Academic Progression Policy
Effective 1/1/11
Once admitted to the South University initial licensure or to the nursing concentration in the RN to BSN degree completion program, successful completion of all courses within each quarter/session is required for progression to the next quarter/session. The student must earn a passing grade in all nursing courses. A letter grade is issued for didactic courses and a grade of C or higher is required. Pass/Fail grades are issued for lab and practice courses and a grade of P (Pass) is required.
Additionally, students must maintain a term GPA of 2.5 or greater in every quarter/session of the program. If part-time in the RN to BSN degree completion program, students must maintain a term GPA of 2.5 or greater in the last 3 courses or 12 credits attempted, whichever is greater. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the student’s dismissal from the College of Nursing.
Students who pass nursing didactic courses with a grade of C or better and who receive a passing grade in practice courses but do not achieve a term GPA of 2.5 or greater in a quarter/session are placed on academic probation for the next quarter. During the subsequent quarter and in every quarter following until graduation, the student must achieve a term GPA of 2.5 or greater. Failure to obtain a term GPA of 2.5 while on academic probation will result in dismissal from the nursing program. The student may petition for readmission into the program. The student may be required to repeat or complete specific courses or conditions for reentry into the program.
Reentry will be contingent upon available space and satisfactory completion of all requirements. The student may be placed on academic probation only once in the nursing program and will remain on academic probation while continuously enrolled full-time until the cumulative GPA is raised to 2.5 or higher.
Note: To graduate with the baccalaureate nursing degree, the student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all nursing pre-requisite course work taken at the University and a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all nursing course work.
For the BSN degree program for initial licensure, progression is also contingent upon completion of required assessment examinations. These examinations include:
- Standardized achievement tests in course subjects as assigned
- Final pre-licensure examination
Students are required to obtain a minimum score on the pre-licensure examination. Students who fail to achieve the required minimum score must perform remediation activities and retest. Failure to achieve the required score within three attempts will delay program completion.
- Math competency examinations
Junior-level students (Quarters 1-3) must receive a score of 80% or higher on all math examinations. Senior level (Quarters 4-6) students must receive a score of 90% or higher on all math examinations. Quarter 7 students must receive a score of 100% on the math examination. A maximum of three opportunities are allowed to pass the math requirement each quarter. Failure to pass the math requirement will result in course failure and prevent progression in the nursing program. A student on provisional status who does not satisfactorily complete the requirements for removing provisional status will be dismissed from the nursing program.
MSN Academic Progression Policy
Undergraduates in the RN to Master of Science in Nursing degree program must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Before taking graduate nursing courses, the RN to Master of Science in Nursing degree program student must complete a three credit hour undergraduate course in descriptive and inferential statistics with a grade of B or better; complete of all baccalaureate level course requirements prior to enrolling for graduate courses; maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate BSN level courses; and meet satisfactory academic progression standards for undergraduate nursing students. After enrolling in graduate courses, the RN to Master of Science in Nursing degree program student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale in NSG5000, NSG5002, and NSG5003 and meet satisfactory academic progression standards for graduate nursing students. If unsuccessful in maintaining the minimum GPA requirement, the student must exit to the regular Nursing RN to BSN degree completion program and may apply for graduate studies upon completion of a BSN degree. Upon graduation, student will receive both a BSN and MSN.
Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better. Failure to do so for two consecutive quarters will result in an automatic dismissal from the program.
A student on provisional status who does not satisfactorily complete the requirements for removing provisional status will be dismissed from the nursing program.
A student may not graduate from the MSN degree program with less than a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students must apply for graduation two quarters before the date of graduation.
If an MSN degree program student wishes to register after an absence of four consecutive quarters, a new application must be submitted.
All degree requirements must be completed within five (5) years.