Pre-Nursing is now a major at the University of Houston; however, it is very competitive. If you are not accepted into the pre-Nursing major as a Freshman, our office encourages you to consider declaring another major that you would be interested in. You may continue completing the pre-Nursing requirements and apply to Nursing school without being in the official pre-Nursing major.  

When selecting a major, you should consider the pre-requisite courses required for admission by the Nursing programs you hope to apply to as well as the types of classes you would be most interested in taking. Indeed, admission into nursing school is very competitive and you may not be successful in your first attempt.

It is also important to choose a degree program in which you would be comfortable graduating, as admission into nursing school is very competitive and you may not be successful in your first attempt. It is not advisable to stay within Exploratory Studies for longer than 1-semester.

There is no single "best" major for students interested in Nursing nor are there any majors that will make you stand out. That said, the more common majors for pre-Nursing students include: Health, Nutrition Sciences, Exercise Science, Human Development & Family Studies, and Psychology. Majors such as Biology or Biochemistry, while suitable, do not often inherently include the specific courses that a pre-Nursing student will need for admission into many programs in their degree plan.

The University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing offers two distinct routes to completing a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN):

• Traditional BSN
  • The Traditional BSN pathway is designed for freshman students matriculating into the University of Houston from high school. Upon enrolling at UH, you will need to complete at least 45-hours of pre-requisite and Core courses in your freshman/sophomore years. Once completed, you may apply to the Gessner College of Nursing using the Application to Change Course of Study to Nursing. If accepted, you will begin taking Nursing courses during your junior/senior years at the UH-Katy location.
  • If you are a transfer student to UH and will transfer greater than 15-credit hours, you are not eligible to apply for the Traditional BSN. Instead, you should consider the Accelerated BSN program.
• Second-Degree (Accelerated) BSN:
  • The Second-Degree BSN pathway is designed for students that have already completed a degree in an area other than nursing. You do not have to be a current UH student to apply to the Second-Degree BSN program, but must have completed all pre-requisite coursework for admission.The Second-Degree program is offered only at the UH-Sugarland location.

Completion of either of the above programs will allow students to sit for the NCLEX and become a Registered Nurse (RN).

The pre-requisite coursework for admission into the UH Gessner College of Nursing BSN program are:

• Anatomy & Physiology I and II: BIOL 2301/2101 & BIOL 2302/2102
• Chemistry: CHEM 1305
• College Algebra: MATH 1314
• English: ENGL 1301 & ENGL 1302
• Human Development: HDFS 2314
• Microbiology: BIOL 2320/2120
• Nutrition: NUTR 2332
• Psychology: PSYC 2301
• Sociology: SOCI 1301
• Statistics: MATH 1342 or MATH 3339 or PSYC 2317
• Core Requirements: History, Government/Political Science, Creative Arts, Language/Philosophy/Culture

While most other Nursing programs will require similar pre-requisite courses, it is up to you to visit the individual schools’ admission office’s webpage to learn about their specific admissions policy.

Generally speaking, nursing programs set their own minimum GPA requirements and calculate GPAs to their own specifications.

That said, the University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing requires a minimum 3.0 GPA for all completed course-work and a minimum 2.7 in the natural sciences.

More specifically, a grade of B or higher is required for BIOL 2302/2102, and a grade of B- or higher is required for: BIOL 2301/2101, NUTR 2332, BIOL 2320/2120, and CHEM 1305.

Whether you are permitted to take courses outside of University of Houston will depend on which route you plan to apply for at the College of Nursing (i.e., Traditional BSN vs. Second-Degree BSN).

The University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing limits the number of accepted transfer credits to 15-credit hours total for admission into the Traditional BSN program. The 45 credit-hours required for the Traditional BSN must be completed in-residence at the University of Houston.

If you exceed 15 transfer credit hours, it is recommended that you complete your bachelor's degree and then apply for the Accelerated BSN program. Please note- AP and dual credit do not count towards the transfer credit hours. For more information or clarifications, please contact the Gessner College of Nursing. 

Nursing schools will require either the TEAS or HESI exams for admission into their BSN programs. 

The University of Houston currently requires the TEAS exam and allows for only two attempts. It is recommended that you complete both Anatomy & Physiology courses before sitting for the TEAS exam. You must score higher than the 75th percentile to be considered for admission.

The TEAS exam is offered multiple times per month and consists of four sections:

• Reading
• Math
• Science
• English

The HESI exam is offered multiple times per month and consists of two sections:

• Academic: Math, Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Biology, Physics, Anatomy/Physiology, and Chemistry
• Personality: Learning Styles Assessment and Personality Profile

It is important that you complete the correct exam for the Nursing schools in which you are interested in applying.

There are no hard and fast rules for gaining admission into Nursing school. That said, a competitive applicant has:

• Strong GPA (>3.5)
• Strong TEAS or HESI (>75% percentile)
• Pattern of performing well in pre-requisite courses (B or better)
• Extra-curricular involvement (leadership in student organizations, research, employment, etc.)
• Significant experience or exposure in healthcare settings (shadowing and/or employment)

As in any career choice, applicants should confirm their decision to become a nurse through personal experience. Such experience ranges from shadowing a nurse, working in a clinic or hospital alongside physicians, nurses, and PAs.

Keep track of all experience (date, location, description) because some schools request log of your experience and employment when you apply. However, the University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing does not require any minimum amount of experience to apply to their BSN programs.

Most Nursing schools utilize the NursingCAS application. Non-participating Nursing schools will use their own individual application. 

At the University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing:

• Traditional BSN program
  • Complete Change of Major Application Form
  • Deadline: April 1 for a Fall start
• Second-Degree (Accelerated) BSN program
  • Complete NursingCAS Application
  • Deadline: August 15 for a Spring start

Letters of evaluation are not required to apply to the University of Houston Gessner College of Nursing.

These letters should typically consist of:

• One letter from licensed PA practicing in the US
• One letter from a science faculty member
• One additional letter from another healthcare professional, faculty member, or teaching assistant, advisor, employer, or supervisor.

Note: Always waive your right to view your letters of evaluation.

Yes. You may obtain your CPR certification at any healthcare facility. Hospital requirements for clinical rotations require that you be CPR certified. Only American Heart Association (AHA) Health Care Provider and American Red Cross (ARC) Health Care Provider CPR verification will be accepted. You must take the Health Care Provider class for BLS (CPR and AED) program. The Gessner College of Nursing does not accept any online CPR certifications

• University of Houston Andy & Barbara Gessner College of Nursing
• Texas Nurses Association
• Texas Board of Nursing