For Prospective Students

The Nursing Department believes that nursing is a great career for you to be entering at this time. Our goal is to see that every student on campus who wants nursing and meets the minimum requirements will have a space in the program. Students who are admitted to the university as nursing majors are tracked based on their completion of 8 prerequisite courses, GPA in these prerequisites, length of time on campus, and so on. If you are admitted to Dominican University of California as a nursing major, it is assumed that you will be admitted to the nursing program as long as you satisfy the minimum entry requirements. In many cases, the Four Year Guarantee does not apply to freshmen nursing majors.

Minimum Entrance Requirements

In order to be accepted into the nursing program, students must pass (or have in progress) all eight prerequisite classes with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (a 'C-' grade is not considered passing). Students cannot repeat previously passed (‘C’ or higher) prerequisite courses in order to raise their GPA to be eligible to enter the nursing program (exception: repeated courses that were initially taken more than five years ago). Students who have failed two or more required classes (prerequisite, co-requisite, or Nursing) are disqualified from being eligible for the Nursing program (the minimum passing grade in NURS/NURL classes is C+). Furthermore, before entering the nursing program, all students must be medically cleared in order to ensure the safety and well-being of patients encountered in the clinical setting. Please note: The TEAS is NOT required for admission to the nursing program.

Prerequisite and BSN Requirements -- a list of the eight prerequisite courses and all courses required for the BSN degree.

Transfer Students

Due to the increased popularity of the nursing major, pre-nursing transfer students are typically on campus up to three semesters before being placed into the nursing program (even if they transfer to the university with ALL prerequisites completed). If necessary, prerequisite courses can be completed at Dominican in preparation for entrance into the nursing program (however, the majority of the core science prerequisites must be completed prior to applying).

Admission Process for Transfer Students

The priority deadline for fall 2013 is Feb. 1. There is no separate application for nursing. Students should declare nursing on their general application to the university. Questions regarding the nursing application process should be directed to the Office of Admissions (415-485-3204). If you have questions about requirements specific to the nursing program, please contact Erin Aradi, Student Services Administrator, at erin.aradi@dominican.edu. 

Please note: Transfer students who have failed two or more required classes for the major (within the last 5 years) or those who have been disqualified from another nursing program are not eligible for admission to the nursing major.

Transferable Courses from Other Colleges and Universities

Check out our transfer course equivalency chart to see whether your classes satisfy the university's Nursing prerequisite requirements. We also have general education articulation agreements with many Bay Area community colleges.

High School Students

The following high school classes are considered minimum preparation for the college-level science classes required for nursing majors:

• 2 years college preparatory  math -- algebra, geometry, etc.
• 1 year of biology
• 1 year of chemistry

Four-Year Guarantee for Freshmen

The four-year guarantee applies to a student in the nursing major only if s/he begins the prescribed program upon entrance to the University, averages 16 units per semester, and earns a grade of 'C+' or higher in all NURS/NURL classes and a grade of ‘C’(2.0) or higher in all other classes required for the nursing major. Students must also satisfy the minimum prerequisite gpa requirement for progression into nursing coursework by the end of their second semester.

The four-year guarantee does not apply to students who need developmental coursework in English (ENGL 1001, 1002, or 1003), Mathematics (MATH 1100, 1200, or 1300), or Chemistry (CHEM 1500). It also does not apply to students whose time to obtain a degree is delayed due to courses that s/he has omitted, dropped, withdrawn from, failed, or repeated for unsatisfactory grades.

LVN Options

The Nursing Program at Dominican University of California has limited spaces for licensed LVN students who wish to obtain a BSN. In addition to the university's standard application materials, LVN's must submit documentation of current California vocational nursing licensure.

LVN to BSN

LVN students enter the BSN program at the sophomore level (on a space-available basis). Prerequisite requirements are the same as for pre-nursing students.  All prerequisites must be completed before entering clinical nursing classes.

LVN to RN (CURRENTLY CLOSED)

In compliance with the regulations of the California Board of Registered Nursing, Dominican University of California offers an LVN to RN option plan for LVN's who are currently licensed in California and who wish to prepare only for licensure as a registered nurse in California. Upon successful completion of the required courses, the student is eligible to take the NCLEX-RN Examination for licensure. This program does not lead to a BSN and licensure may not be recognized in all states.

The LVN to RN option is 30.5 units. In order to enter clinical nursing classes, students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and have completed Microbiology and Human Physiology (with a grade of C or better).

Required Courses (or accepted substitutes) for LVN to RN (closed)

NCLEX Pass Rates

For information regarding Dominican's most recent pass rates on the NCLEX, please refer to the California Board of Registered Nursing website.

Clinical Lab Fee

Clinical lab fees become part of students’ tuition expenses once they enter the nursing program (i.e., Second Year Nursing) and continue until graduation. These fees help sustain the successful operation of the Skills Lab, Assessment Lab, and Simulation Labs where students spend over 200 hours learning and refining the mandatory skills for patient care. Specifically, they support the cost of purchasing equipment and supplies; training actors for practicing clinical scenarios; maintenance and/or replacement of high-fidelity and low-fidelity equipment; repair and maintenance of the recording systems; implementation and maintenance of the electronic medical records system; and all other materials essential to developing the laboratories into simulated hospital environments and optimal learning experiences.