Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston focuses solely on preparing students to achieve excellence in nursing education, practice, and scientific discovery.
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, students must complete general education courses at another educational institution before enrolling at Cizik School of Nursing. Students may satisfy these prerequisites at a community college or four-year university.
Beginning the Fall 2025 semester, Cizik School of Nursing will offer up to 27 hours of nursing-specific prerequisites to undergraduate students. Students who earn a grade of “B” or better in each required course in the Pre-Nursing pathway will be eligible for direct admission to the accelerated Pacesetter BSN program without taking nursing school entrance exams.
Students who complete Cizik School of Nursing’s pre-nursing science courses with a GPA lower than 3.0 are not eligible for direct admission. They may apply through the regular admissions process to the Pacesetter BSN program if they meet its admission requirements.
A total of 60 hours of general education courses are required prior to admission to the Pacesetter BSN Program. Students admitted to the Pre-Nursing program will complete 24-27 hours of science prerequisites at Cizik School of Nursing.
Review the complete list of prerequisites required for admission to the Pacesetter BSN program.
The remaining 33-36 hours must be completed at another institution. Prior to admission to the Pre-Nursing pathway, at least 24-30 of these hours must be completed, including 13 hours in these specific subjects:
- English (6 hours)
- General Chemistry with labs (4 hours)
- Introduction to Psychology (3 hours)
Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in the course listed above to be admitted to the Pre-Nursing pathway, as well as a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all prerequisite courses, and a grade of “C” or better in each prerequisite taken at accredited higher education institutions.
The entire 60 hours of prerequisites must be completed with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale before beginning the BSN program. Credit hours for any advance placement courses taken in high school must be accepted by another institution before they can be transferred to Cizik School of Nursing.
