BSN Admission Requirements

There are 3 requirements to make students eligible to apply for the BSN Program: 

1. 3 UBC credits of first year or higher English Composition / Writing course
2. 6 UBC credits (or equivalent) of human anatomy & physiology
3. Admission to the program requires a minimum of 48 transferable credits in a field of study other than Nursing that are part of a program of study recognized by UBC

1. First-year or higher English (3 credits) - one of the following options below meets this requirement: 

1. UBC ENGL 112 (3 credits), WRDS 150 (3credits) or notation of "WRCM 1st (3 credits)" in your UBC Academic History or Academic Transcripts is also acceptable. 
   • To check if your courses are equivalent to UBC ENGL 112 or UBC WRDS 150, please consult the BC Transfer Guide
   • "WRCM" means that UBC identified that you completed 3 credits of general first-year English “Writing/Composition” courses when your prior academic transcripts were reviewed at time of admission.
      
2. First year or higher level university transferable to UBC English composition course. A composition course is defined by the School of Nursing to include an analysis based approach to writing at the University level.
   • To check if your courses is equivalent UBC ENGL 1st please consult the BC Transfer Guide
      
3. Have a university degree from an institution where English was the primary language of instruction? You may meet the prerequisite for 3 credits of English composition with your degree completion. 
    
    

2. Human Anatomy and Physiology (minimum 6 credits):

• UBC BIOL 155 is recommended
• Equivalent Human Anatomy and Physiology (HAP) course/courses will be considered as long as:
  • They cover all body systems
  • Have been completed 5 years from the time that the program starts (i.e., after September 2020). 
  • Please see "What HAP Courses Meet the Requirement?" for more detailed information. 

3.  Want to find out if you have 48 non-nursing university transferable credits toward a bachelors degree (or equivalent) in another field of study? 

• Please review your academic transcripts from your prior learning for the credit value, subject, and level of completed courses. 
• Most undergraduate university level coursework you are currently completing, or have completed will count toward this requirement, except any courses classified as nursing courses that are part of an approved undergraduate nursing program based on your institutions academic calendar. 
   
• If you have not yet completed your undergraduate degree:
  • Ensure you've completed, or will complete, at least 48 credits of non-nursing university transferable credits before the final transcript deadline 
     
• If you have already completed your bachelors degree: 
  • Ensure that your official academic transcripts identify "Degree Conferred" and the name of your degree when you complete your initial UBC application 
  • Your UBC Application will be evaluated by Undergraduate Admissions for all pre-requisites (including this requirement for credits / and no longer looking at degree completed).

Approved HAP Course List for 2025 Entry

Please note: for your course to meet the HAP prerequisite requirement, you must take the courses listed, in the combinations listed. The Approved HAP Course List for 2025 Entry was updated on August 29, 2024

If you fall into one of the below categories, you are required to submit a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) application. 

• Completed HAP courses which do not appear on the Approved List.
• Completed HAP courses listed in a different combination than the ones mentioned on the Approved List

• Completed HAP courses more than 5 years ago (before September 2020) for September 2025 entry

  Click Here to submit PLAR Review Application

If you are unsure if your HAP courses meet our requirements, please consult the BC Transfer Guide: 

UBC School of Nursing uses the BC Transfer Guide, a service maintained by the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfers, to assess course equivalency. To check if your HAP courses are equivalent, please consult the BC Transfer Guide: https://www.bctransferguide.ca/ - On the BC Transfer Guide website, you will be able to search for your course(s) and to see if it is equivalent to UBC BIOL 155. 

If you cannot locate your course(s) on the BC Transfer Guide, or UBC’s Transfer Credit search, you may also check this list of approved HAP courses. If you have any questions, please contact information@nursing.ubc.ca

HAP courses which are not listed on the Approved List must meet the following criteria for PLAR assessment:

1. The coursework must show at least 6 post-secondary/university level credits of HAP (at an accredited institution)
    
2. The course work must be at least 75-78 hours of contact time:
   • 3 contact hours per week x 13 weeks over two (2) terms, or
   • 6 contact hours per week x 13 weeks over one term
      
3. The course(s) must cover the anatomy and physiology of the following human body systems:
   • Cardiovascular
   • Muscular and skeletal
   • Digestive
   • Nervous
   • Endocrine
   • Reproductive
   • Immune
   • Respiratory
   • Integumentary
   • Urinary
      
4. The course(s) must cover HUMAN, not Cell or Animal Anatomy/Physiology content, and include both the STRUCTURE and FUNCTION of all body systems listed above.
    
5. The course outlines submitted with the PLAR application must be from the year when the courses were completed.
    
6. Course(s) must be completed within the last 5 years at the time of application.
   • Applicants for September 2025 intake must present HAP course(s) completed 5 years from the time that the program starts (i.e., after September 2020). 
      
7. Applicants who have current and active work experience or registration as an allied health professional who have completed HAP courses outside the 5-year time limit:
   • Must provide supporting documentation to show current knowledge of ALL human body systems.
   • Must submit a current resume
   • Must submit a letter of explanation addressed to the PLAR committee
   • Must submit proof of your professional designation/license/registration
   • Must submit transcripts/outlines for additional HAP courses taken since the course(s) was/were completed
   • Other documentation they consider appropriate to support the application
   • Please Note: Applicants who might qualify for this category may also include internationally trained physicians, practicing massage therapists, and practicing doctors of naturopathy.
      
8. The PLAR committee reviews PLAR applications and determines if the coursework meets the required HAP content.
   • Please Note: The committee does not grant transfer credit. ​​​​​​

The 2024/2025 PLAR application deadline is December 2, 2024. The fee for submitting a PLAR application is $64.45. Please note that the PLAR application fee is non-refundable.

*Applicants who complete a PLAR application will receive a response by end of January 2025.

Click Here to submit PLAR Review Application

You must have a minimum 70% average, or grade point average of 2.8 (calculated on a 4.0-point scale) based upon the most recent 30 non-nursing, university transferable credits completed at the undergraduate level.

*Please note: The minimum 2.8 GPA / 70% average is the required minimum in order to be eligible to apply to the BSN program, and does not reflect what a competitive average may be for the year of application.