Pre-nursing Prerequisites

Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston focuses solely on preparing students to achieve excellence in nursing education, practice, and scientific discovery.?Therefore, 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 24-27 hours of nursing-science courses that fulfill some of the prerequisites for admission to our Pacesetter accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. 

Students who enroll in our Pre-Nursing Pathway must complete the remaining 33-36 hours at another institution, including the courses listed below. 

Pre-Nursing Prerequisites

*A grade of "B" or better in the courses indicated are required for admission 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.  

Courses that must be completed before admission

Prior to admission to the Pre-Nursing pathway, at least 24-30 credit 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)  

Advance placement credit will not be accepted for the courses listed above. For other prerequisites, advance placement credit hours must be accepted by another institution before they can be transferred to Cizik School of Nursing. 

Applicants must also be TSI (Texas Success Initiative) complete. 

Advancing to Your BSN 

The Pre-Nursing Pathway is a nondegree-seeking curriculum. After completing the 24-27 hours of nursing science courses offered by Cizik School of Nursing in addition to other prerequisites, you must apply to the Pacesetter BSN program via NCAS. 

Students who earn a grade of “B” or better in each required course in the Pre-Nursing pathway may be eligible for direct admission to the Pacesetter BSN program without taking nursing school entrance exams, but they must still apply to the Pacesetter BSN program. 

 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 or waiver of entrance exams. They may apply through the regular admissions process to the Pacesetter BSN program if they meet its admission requirements.