How to Apply to Nursing (BSN) at Florida State University: Enter the University First, Finish the Prerequisites and General Education, Then Apply Separately Through NursingCAS (HESI A2 Required for Fall 2027), for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Florida State University (FSU) is in Tallahassee, Florida. The undergraduate nursing degree (BSN) is offered by the College of Nursing. The program guide marks it “Specialized Admission: Yes” and it is an upper-division major: students first study at FSU for General Education and prerequisites, then submit a separate College of Nursing application. FSU says admission is competitive and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Below, for fall 2027 entry, are the points that matter for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China. This article uses only what the pages we read say; anything missing is marked “not published”, so ask info@nursing.fsu.edu.

1. Degree and program

• College and campus: the College of Nursing on the Tallahassee main campus. The program guide says face-to-face instruction is available only on the Tallahassee main campus and the program is not available online or by distance learning.
• Structure: four consecutive semesters (15–16 months), with admission each Fall, Spring and Summer; every admit term is the same length. The first three semesters are full-time and in person in Tallahassee; Semester 4 is asynchronous and can be completed anywhere in the state with an affiliation agreement. The program guide lists 60 credit hours of major courses and 120 credit hours for the degree (General Education 36, prerequisite coursework 24 beyond General Education, major 60, oral competency 0–3, electives to reach 120).
• Accreditation and licensing: the college page says the program is nationally accredited, and graduates are “well-prepared for the national licensure exam to become a registered nurse (RN)”. NCLEX-RN pass rates are not stated on the pages we read.
• Accelerated BSN and RN-to-BSN: the pages we read describe only the traditional BSN; they do not describe an accelerated or RN-to-BSN program.
• Honors/research programs and STEM status: not stated on the pages we read; not published.

2. How you get in: university first, program later

• FSU’s first-year application page and international first-year page do not describe a direct-admit route into nursing. The program guide calls nursing an upper-division major, and both current FSU students and outside students must submit the College of Nursing application separately. Whether a first-year applicant can list nursing as an intended major or receive a pre-nursing designation or seat is not stated on the pages we read; ask FSU admissions (admissions@fsu.edu) and the college.
• FSU’s academic map lays out nursing from the first semester to graduation in four years: four semesters of General Education and prerequisites with milestones (an overall GPA of at least 3.00 and course-grade thresholds). Missed milestones first trigger an “off-track” registration stop, and two consecutive semesters (excluding summers) of non-compliance lead to a required major change.
• How competitive (College FAQ): the BSN program can receive 300–600 applications each semester, with a goal of admitting up to 150 qualified students per admission cycle (final enrollment may vary); the average GPA of admitted students is around 3.7 to 3.8. Applicants not admitted can reapply for a later term, and the college allows one appeal based on new information only.

3. Entering the major: requirements and process

For fall 2027 entry (application window January 1 to February 1, 2027), the College says the criteria differ from summer 2027:

• Minimum requirements (met by the end of the application semester): a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; a prerequisite GPA of at least 3.0; submission of the HESI A2 Entrance Examination (required of all applicants beginning with the fall 2027 cycle); all FSU General Education requirements or an A.A. degree from an accredited Florida public institution (the Quantitative and Logic Thinking area must include MAC 1105 College Algebra or a course for which MAC 1105 is a prerequisite); one set of graduation requirements (Option A: Ethics, two state-mandated writing, civic literacy course and assessment, Exploring the Human Experience, oral communication; Option B: Ethics, two writing, civic literacy course and assessment, two Exploring the Human Experience); and at least 60 credit hours applicable toward General Education and graduation requirements.
• Prerequisites: every grade C or higher; C minus is not accepted, and a course may be repeated once. Prerequisites, General Education and credit hours must be done by the end of the application semester (end of Spring for Fall, end of Summer for Spring, end of Fall for Summer). Offers are conditional until verified and can be rescinded.
• Review: the Undergraduate Admissions Committee reviews each completed application in full — academic performance, employment and community engagement — under a holistic process.
• Platform and materials: apply through NursingCAS; official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (including FSU) must be submitted to NursingCAS, the application must reach “Verified” status, and applicants missing transcripts after the deadline cannot be reviewed. Non-FSU students and transfers must also submit the FSU transfer application, with materials received by the NursingCAS deadline.
• HESI A2: remote-proctored through ProctorU, to be completed by the application deadline; it can be taken for FSU only and must be finished in one session.
• After admission (program guide): a health examination, immunization record, proof of health insurance, a two-year CPR certification, a criminal background check and drug screening; the college page also says admitted students must provide proof of current health insurance before enrollment.
• Interview, volunteer or clinical experience requirement, recommendation letters, essay: not listed on the college page; not published.
• Summer 2027 entry: a 3.0 cumulative GPA, prerequisites at C or higher, General Education/graduation requirements and 60 credit hours, with no prerequisite-GPA or HESI A2 requirement; applications October 1 to November 1, 2026 (the page also lists a spring 2027 window of June 1 to July 1, 2026, which has passed).

4. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school requirements: the nursing pages give no extra high school math, biology or chemistry requirement; FSU’s university-level high school requirements were not read for this article, so check admissions.fsu.edu.
• Eight Florida common prerequisites (FSU equivalents): a biological or physical science, 3 credits (CHM 1045 highly recommended); Human Nutrition, 3 (HUN 1201); Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab, 4 (BSC 2085/2085L); Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab, 4 (BSC 2086/2086L); Microbiology with lab, 4 (MCB 2004/2004L); Statistics, 3 (STA 2023 or STA 2122); Individual and Lifespan Development, 3 (FAD 3220); Social and Behavioral Science, 3 (PSY 2012 highly recommended). The program guide notes that the university accepts a C-minus in statistics for General Education, but nursing, as a Specialized Admission major, requires a C or better.
• Where to take them: at any accredited university or community college, though FSU recommends that current FSU students take them at FSU; email info@nursing.fsu.edu with the school name and course code (a syllabus may be needed) to check equivalency.
• AP, IB, AICE: FSU accepts credit by testing for all of the prerequisite courses; see FSU Admissions’ credit page for equivalencies.
• Curriculum (program guide): Term 5, 15 credits (Professional Nursing Practice; Health Assessment and Interventions Across the Lifespan with clinical; Pharmacology; Pathophysiology); Term 6, 15 (Promoting Health of Adults – Acute/Chronic with clinical; Promoting Mental Health with clinical; Promoting Population and Community Health with clinical); Term 7, 16 (Promoting Health of Families with clinical; Promoting Health of Adults – Complex with clinical; Research Methods for Evidence-Based Practice); Term 8, 14 (Leadership Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Professional Nursing Internship; Transition to Professional Practice; a nursing elective).
• Clinical hours (listed on the academic map): Health Assessment clinical 90 hours, Adults Acute/Chronic clinical 120, Mental Health clinical 30, Population and Community Health clinical 30, Families clinical 90, Adults Complex clinical 120, and Professional Nursing Internship 240 clinical hours. A list of clinical partner hospitals is not published. The college page says students may travel to surrounding counties for community clinicals in Semester 2, attend clinicals outside Tallahassee in Semester 3 (for example Jacksonville, Pensacola, Orlando or Atlanta), and may be placed outside Tallahassee for the Semester 4 internship.

5. Rounds, fees and materials (university level, fall 2027)

• First-year dates (the page prints no year; check they are for fall 2027): Early Decision (binding, domestic students only) application October 15, materials October 22; Early Action (Florida residents only) October 15; Regular Decision application December 1, materials December 8, decisions February 18; Rolling application March 1, materials March 8, decisions on a rolling basis in April; deposit generally May 1 (January 15 for Early Decision).
• Application fee: $30 for first-year applicants, plus a $5 Common App processing fee if you use the Common App; the transfer application fee is $30; an eligible College Board, ACT or NACAC fee waiver waives the whole amount. You may use the Common App or the FSU application, and international and domestic students use the same one.
• Tests: under Florida Board of Governors rules, first-year applicants must submit ACT, CLT or SAT scores; FSU does not accept self-reported scores from the Common App (they are self-reported on the Admissions Portal), February tests are the last usable, and the ACT Science section is no longer required.
• Essay and recommendations: you upload an essay and a resume/list of activities; letters of recommendation are not required and will not be used in the decision.

6. U.S. applicants

• In-state preference: Early Action is for Florida residents only; the college page does not say whether nursing seats favor Florida residents.
• Cost (2026–27 estimate, 13 credits per term, two terms): tuition $5,604 in-state and $22,232 out-of-state; fees $50; on-campus housing $8,420; food $5,740; books and supplies $1,380; transportation $2,320 in-state and $3,590 out-of-state; personal $2,504. On-campus totals: $26,018 in-state and $43,916 out-of-state; off-campus: $26,438 and $44,336. These are general undergraduate estimates, not nursing-specific.
• Nursing-related costs: the program guide lists uniforms, lab coat, shoes, stethoscope and accessories; MedAffinityEHR; EXXAT; a standardized testing program; textbooks; a clinical laboratory fee per credit hour; clinical transportation; and the university health and accident insurance. The amounts are not published on the pages we read. The college page says the BSN is about 60 credit hours and points to tuition.fsu.edu.
• Out-of-state students: the first-year scholarship page describes a University Out-of-State Tuition Waiver for a limited number of admitted non-Florida first-year students (considered automatically on academic merit; renewal requires 15 credit hours each term, a 3.0 FSU GPA and steady progress). Whether it applies to students who apply to the nursing major later is not published.

7. International applicants

• Application: there is no separate international application; international and domestic students use the same FSU application or Common App, then complete the International School Form, self-report all test scores and upload an essay and resume on the Admissions Portal.
• Tests and transcripts: first-year applicants must submit ACT, CLT or SAT. Applicants who attended a school outside the United States need official records sent directly by the school or exam board, plus a Secondary School Evaluation (degree equivalency and U.S. GPA; a NACES member is recommended); documents not in English need a certified English translation. IB Diploma results on the 1–7 scale and some other cases can waive the evaluation.
• English: required if your native language is not English (self-report first, official scores after admission). Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 for tests before January 21, 2026 and 4.0 for tests on or after that date; academic IELTS 6.5; PTE 55; Michigan Language Assessment 55; Duolingo 125; Cambridge C1/C2 180; scores valid two years and sent directly by the testing agency. Whether nursing requires a higher level is not stated on the college page; not published.
• Proof of funds: after admission you receive an email to complete the online Certification of Financial Responsibility (CFR); FSU must verify resources before issuing the I-20 and asks for proof of support for the first year and availability of funds for the length of the program. Amounts are not stated on the pages we read.
• Whether international students can enter the BSN, take clinical courses, sit the licensing exam, or need a Social Security number: the College of Nursing page does not say whether international students have seats or clinical restrictions; not published, so ask info@nursing.fsu.edu. Outside students applying to nursing submit the FSU transfer application plus NursingCAS.
• International scholarships: the first-year scholarship page says all accepted students are automatically considered for admissions merit scholarships, and non-Florida students can receive the out-of-state tuition waiver; it does not list a separate scholarship for international students.

8. Applicants from China

• Is the Gaokao considered: not stated on the FSU pages we read; not published. The international first-year page asks for ACT, CLT or SAT. Ask FSU admissions (admissions@fsu.edu).
• Transcripts and Huikao materials: the site only says applicants who attended a non-U.S. school need official records, a Secondary School Evaluation (NACES recommended) and certified English translations. How Huikao (academic proficiency test) records are submitted is not published.
• School-specific notes for Chinese applicants: none on the pages we read; not published.
• Nursing: like all international applicants, Chinese applicants enter FSU first, finish the prerequisites, then submit NursingCAS; for seats and clinical rules as an international student, see Section 7 and ask the college.

9. Costs and scholarships (nursing-related)

• Tuition and total cost are in Section 6; the amounts of nursing-specific costs are not published.
• FSU Admissions’ first-year scholarships (considered automatically, no separate application): the page says awardees have typically earned no grades below B. They include the National Merit Finalist / Benacquisto Scholarship, Presidential Scholars, Stamps Scholars, Vires (Florida residents, $16,000 over eight semesters), Mores ($12,000), the IB Diploma Scholarship ($8,000) and the out-of-state tuition waiver. These are entry-level awards; scholarships specific to the College of Nursing are not stated on the pages we read.

10. Transfer

• Into nursing: the College page says non-FSU students and transfers must submit both NursingCAS and the FSU transfer application; the program guide says the college admits upper-division transfer students who have completed the prerequisites and have competitive GPAs. The conditions are those in Section 3: 3.0 cumulative GPA, prerequisites at C or higher (for fall 2027 also a 3.0 prerequisite GPA and the HESI A2), General Education or a Florida A.A., at least 60 credit hours, and a January 1 to February 1, 2027 window. The program guide adds that all major coursework in nursing must be completed in residence at FSU.
• FSU transfer rules: you must have earned at least 12 transferable semester hours to apply; a 2.0 minimum GPA (FSU says very few students with less than a 3.0 calculated GPA are admitted); 3 semester hours each of college-level English composition and mathematics with C or higher; Florida public A.A. graduates get priority consideration; freshman/sophomore-level transfers submit test scores; applicants with 90+ attempted hours write a personal statement. FSU lists Nursing among its Limited-Access Degree Programs and says the extra criteria apply equally to those with 52+ credit hours.
• University transfer deadlines (the page prints no year; check): spring October 1, summer March 1, fall June 1; the international transfer page adds that some programs have earlier deadlines, so follow the program guide. For nursing, use the College page (fall 2027: January 1 to February 1, 2027).
• International transfers: coursework from non-U.S. institutions needs a course-by-course evaluation from a foreign credential agency (NACES recommended) with course credit recommendations and a GPA, plus certified English translations; English proficiency scores are required (minimums in Section 7). Whether international transfers can enter nursing is not published.

11. Pre-health advising

Nursing advising is run by the College of Nursing: current FSU students can walk in or book through Campus Connect, non-FSU students can book a Zoom appointment, and the college holds information sessions (Zoom or in person). This article does not cover FSU’s other pre-health advising.

12. Not found on the pages we read

• Whether new first-year applicants can list nursing as an intended major, and any pre-nursing designation or seats;
• Seats for international students in nursing, clinical restrictions, licensing-exam eligibility and Social Security number rules;
• How the Gaokao is used, Huikao materials, and any China-specific notes;
• Interview, volunteer/clinical experience, essay and recommendation letters for the College of Nursing application; NCLEX-RN pass rates and clinical partner hospitals;
• Amounts of nursing-specific costs; FSU’s university-level high school course requirements (not read);
• The university first-year and transfer deadline pages print no year, so check they are for fall 2027 entry.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to FSU first (Common App or FSU application; dates in Section 5), finish General Education and the eight prerequisites at C or higher, with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 prerequisite GPA
• Submit NursingCAS January 1 to February 1, 2027 and take the HESI A2 before the deadline; send transcripts to NursingCAS

International applicants (including China):

• ACT/CLT/SAT required; International School Form, official transcripts, Secondary School Evaluation and certified English translation; English scores (self-report first); Certification of Financial Responsibility
• Ask the college about international seats and clinical rules; ask admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• FSU transfer application plus NursingCAS (fall 2027 window January 1 to February 1, 2027); prerequisites at C or higher, 3.0 GPA, HESI A2; nursing major courses must be completed at FSU

Sources: Florida State University, College of Nursing: BSN; Program guide: Nursing; Academic map: Nursing; First-year apply; Deadlines and fees; First-year scholarships; International first-year; English proficiency; International FAQ; International transfer; Transfer apply; Transfer deadlines; 2026-27 cost estimates. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (the university first-year and transfer deadline pages show no year, while the College of Nursing page names the 2027 application windows; check Florida State’s website to confirm the university dates are for fall 2027 entry).