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  6. Nursing Program for Transfer Students

Nursing Program for Transfer Students

Thank you for your interest in our nursing program. We offer a 2-year course sequence for students with at least 53 transfer credits. Students wishing to pursue a BSN at Simmons are considered only on a space-available basis. Our nursing programs are fall-start only, but we accept students in the spring and summer to complete their prerequisites at Simmons.

See the application deadlines page for deadlines and space availability.

When applying to Simmons, you are considered a transfer student if: 

  • you have earned more than 17 college credits after high school graduation,
  • you do not have a prior Bachelor's degree in another field, and
  • you will be under the age of 24 when you start at Simmons. 

If you will have 17 or fewer college credits by the time you start at Simmons, you must apply as a first-year student. If you are over the age of 24 or looking to pursue a second Bachelor's degree, you must apply as a Dorothea Lynde Dix Scholar.

Don't hesitate to reach out to your admission counselor if you have any questions about your nursing options.

Nursing Program Overview

  • Our nursing program is a daytime program. A small number of classes and clinicals are sometimes offered on evenings and weekends, but students must be available to take most of their coursework on weekdays.
  • Students can apply with none, all or a few of their prerequisites completed. We strongly recommend that students apply with the intention of completing their prerequisites at Simmons. Admitted students cannot proceed into their nursing sequence unless each of the prerequisites has been satisfied with a C+ or higher.
  • Simmons nursing students' pass rate on the (NCLEX) Registered Nurse exam is consistently above 90%. The national average for RN candidates is in the low 80% range.
  • Our ratio of clinical students to instructors is 6:1.
  • Simmons nursing faculty are all practicing nurses, thus assuring that students learn the most up-to-date science and techniques in patient care.

Admission Criteria

We are looking for students who can succeed within our nursing program and contribute to the Simmons community. The committee reviews applications holistically, meaning that in addition to your academics, we consider other factors such as your personal statement, recommendations, experiences outside of the classroom, and interview.

Typically, admitted students have a college GPA and a science GPA exceeding 3.0, with a pre-requisite GPA exceeding 3.3. Students must earn at least a C+ on prerequisites.

Simmons University is now test optional. This means you do not need to submit your test scores to be considered for admission, to be considered for scholarship, or to be considered for any special programs. If you took the ACT or SAT in high school, or the TEAS, we recommend you only submit scores if you meet one of the following:

  • SAT: Successful applicants typically have at least 1200 or higher on the Critical Reading and Math sections of the SAT.
  • ACT: Successful applicants typically have at least a 24 or higher for their composite score and a 24 or higher on the math section.
  • TEAS: Successful applicants typically have scores of at least 80% on each section.

Admission Requirements

The admission committee will review your application to learn not only what you have accomplished, but also who you are. To apply as a transfer student, you need to submit the following information in addition to the application:

  • Official Transcripts. Simmons requires official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities, as well as the final high school transcript or GED/HiSET. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admission by the institution.
  • Recommendations. One recommendation is required (academic preferred if you were recently enrolled in school).
  • Simmons University is test optional. This means you do not need to submit your test scores to be considered for admission, to be considered for scholarship, or to be considered for any special programs.
  • English Proficiency Exam. If you are a non-native English speaker, you will need to submit a TOEFL exam, or equivalent English proficiency exam.
  • Personal Statement/Essay.

Applying as a Transfer Nursing Student

Nursing students have the option to enroll at Simmons (part-time or full-time) in order to take all or some of their prerequisites in the semester(s) prior to the nursing sequence to which they have been admitted. Students interested in taking prerequisite courses at Simmons are strongly encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed for admission to nursing on an individual, rolling, and space-available basis.

If you are placed on the waitlist, should space become available we will re-review all students on our waitlist to be offered a spot in the class. We encourage all students on the waitlist to continue working towards completing their prerequisites, so they will be prepared if they are offered admission. We will notify all waitlisted students of their final decision by mid-August.

If you were denied acceptance and still wish to pursue a Simmons nursing degree, contact your admission counselor to develop an application strategy.

Prerequisite Courses

To enroll in this program, applicants must have completed the following courses with a C+ or better:

  1. Inorganic Chemistry (fulfilled by CHEM 110 or CHEM 111) OR Organic Chemistry (fulfilled by CHEM 110 or CHEM 112)
  2. Anatomy and Physiology I (fulfilled by BIO 231)
  3. Psychology (fulfilled by AP/IB credit, or PSYC 101)
  4. Microbiology (fulfilled by BIOL 123 or BIOL 221)
  5. Anatomy and Physiology II (fulfilled by BIOL 232)
  6. Lifespan Psychology (fulfilled by PSYC 235 or PSYC 237N)

Prerequisite Policies

  • If you have taken a Child and Adolescent Development course you may also need to take Human Growth & Development. Your Development coursework must cover the entire lifecycle from birth to death; however, courses may be combined (for example, one semester of Child and Adolescent Development and one semester of Adult and Elder Development) to fulfill the prerequisite.
  • With the exception of the two Psychology courses (and Statistics for the accelerated BSN), all prerequisites must include a lab.
  • Simmons must receive the final transcript(s) from students taking their prerequisites elsewhere no later than August 1. You may apply prior to completing your prerequisites.
  • You can take your prerequisites in the spring, summer, and fall terms. Simmons prerequisite courses are offered throughout the year, but the selection of courses offered may differ by semester. Therefore, it is important to check the Simmons course schedule. Generally, the schedule is posted ten weeks prior to the start of the new semester. Note that the summer schedule includes courses for the two summer sessions.
  • Prerequisite courses must be taken at a regionally-accredited institution and may be completed online or in person.
  • Prerequisites must have been completed in the past ten years.
  • Students who do not achieve the C+ on their first attempt at prerequisite or nursing department course may retake that course only once.
  • Students may not withdraw from more than one prerequisite or nursing department course (except for medical withdraws or other withdraws outside of the student’s control).
  • All prerequisite and nursing course retakes withdraws should be
    explained in the essay/ personal statement.
  • Students exceeding one prerequisite retake or exceeding one
    prerequisite withdraw within the past 10 years are not eligible for the Simmons BSN program.
  • Students who have been excluded from another nursing program or who have retaken or withdrawn from more than one nursing department course are not eligible for the Simmons BSN program.

A transfer credit evaluation (TCE) can help you better understand how many of your previously taken credits will transfer into Simmons, which graduation requirements you have already fulfilled, as well as which courses will fulfill Simmons's nursing prerequisites. The TCE alerts you to prerequisites that you will need to complete by the August 1 prior to your nursing sequence start.

All admitted or waitlisted applicants will receive a transfer credit evaluation by email after acceptance. Please allow several weeks after your acceptance for evaluation. You may also request a preliminary evaluation prior to acceptance by:

  • Requesting ALL official college or university transcripts be sent to you from the institutions you attended.
  • Send official college or university transcripts to the Simmons University Office of Undergraduate Admission in one large envelope with a written request for a preliminary transfer credit evaluation.

Typically the following coursework will be accepted for credit toward graduation: courses taken at an accredited college or university, and courses that carry three credits or more, in which you have earned a C or better. (Note that a grade of C+ or better is required of courses to satisfy the nursing department's prerequisite policy.) You may transfer in up to 96 credits.

Find additional information about TCEs, including how to request an evaluation of one single course.

Transfer students may apply for our nursing program that begins in September each year. After finishing their prerequisites, students follow a two-year sequence of nursing courses and clinicals (including summers). Before beginning the sequence, students must have enough credits to be on track to graduate at the end of their sequence.

See the Two-Year Sequence