Nursing (B.S.) Frequently Asked Questions

Freshman students applying to the NIU nursing program, must first apply to the university and select nursing as your intended major. Once accepted to the university, you will be reviewed for admission to the School of Nursing. All documents must be received by Undergraduate Admissions prior to the Jan. 15 deadline to be considered for review.

Transfer students applying to the NIU nursing program, must first apply to the university and select nursing as your intended major. Additionally, you will need to apply to the School of Nursing via the Nursing CAS application during the appropriate application cycle. All documents must be submitted prior to the application deadline to be considered for review.

Current on-campus students must complete and submit an online application. All applications must be submitted by the deadline to be considered. Learn more about admission to the nursing program.

Freshmen application deadline: January 15.

On-campus and transfer applications are accepted twice a year and need to be submitted and completed by the appropriate deadlines:

• For fall program start: application opens Nov. 1 and closes Jan. 15, with submission encouraged by Jan. 15.
• For spring program start: application opens April 1 and closes June 15, with submission encouraged by June 1.

Contact Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

On campus and transfer student applications are accepted twice a year based on which semester you will begin nursing courses.

Direct admit freshmen applications are accepted once a year. Students who are admitted directly from high school will typically begin nursing coursework during the spring semester of their sophomore year.

• Completed application for admission with nursing listed as area of academic interest
• An official high school transcript or an official GED score report
• Students must have a high school GPA of 3.75 or greater

• Completed application for admission with nursing listed as area of academic interest
• Completed nursing online application
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended. If taking courses at another institution during the fall term prior to the deadline, send final transcripts with grades posted.
• Priority will be given to students who have completed the following prerequisite courses with a C or better by the January 15 deadline:
  • BIOS 103 or BIOS 109
  • BIOS 357
  • CHEM 110 and CHEM 111 or CHEM 210 and CHEM 212
  • ENGL 203
  • STAT 100
• Students must have prerequisite GPA and an overall/cumulative GPA of at least 2.75
• All nine prerequisites are required with a C or better to start the program

Applicants with more than 24 semester hours of college credit will apply as transfer students.

• A minimum of 12 hours at NIU applied toward their major, minor or general education requirements
• An online application for admission to the School of Nursing
• Priority will be given to students who have completed the following prerequisite courses with a C or better by the January 15 deadline:
  • BIOS 103 or BIOS 109
  • BIOS 357
  • CHEM 110 and CHEM 111 or CHEM 210 and CHEM 212
  • ENGL 203
  • STAT 100
• Students must have prerequisite GPA and an overall/cumulative GPA of at least 2.75
• All nine prerequisites are required with a C or better to start the program

Freshmen Nursing applications are accepted between Sept. 1 and Jan. 15.

On campus  and transfer applications are accepted twice a year and need to be submitted and completed by the appropriate deadlines:

• For fall program start: application opens Nov. 1 and closes Jan. 15, with submission encouraged by Jan. 1.
• For spring program start: application opens April 1 and closes June 15, with submission encouraged by June 1.

The number of applicants varies year to year; however, we receive more than 1,500 each year.

We admit about 86 students for each fall and spring semesters.

Students must have prerequisite GPA and an overall/cumulative GPA of at least 2.75. Admission to the NIU School of Nursing is competitive and extremely limited. There is no guarantee of admission. Students should work with an academic advisor regarding the competitive nature of the program.

Admitted nursing majors must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.

Acceptance will be mailed out by designated time frame on the application.

No.

Admission to the School of Nursing is competitive and limited. Seats are filled based on the credentials and standings of applicants and space. Please understand that there are no guarantees that students on the waiting list will be admitted.

B.S. requirements outside of the nursing major can be found in the NIU catalog. These include general education requirements and prerequisite courses. Students should work with an academic advisor to determine remaining degree requirements.

Yes, prerequisite courses may be taken at your local community college. For further information, review course articulation information.

No, all prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better before beginning nursing classes.

Tuition information can be found at the Office of the Bursar tuition page.

There are no online nursing courses available for the traditional undergraduate nursing student. All courses for the B.S. degree program are on the DeKalb campus.

Nursing classes meet in the School of Nursing, 3100 Sycamore Road in DeKalb. Classes are typically offered Monday through Friday during the day. The nursing program is a cohort-style program so students should expect to be in classes three to five days per week.

The NIU nursing program is currently a five-semester sequence of courses. Students are typically enrolled in 10-15 credit hours per term. Beginning in fall 2026, the NIU nursing program will be a four-semester sequence of courses. Students are typically enrolled in 15 credit hours per term.

No, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing does not automatically make you an RN. However, upon completion of the degree, you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN. Our nursing program provides students with the knowledge needed to pass this exam.

The pre-licensure NIU nursing program is a full-time program. Students are typically enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per term and expected to study 3 hours per credit hour outside of class.  

Students are not advised to also hold a full-time position.

Students begin clinicals their first semester in the program in the Simulation Lab on campus and at a local clinical site. In the second semester, students begin clinicals in various healthcare settings.

NIU works with a large number of clinical sites in northern Illinois. Students usually have about five to six choices per clinical to pick from. Students should expect that not all clinical placements will be at the same agency or in DeKalb. Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from clinical sites; however, many students carpool to various sites. Clinical sites can be up to 60 miles from the DeKalb campus.

To get additional information about the traditional undergraduate nursing program or to speak with an academic advisor, please email HHSAdvisingHelp@niu.edu or call 815-753-1891.

For applicants who are already registered nurses or have a B.S. degree in nursing, contact the School of Nursing about our RN-B.S. program and Master of Science in Nursing degree at nursing@niu.edu or 815-753-1231.