How to Apply to Nursing (BSN) at the University of Miami: Freshmen Can Apply Directly to the Traditional BSN in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, Clinical Progression in Year Three Has Its Own Requirements, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Miami (Coral Gables, Florida — not Miami University in Ohio) is a private university. The undergraduate nursing degree (BSN) is offered by the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS); the Bulletin says the baccalaureate nursing program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing and accredited by the CCNE. Unlike many schools, the Bulletin says admission of new freshmen to the Traditional BSN “is handled through the Office of Undergraduate Admission and is open to applicants who meet the general requirements for admission to the UM”, so freshmen can apply for nursing directly; but entry into the clinical third year has its own requirements and is not guaranteed. Below, for fall 2027 entry, are the points 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 the SONHS Office of Student Services (OSS) or Undergraduate Admission.

1. Degree and program

• Three BSN routes: the Traditional BSN (for students who may have no previous higher education, four years); an Accelerated BSN (for those holding a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, one year, applied for through NursingCAS and reviewed by SONHS); and RN-to-BSN (for licensed RNs with a diploma or associate degree, three to five semesters, applied for through Undergraduate Admission). The last two are not covered here. The cost page separately lists Accelerated BSN tuition of $14,240 per semester.
• School and facilities: SONHS is on the Coral Gables campus; the Bulletin describes the M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies and SHARE™ (Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education, opened in fall 2017, 41,000 square feet, five stories), and says SONHS enrolls about 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students in health science, nursing and public health.
• Clinical sites: clinical experiences are in hospitals and health agencies including the University of Miami Health System, Jackson Health System, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida, Broward Health and approximately 170 other community partners.
• Degree rules: nursing must be a student’s first major; there is no additional major or minor in nursing. Credit total: the Nursing page cites a 120-credit degree, while the Traditional BSN track page’s sample shows 121–122 credits (the two pages differ; confirm with OSS). Graduation needs a UM GPA and a major GPA of at least 2.0.
• Honors program: the SONHS Foote Fellows program is by invitation, requiring a weighted high school GPA of 4.5 or higher and an SAT (verbal and math) of 1300 or higher or an ACT of 30 or higher, plus a portfolio (an essay on a health disparity and a plan, a record of community service and leadership, and goals); fellows must keep a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Research: students may take part in research through SONHS or the Office of Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach; ask OSS for specifics.
• STEM status: the Bulletin says only that the nursing major may be used to fulfill the STEM cognate area; it does not state a STEM designation; not published.
• Licensing: students who complete the Accelerated or Traditional BSN are eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN; see the state board of nursing for other requirements. NCLEX-RN pass rates are not stated on the pages we read.

2. How you get in, and the thresholds

• Freshmen: Traditional BSN admission of new freshmen is handled by the Office of Undergraduate Admission and is open to applicants who meet UM’s general requirements. The admissions pages we read do not give nursing a separate seat count, cut-off or application form; the number of nursing seats is not published. The admission-plans page adds that the Final Credentials Deadline is also the deadline to change to a major in another school or college.
• Progressing into clinical coursework (current UM students): a minimum 3.0 UM GPA and 2.75 clinical-prerequisite GPA and at least 60–63 total credits (the Bulletin notes that only 57 credits are slated in the clinical years’ plan, so a student who progresses with 60–62 credits must complete additional electives to reach 120).
• Switching into the Traditional BSN (current UM students): a minimum 3.0 UM GPA and 2.75 clinical-prerequisite GPA to be considered. The Bulletin says SONHS may have a waitlist and that meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission; seats are allocated from the waitlist on holistic review, with four factors strongly considered: availability of seats in the student’s intended year of graduation, the date added to the waitlist, the UM GPA, and the feasibility of finishing on time.
• Staying in nursing: students not yet in clinical coursework are “strongly encouraged not to continue” with the nursing major if they have less than a 2.5 UM GPA and/or 2.5 clinical-prerequisite GPA after 15 credits of clinical prerequisites and/or second-year nursing courses.
• Grade lines: a C or higher in each clinical prerequisite and nursing course; C- or below is a failure. Only one failed clinical prerequisite and one failed nursing course may be repeated; two failed prerequisites, two failed nursing courses or the same course failed twice means dismissal from the program. BSN students may not withdraw from more than two nursing courses or from the same course twice.
• Clinical clearance: before clinical coursework students must pass a drug test and a background check; the Bulletin says the report must be “without any infractions, regardless of how they were resolved or adjudicated”, or the student will be withdrawn from the program. They must also provide immunizations as outlined by SONHS and an American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification (including AED content), and complete a mandatory online pre-immersion course (NUR 418, no GPA effect) in the first term of clinical enrollment.
• Entrance exams, interview, physical, insurance: the Bulletin says mandatory HESI exams are required throughout the undergraduate nursing programs (details in the Student Handbook). A TEAS/HESI A2-type entrance exam and an interview are not stated on the pages we read; not published; a medical exam and insurance requirements are likewise not stated.
• Technical standards: the Bulletin lists observation, communication, motor, conceptual-integrative and behavioral-social abilities; communication requires using English effectively in clinical and classroom settings. Reasonable accommodations are considered case by case and should be requested before beginning the program.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school requirements: the nursing and admissions pages we read give no extra high school math, biology or chemistry requirement; not published.
• Clinical prerequisites (Traditional BSN), to be finished before the clinical third year and within the last 10 years: General Biology and Lab, BIL 150/151 (5 credits); chemistry, 4–5 credits (CHM 103/105 or CHM 121/113); Human Anatomy and Lab, HCS 212/213 (4); Principles of Systemic Physiology, HCS 215 (3); mathematics, 3 credits (MTH 101, MTH 107, or placement higher than MTH 107); Introductory Statistics in Health Care, NUR 202 (3); Principles of Nutrition, NUR 306 (3); Theories in Growth and Development, NUR 317 (3); Introduction to Psychology, PSY 110 (3). The Nursing page’s list has no microbiology course, but the Traditional BSN track page’s list adds MIC 301 Introduction to Microbes and the Immune System (3 credits); the two pages differ, so confirm with OSS.
• Must be taken in SONHS: all Traditional BSN majors must take the SONHS anatomy and physiology lectures and labs (HCS 212/213 and HCS 215/216); no other UM anatomy or physiology courses are accepted. Once enrolled at UM, remaining clinical prerequisites must be finished at UM unless an appeal to UGASAC is approved, and all nursing major courses must be taken at UM.
• Course prerequisites: NUR 202 needs MTH 101 or higher, or ALEKS 40 or higher, or an SAT score of 550 or higher, or an ACT score of 22 or higher (as printed). A C or higher in prerequisites is required before a nursing course.
• General education: WRS 105 plus WRS 106/107 or ENG 106 (appropriate AP or IB scores can satisfy writing; an appropriate SAT/ACT score may earn an exemption from, but not credit for, WRS 105); mathematics and statistics; two cognates, Arts & Humanities and People & Society (9 credits each), with the STEM cognate fulfilled through the nursing major.
• AP/IB credit toward prerequisites: the Bulletin mentions AP/IB for the writing requirement and says math placement may be affected by SAT/ACT, ALEKS, AP, IB, dual enrollment and transfer credit. AP/IB credit for the other nursing prerequisites is not stated on the pages we read; not published.
• Major courses (track page; lock-step sequence): Adult Health I: Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (NUR 304, 6 credits), Pharmacology (NUR 307), Adult Health II (NUR 308, 7), Theories and Concepts of Nursing (NUR 311), Health Assessment and Promotion (NUR 314), Pathophysiology (NUR 315), Women’s Health Nursing (NUR 318), Child and Adolescent Health Nursing (NUR 320), Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (NUR 400 or 401), Adult Health III (NUR 411), Pre-Immersion (NUR 418), Leadership in Nursing (NUR 430), Population Focused Nursing (NUR 440), Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (NUR 448), Role Transition (NUR 453, 6) and a major elective. Total clinical hours are not stated on the pages we read (clinical courses are only marked); not published.

4. Rounds, fees and materials (fall 2027 first-year)

• Admission plans (deadlines page): Early Decision I (binding) application November 1, final credentials November 13, notification mid-December; Early Action November 1, final credentials November 20, notification late January; Early Decision II January 5, final credentials January 25, notification late February; Regular Decision January 5, final credentials February 5, notification April 1. Financial aid deadlines: November 15 for the early plans, January 5 for ED II and Regular. Early-plan applications still incomplete at the Final Credentials Deadline roll over to Regular Decision; the page adds that under current practice first-year applications incomplete by the final deadlines may not be admitted.
• Application fee: $75, non-refundable, paid when the Common App is submitted.
• Essay: a Common App personal statement of up to 650 words; the university does not require a supplemental essay; you also list extracurricular activities.
• Recommendation: one letter from a school counselor or teacher is required, plus the School Report and official transcripts (a non-English transcript needs an official translation from a school official or accredited agency; self-translated transcripts do not count).
• Tests: the admissions page says UM requires standardized test scores, which can be self-reported on the Common App or the Applicant Portal, with official scores needed only if you are admitted and enroll; students graduating from a high school outside the United States may choose whether to submit scores. The testing policy page is headed “Test Scores Required for Fall 2026”, so check whether anything changes for fall 2027.
• Educational activities statement: a gap of three months or more must be explained in the Common App.
• Interview and nursing-specific supplements: the supplemental materials listed are for Architecture, Music, Art BFA and Theatre BFA; nothing is listed for nursing; not published.

5. U.S. applicants

• UM is private; the cost page we read gives one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split, and the pages do not state any Florida-resident preference for nursing seats.
• Cost (2026–27 estimate): tuition $66,312; fees $2,030; housing $16,958; meals $9,400; direct costs living on campus $94,700; estimated total cost of attendance $98,872 on campus, $98,914 off campus and $83,104 living with a parent or relative. These are estimates; the page says direct costs are finalized each spring by the Board of Trustees.
• Nursing surcharges and clinical-related fees: the cost page lists a separate tuition only for the Accelerated BSN; Traditional BSN surcharges (including clinical or uniform costs) are not published.
• Aid: all applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships (no separate application); Early Decision I and Early Action applicants are also considered for Premier scholarships. U.S. citizens and eligible non-residents who want need-based aid submit the FAFSA, CSS Profile and tax documents. SONHS also has limited merit- and need-based scholarships for continuing students, with a call for applications each semester.

6. International applicants

• Application and tests: through the Common App; students graduating from a secondary school outside the United States may choose whether to submit test scores.
• English: students whose native language is not English submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results (TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted; TOEFL Essentials is not). UM says competitive applicants generally score above: TOEFL iBT 80 (before January 21, 2026) or 4.5 on the 1–6 scale (after), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120; scores are valid two years. Waiver conditions include an A or B in AP or IB HL English, at least three years at a U.S. high school, completion of Level 5 of UM’s Intensive English Program, at least three years at a non-U.S. high school taught in English, an SAT evidence-based reading and writing score of 650 or higher, or an ACT English score of 27 or higher; an academically qualified applicant who falls short may be offered admission for the following year if Level 5 of the Intensive English Program is completed within a year. Whether nursing requires a higher English score is not published; the nursing technical standards require communicating effectively in English in clinical and classroom settings.
• Credential evaluation: first-year applicants with non-English transcripts need an English translation; transfer students have an international evaluation requirement (Section 9).
• Proof of funds and insurance: the pages we read do not state proof-of-funds requirements. The cost page says all international students must enroll in the University-sponsored health insurance ($4,483), and gives an estimated cost of attendance for international students of $104,091 (including the mandatory insurance and a higher transportation allowance).
• Need-based aid: foreign nationals who want need-based aid complete the CSS Profile; merit scholarships are considered automatically.
• Whether international students can take clinical courses, sit the licensing exam, or need a Social Security number: the Bulletin requires a drug test, background check, immunizations and BLS before clinical courses, and NCLEX-RN eligibility is set by state boards. Whether international students face limits in nursing or clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read; ask OSS and Undergraduate Admission.

7. Applicants from China

• Is the Gaokao considered: not stated on the pages we read; not published. The admissions site has an “Eligibility Requirements by Country” page, but it loads its content by script, so we did not use it; check it yourself or ask Undergraduate Admission.
• Transcripts and Huikao materials: the site says non-English transcripts need an official English translation; how Huikao (academic proficiency test) records are handled is not published.
• School-specific notes for Chinese applicants: none on the pages we read; not published.
• Nursing: Chinese applicants use the same freshman application as everyone else; for international students and nursing, see Section 6.

8. Costs and scholarships (nursing-related)

• Tuition and total cost are in Section 5; Traditional BSN surcharges are not published.
• The Bulletin says SONHS’s limited merit- and need-based scholarships are for continuing students, with calls for applications emailed each semester; entering-student scholarships are considered automatically by Undergraduate Admission (Section 5).

9. Transfer

• Into the Traditional BSN: transfer students must meet UM’s general admission requirements; the Bulletin says incoming transfers who plan to enter the Traditional BSN need a 3.5 transfer GPA and a 3.3 clinical-prerequisite GPA to be considered. Those who want to transfer directly into the clinical third year must complete the SONHS clinical prerequisites and are considered “as space allows”, with the same 3.5/3.3 minimums. Only credits from regionally accredited institutions are considered.
• Deadlines: fall transfer April 1 (financial aid April 15); spring transfer November 1 (rolling notification). A nursing-specific transfer deadline is not published.
• Materials: Common App ($75); a 250-word reason-for-transferring response; official transcripts from all colleges; a College Report from every U.S. institution attended as a degree-seeking student; a final high school transcript if you will have fewer than 24 college credits (excluding dual enrollment); an optional recommendation; test scores are not required if you will have 24 or more postsecondary credits; every transfer applicant must send a final high school transcript before enrolling.
• Credit: SONHS transfer courses in health science, nursing or public health need OSS approval with course descriptions or syllabi; all nursing major courses must be taken at UM; the admissions site has a transferring-credits page and the MATES system.
• International transfers: anyone who attended a secondary school or university outside the United States, regardless of citizenship, needs an international credential evaluation (course by course, with a GPA calculation) sent directly to UM by ECE, IEE, Josef Silny, TEC, WES (university transcripts only) or another NACES member; processing takes 2–4 weeks and it must arrive by the transfer deadline. The evaluation can be waived for transfers from an American university abroad or a Canadian university (except Quebec). Whether international transfers can enter nursing is not published.

10. Pre-health advising

We did not read UM’s Pre-Health office pages for this article; students who want nursing should contact the SONHS Office of Student Services (OSS).

11. Not found on the pages we read

• Whether nursing has its own freshman seat count or cut-off; the details of the Traditional BSN waitlist; an entrance exam such as TEAS/HESI A2, and an interview;
• Limits for international students in nursing and clinical placements, licensing-exam eligibility, Social Security number rules, and the proof-of-funds amount;
• How the Gaokao is used, Huikao materials and any China-specific notes (the “Eligibility Requirements by Country” page is script-loaded and was not used);
• Nursing-specific surcharges, total clinical hours, NCLEX-RN pass rates, and AP/IB credit for the nursing prerequisites;
• Whether MIC 301 is a clinical prerequisite (the pages differ), and whether the degree is 120 or 121–122 credits (the pages differ);
• SONHS’s own website (miami.edu/sonhs) and the Pre-Health office pages were not read this time.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App, $75; early plans November 1, Regular January 5; test scores, one recommendation, School Report and transcripts; no supplemental essay
• Clinical prerequisites at C or higher; to enter the clinical third year: 3.0 UM GPA, 2.75 clinical-prerequisite GPA, 60–63 credits; drug test and background check, BLS, immunizations

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (or a waiver); official English translation of transcripts; test scores optional for graduates of non-U.S. secondary schools; CSS Profile for need-based aid
• Ask OSS about international students in nursing and clinical placements; ask admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• 3.5 transfer GPA and 3.3 clinical-prerequisite GPA; fall April 1, spring November 1; non-U.S. coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation; nursing major courses must be taken at UM

Sources: University of Miami, Bulletin: Nursing and Health Studies; Bulletin: Nursing; Bulletin: Traditional BSN; Admission plans and deadlines; First-year requirements; Testing policy; English proficiency; Transfer requirements; Transfer international evaluation; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Scholarships. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (the testing policy page is headed “Fall 2026”, so check whether anything changes for fall 2027). Check the University of Miami’s website for the latest.