to BSN
http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/lvn/index.html
Submit School of Nursing $50 program evaluation fee
(http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/tbsnapplication/information/nursing-fees.html)
You must follow application instructions and submit required application materials by stated deadlines. Separate sets of transcripts must be
submitted to the University admissions office AND the School of Nursing. Deadlines are firm and final. We do not grant extensions under
any circumstances.
First-Year Students
First-Year students enter the University as designated Pre-Health Science majors. Students learn about the
Nursing program and are assisted with appropriate course planning by attending summer orientation and
participating in mandatory Fall and Spring workshops during their freshman year.
Eligible current students work towards meeting Supplemental Impaction Criteria One for eligibility to enroll in
CSUSM’s state-support Pre-Nursing Core science classes (http://www.csusm.edu/nursing/prospective/programs
/traditional-bsn/2014-2015-TBSN%20supplemental-criteria.pdf).
Pathway for a First-Year Student at
CSUSM Interested in Nursing
Minimum 5-year Program
Year 1
Year 2
Years 3-5
Complete CSU “Golden Four” basic
skills courses and other lower-division
General Education requirements
Complete Pre-Nursing
Core Sciences and other
GE and Graduation
Requirements
Nursing Program
and rest of GE/
Graduation
Requirements
•A1
•A2
•A3
•B4
GEO 102 -- Oral Communication
GEW 101 – English
Any Critical Thinking class
Statistics
•BIOL 175
•CHEM 105/105L
•BIOL 176
•BIOL 160
Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid is available to students, including
Second Bachelor Degree students

For more information, please contact the CSUSM’s
Financial Aid Office at: 760-750-4850 or visit
www.fafsa.ed.gov

Many other scholarship opportunities are also
available
Questions regarding admission to CSUSM’s
Traditional BSN or LVN to BSN programs
can be sent to:
nursingapplication@csusm.edu