All inquiries relating to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) Program should be directed to the School. Students considering application should refer to Nursing for more details.
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.
All prospective students are required to demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency before admission. Please refer to the English Language Admission Standard.
Applicants are required to have a minimum 70% average, or grade point average of 2.8 (calculated on a 4-point scale) based upon the most recent 30 non-nursing, university transferable credits completed at the undergraduate level.
UBC will consider granting transfer credit for all appropriate post-secondary courses completed. The following post-secondary courses are required for admission:
- First-year or higher English (3 credits): English 112 or equivalent is recommended, or a first year or higher level university transferable English composition course. Exceptionally, this English prerequisite may be waived for students who have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited University (where English was the main language of instruction during that degree).
- Human anatomy and physiology (minimum 6 credits): BIOL 153 is recommended, or an equivalent human anatomy and physiology course/courses covering all body systems. Courses accepted as equivalent to this are listed on the School's website. In addition, other human anatomy and physiology courses may be acceptable to the School subject to an internal review. Details of this review process and an application package can be found at Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR).
Note: With the exception of UBC NURS 180, 280 and 290, nursing courses cannot be used in the calculation of an admission average (calculated on the most recent 30 non-nursing, university transferable credits completed at the undergraduate level). UBC NURS 180, 280 and 290 may be counted towards completion of the required 48 non-nursing, university transferable credits.
For students to obtain the required competencies for entry-level registered nursing practice certain skills and abilities are required. It is important that applicants are aware of these prior to applying for admission to the nursing program. These requirements (Requisite Skills and Abilities) are available at British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).
Post-Acceptance Requirements
UBC School of Nursing students are required to comply with current regulations of the Provincial Health Authorities related to vaccine-preventable communicable diseases. Proof of immunization status must be made available upon request. Clinical sites may request this documentation from students at any time, and in preparation for or during clinical activities. Failure to provide documentation of immunization status may prevent a student from attending clinical practice, and thus may jeopardize a student’s ability to complete all program requirements.
All newly admitted students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will be required to complete a Criminal Record Check (CRC), Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation - Health Care Provider (CPR-HCP) certification and N95 mask fitting test. Students must comply with the guidelines stipulated on the BSN Admissions website.
If you have any questions about any of the post-acceptance requirements, please contact Nursing.
Application and Document Submission
Initial application must be made online to the University by December 1.
For all additional application deadlines, refer to the Nursing website:
- PLAR Review Application of HAP Courses Deadline
- Applications for any human anatomy/physiology course equivalence (if required) may be submitted at any time but must be received prior to the deadline.
- Interim Official Transcript Deadline
- BSN Supplemental Application Deadline
- CASPer Assessment Completion Deadline
- Final Official Transcript Deadline
Late applications will not be considered.
Official transcripts and other required documents must be sent to the following address:
Enrolment Services
The University of British Columbia
2016-1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Canada
Tel: 604.822.9836 or 1.877.272.1422 (toll free in the US and Canada)
4. Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer)
All applicants must complete the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) (Canadian Nursing) as part of the admission process and request results be sent to the UBC School of Nursing. CASPer is completed online and assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that are important for successful students and graduates of our program, and will complement the other tools used for applicant screening. CASPer is usually offered in January and/or February. Information and online registration are available on the CASPer website. Applicants who do not complete the CASPer assessment will not be considered for admission. CASPer results are valid for one year. Applicants who completed the assessment in previous years must retake it for the current application cycle.
Application Processing Fees
1. A processing fee must accompany the supplemental application package. This fee is non-refundable and is paid as part of the supplemental online application. No applications will be processed unless the fee is received.
2. There is an additional PLAR review fee, payable to the UBC School of Nursing, for any human anatomy/physiology course equivalence review (if required).
Please note: Both the application processing fee and the review fee (if required) must accompany the application.
Selection Process
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has a limited enrolment. Since the number of qualified applicants usually exceeds the number of places available, fulfillment of the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission (see the School for a profile of accepted students). The School reserves the right of selection of all students for admission and readmission to the School. Canadian residents (citizens and Permanent Residents) will be given preference in the final selection process.
The School will select for admission those applicants who not only demonstrate academic potential, but who also most aptly display a motivation to study nursing and who demonstrate that they possess the qualities and skills most necessary to be a caring and competent professional nurse. In addition, the School will select those applicants who demonstrate the best potential for academic success, leadership, and ability to advance the nursing profession.
Academic documents are assessed by Enrolment Services and the supplemental application documents are assessed by the UBC School of Nursing Admissions Team. Human anatomy/physiology course equivalency is assessed by the School's PLAR Committee. Applicants must request CASPer scores be released directly to the UBC School of Nursing.
The admission decisions will be based on academic standing, supplemental application score and CASPer results.
Applicants who are accepted will be sent a letter of acceptance and details about the registration procedures.
Readmission
The School reserves the right to readmit students and to stipulate conditions attached to readmission. Application for readmission to the School will be reviewed on an individual basis.