Nursing Direct Admission for First Year Students

The School of Nursing offers direct admission to the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

The PLU Nursing program does not require a separate application to be considered. Your application to PLU is also your application for direct admission to Nursing. When you apply to PLU (it’s free to apply), list Nursing as your intended major.

To be considered for direct admission, you must have:

  • A 3.4 or higher weighted cumulative GPA
  • Three or more college-preparatory math and science courses (e.g. Algebra 2 and higher, chemistry, physics, earth science, biology) with a B- or better grade

First year students who are directly admitted to Nursing and meet the following academic requirements will be guaranteed a spot in the Nursing program beginning fall semester of their junior year:

  • Students are required to complete ALL pre-nursing coursework during their first two years at PLU
  • Students are required to earn a ‘B’ grade or higher in ALL PLU coursework

Note: If you are a Running Start or transfer student, please review the Running Start & Transfer Students section

Application Priority Dates & Decisions

There are four application priority dates for Nursing Direct Admission: October 15, November 15, December 15 and January 15. Students who submit all admission materials prior to one of these dates can expect a nursing direct admission decision prior to the next decision date.

The final deadline to be considered for Nursing Direct Admission is January 15, 2025.

Those not offered direct admission may still complete the pre-nursing coursework during their first two years at PLU, and apply to the School of Nursing during their sophomore year.

Running Start & Transfer Students

Running Start:

  • If you will earn your Pre-Nursing Associate’s Degree (AA-DTA) and have all PLU nursing prerequisites complete by the end of summer 2025, you can apply directly to the School of Nursing through the BSN Application for Associate Degree-Seeking High School Seniors, which can be found on your student applicant portal.
  • If you will NOT complete nursing prerequisites by the time you start at PLU, apply for direct admission to Nursing instead.

Transfer:

  • PLU’s Nursing Direct Admission Application is ONLY for first year students (high school seniors).
  • If you are a transfer student, learn more about applying to our nursing programs on the transfer application webpage.