School of Nursing

Associate degree registered nurses with current, unencumbered nursing licenses may complete the baccalaureate nursing degree at Tusculum College.  Registered Nurse (RN) student course credits will be transferred and awarded according to established policies of Tusculum College. Completion of core requirements and nursing courses for graduation requires individualized schedule planning; RN students are encouraged to work closely with their advisor.

Admission requirements for the RN student seeking a baccalaureate degree are:

• Meet admission requirements of Tusculum College as a degree-seeking student
• Meet the following nursing program admission requirements:
• Earned cumulative college-level grade point average (GPA) of 2.750 or higher,
• Earned minimum of “C” in all courses (NOTE: “C-” grades are not acceptable), and
• Submit a School of Nursing application to by the published deadline.
• Provide documentation of graduation (transcript) from a Tennessee Board of Nursing approved associate degree RN program or documentation of graduation from a state approved associate degree RN program elsewhere in the U.S.,
• Hold an unencumbered, active Tennessee RN license (or hold an unencumbered RN license from another state and be eligible for Tennessee licensure), and
• Provide documentation of prior nursing practice.

Once the RN student has received provisional acceptance, he/she will have to meet all background check, drug screening, immunizations, PPD, health assessment and BLS certification requirements and complete additional non-nursing pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher before being fully admitted.

Acceptance of transfer and substitute credits in nursing to meet requirements of the curriculum will be determined by the school. A student who transfers into the nursing program at Tusculum College will be required to repeat any nursing or other required courses which are not considered comparable to the Tusculum College School of Nursing curriculum or in which the grade earned is lower than a “C.”

The following non-nursing courses are required for the nursing bachelor’s degree at Tusculum College. All courses have to be completed at a grade of “C” or higher to be eligible for transfer into the nursing degree.   The courses marked with an asterisk (*) should be completed before applying for admission to the nursing program.  The Walters State Community College course equivalents are listed.

All RN to BSN students will complete the following nursing courses in the order listed below.  The curriculum plan is designed for the working RN who has additional commitments that prevent them from attending on a full-time basis.

The following courses will be held in escrow until the RN to BSN student reaches the last semester of coursework.  Once in the last semester, the RN to BSN student will receive credit for the courses indicated below.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, all applicants and admitted students must be, with reasonable accommodations, physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the nursing profession as outlined in the Core Performance Standards of Admission and Progression developed by the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing.  The Core performance Standards are located in the School of Nursing Student Handbook and are posted on the School’s web page.

For more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss completion of the degree requirements, contact the School of Nursing at (423) 636-7430.