Four-Year Nursing Major
Admission Requirements
Students interested in the undergraduate major apply to the University of Massachusetts through the Common Application. Students are then notified of their acceptance to the nursing major by the University of Massachusetts Undergraduate Admissions Office. Acceptance to the university does not guarantee admission to the Nursing major; students may be accepted to an alternate major, which is outlined clearly on the acceptance letter from the University. Admissions criteria for freshmen are outlined on the Undergraduate Admissions website .
Students must provide evidence of high school degree conferral as documented by official transcript, including translations and evaluations of non-English transcripts and compliance with the immunization requirements specified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Your immunizations must be current and recorded with University Health Services.
Explore the Undergraduate Admissions statement on diversity.
Program of Study for Nursing Majors
- Please select courses listed in bold during the semester indicated.
- Please also refer to University of Massachusetts graduation requirements:
Please select one or more of the following courses each semester to complete your General Education requirements and Nursing prerequisites in your first two years:
Gen Ed (HS) 4 cr
Gen Ed (AL/AT) 4 cr
Gen Ed (BS) 4 cr
Gen Ed (PS) 4 cr
Global and US Diversity (DG/DU) 4 cr (choose courses with HS or AL/AT)
Statistics (R1/R2) * 3 cr
* Statistics is a Nursing Prereq in your first 2 years. Stats 111, Stats 240, ResEcon 211 or 212 fulfill R1 and R2.
Program of Study: First Two Years (Freshmen entering Fall 2018 or later)
Course, Title, Credits
Freshman Year Fall, Semester Total, 14-16
Prereq to KIN 270 (PS or BS), KIN 100 or 110, BIOL 151, CHEM 110 or 111, 4
Psych 100, Introductory Psychology, 4
Nursing 150 (RAP/non- RAP), Faculty Seminar for 1st-yr Nursing students, 1
Engl/WP 112 or ENGL/WP 112H (CW), College Writing (Writing Program), 3
Gen Ed or Elective or Statistics, 2-4
Freshman Year Spring, Semester Total, 16-19
KIN 270, Anatomy & Physiology I w/Lab, 4
Nursing 212 (SI/DU), Cultural Diversity in Health & Illness, 4
Nutrition 130 (4 cr) or 230 (3 cr), Human Nutrition, 3/4
Nursing 210, Human Development Through the Life Cycle, 3
Gen Ed or Elective or Statistics, 2-4
Sophomore Year Fall, Semester Total, 17-19
KIN 272, Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab, 4
Nursing 100, Perspectives in Nursing, 3
Nursing 202, Issues of Aging in a Global Society, 4
2 – Gen Ed or Elective or Stats, 6-8
Sophomore Year Spring, Semester Total, 16-18
Nursing 333, Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I, 3
Nursing 315, Health and Physical Assessment, 3
Nursing 216, Principles of Nursing Care I, 2
Nursing 298C, Principles of Nursing Care I – Practicum, 2
Program of Study for last two years in Major
(Complete at least 57 cr in junior and senior year)
- Students are assigned when they take specialty courses (maternity, pediatrics, psychiatric/mental health, community health nursing, adult health nursing)
- There are two required Nursing Electives that are different from an elective taken in other departments. They must be taken for a letter grade. Students will have a choice based upon availability.
- Students will have an opportunity to request preference for their senior internship placement but the decision of where the internship is done is based upon faculty discretion regarding student’s learning needs and availability of placements.
- NCLEX-RN licensure preparation assessments (ATI) must be taken as assigned.
Course, Title, Credit
Junior Year Fall, Semester Total, 15-17
Nursing 316, Principles of Nursing Care, 2
Nursing 334, Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II, 3
Nursing 317(CW), Writing in Nursing Ethics (2nd College Writing req.), 3
Nursing 398E, Principles of Nursing Care: Practicum, 2
Nursing 420, Introduction to Nursing Research, 3
Elective or Gen Ed, 2-4
Junior Year Spring or Senior Fall, 12-16
Nursing 325, Maternal-Newborn Nursing, 2
Nursing 398I, Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Practicum, 2
Nursing 326, Nursing Care of Children, 2
Nursing 398F, Nursing Care of Children: Practicum, 2
Nursing 327, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, 2
Nursing 398G, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Practicum, 2
Elective OR Gen Ed, 2-4
Junior Year Spring or Senior Fall, 13-15
Nursing 432, Nursing Care of Adults: Acute, 3
Nursing 433, Nursing Care of Adults: Chronic, 3
Nursing 498C, Nursing Care of Adults: Practicum, 3
Nursing 439, Community Health Nursing, 3
Nursing 498T, Community Health Nursing Practicum, 3
Elective OR Gen Ed, 2-4
Senior Year Spring, Semester Total, 12
Nursing 438, Professional Role in Nursing (Integrative Experience –IE), 3
Nursing 498, Internship, 4
Nursing 441, Decision Making Strategies for Professional Nursing, 1
Nursing Elective, 2
Nursing Elective, 2
TOTAL CREDITS: 120
Estimated Costs
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst sets the tuition and fee structure for all traditional Undergraduate and Graduate programs, except for University Without Walls/Online Education programs. The following websites will provide you with the most up-to-date tuition and fee structure and meal plan rates.
Tuition and Fees: https://www.umass.edu/bursar/tuition/undergraduate-tuition-rates
Bursar’s Office Explanation of Fees: https://www.umass.edu/bursar/fee-explanation
Estimated Meal Plan Costs: https://www.umassdining.com/meal-plans
Nursing program fee $1000 per semester.
The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing provides the best possible clinical experiences for students, using a wide variety of in-patient, outpatient, and community sites (with day, evening, weekend, and night shifts used seven days a week). For this reason, public transportation or sharing transportation have not been workable as means to get to the clinical agencies. Students must provide their own transportation to the clinical sites assigned by their course faculty.
NOTE: Students are required to have health insurance.