About the Program
Transfer, Second-Degree, or Career-Change Students
Students who have completed all, or some, of the liberal arts and sciences courses at another accredited college or university with a grade of “C” or higher and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above may apply to the College through Transfer Admissions. Students must also have a GPA of 2.40 or higher (including all attempts) in the seven prerequisite science/math courses (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, statistics and lifespan development) to be considered for the junior clinical year. Individual transcript analysis and counseling are available with assessment regarding College Core and nursing prerequisite requirements through Transfer Admissions.
The School of Nursing selects the best-qualified transfer students. High motivation, scholastic excellence, and interest in professional nursing are desirable characteristics for future members of a health care team.
Required Courses in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
All students must take an ethics or bioethics course, such as PHIL 124C, PHIL 250C, REST 130, REST 284D, or REST 387D and earn a grade of "C" or higher to meet the nursing requirement. Before beginning the clinical year as juniors, students must also earn a “C” or higher in each of the required nursing prerequisite courses with a prerequisite GPA of 2.40 or higher, and have an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher. The seven nursing prerequisite courses are those in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, statistics, and lifespan development.
Licensure
Graduates of the baccalaureate program are prepared to take the registered nurse licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) and are able to assume beginning positions in all areas of general nursing practice. Nursing graduates have a high employment rate and an NCLEX pass rate greater than the state and national averages in recent years, and this situation is expected to continue in the future.
Admission Advisement
Due to prerequisites for nursing courses and the desire of the faculty to support students’ career development as an ongoing process, all accepted nursing students must contact the School of Nursing for advisement and course selection in order to register for the first semester of the junior clinical year.
Admission Criteria for the Traditional Nursing Program
All students admitted and enrolled as freshman nursing majors will be guaranteed a seat in the junior clinical semester if they meet the following criteria:
Submit a completed application by February 1 of the second semester sophomore year. A completed application includes:
- Completed application form
- Personal statement
- Two references (one must be a college level academic reference from one of the prerequisite sciences)
- Passage of the St. John Fisher College Level A Math Screen with a grade of 84% or higher. If the student is unable to achieve a grade of 84% after four attempts and required remediation, the student will not be considered for the nursing program.
- At the time of application, have an overall GPA (all grades from every college attended) of 2.75 or higher and a prerequisite GPA of 2.4 or higher. This separate GPA includes all attempts at the seven prerequisite courses: anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, statistics, and lifespan development (psychology).
- Health Status and Immunizations: Documentation of a complete physical examination and immunizations on the College Health History form submitted to the Wegmans School of Nursing by July 15 of each clinical year.
- CPR Certification: A current Basic Life Support (including infant, child, adult CPR and AED) certification card from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association on file in the School of Nursing office by July 15 of each clinical year.
- Documentation of an annual flu shot by October 15 of each year or completion of a medical waiver for each clinical year.
- Documentation of health insurance coverage.
- Date the complete application was received by the School of Nursing.
All students who declare a nursing major after enrolling at the college or transferring to the college are put into a competitive pool of applicants for admission to the junior clinical year if they meet the following criteria:
Submit a completed application by the deadline the semester before they are seeking admission to the clinical year: fall admission deadline March 1st; spring admission deadline September 1. A completed application includes:
- Completed application form
- Personal statement
- Two references (one must be a college level academic reference from one of the prerequisite sciences)
- Passage of the St. John Fisher College Level A Math Screen with a grade of 84% or higher. If the student is unable to achieve a grade of 84% after four attempts and required remediation, the student will not be considered for the nursing program.
- At the time of application, have an overall GPA (all grades from every college attended) of 2.75 or higher and a prerequisite GPA of 2.4 or higher. This separate GPA includes all attempts at the seven prerequisite courses: anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, statistics, and lifespan development (psychology).
- Health Status and Immunizations: Documentation of a complete physical examination and immunizations on the College Health History form submitted to the Wegmans School of Nursing by July 15 of each clinical year for fall enrollment and by October 15 for spring enrollment.
- CPR Certification: A current Basic Life Support (including infant, child, adult CPR and AED) certification card from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association on file in the School of Nursing office by July 15 of each clinical year for fall enrollment and by October 15 for spring enrollment.
- Documentation of an annual flu shot by October 15 of each year or completion of a medical waiver for each clinical year.
- Documentation of health insurance coverage.
- Date the complete application was received by the School of Nursing.
Students who want to declare a nursing major after they are enrolled at the College, must meet with the executive associate dean for the Wegmans School of Nursing.
If the student is a Fisher freshman, Freshman Admissions will check to see if the student meets the criteria for a nursing major based on the student’s grades in high school chemistry, algebra and overall GPA.
If the student is a Fisher sophomore or higher or a transfer student, the criteria for a nursing major is a GPA of 2.75 or higher and grades of “C” or higher in: a) required lab sciences; b) math course at or above MATH 109 or ECON 221 Statistics (nursing prerequisite); and c) PSYC 100C Introduction to Psychology (prerequisite for PSYC 231 Development Across the Lifespan).
Current students who meet the relevant criteria above will be allowed to declare a nursing major. These completed applications will be reviewed from a competitive pool for admission to the nursing clinical year under the criteria above for students who declare a nursing major after enrolling or transferring to the College.
Clinical Experience
Hospitals, long-term care, community health, and home care agencies in the greater Rochester region are utilized for clinical experiences.