How to Apply to Nursing (BSN) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison: Enter as a Pre-Nursing Student, Finish Seven Prerequisites and Apply for the Two-Year Traditional BSN by January 15 with a Group Interview, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison), the undergraduate nursing degree is offered by the School of Nursing on the Madison campus. Unlike our general life-sciences guide for UW–Madison, this one covers only the nursing BSN: how you get in, what the thresholds are, what you study and what it costs. The university says the Traditional BSN is the last two years of the four-year UW–Madison bachelor’s degree; you spend the first two as a pre-nursing student and then apply. This guide summarises UW–Madison’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Degree and program

• Traditional BSN (TBSN): for pre-nursing students, non-nursing transfer students and second-degree students; delivered in person. The two-year nursing curriculum is part of the four-year bachelor of science degree, which is awarded by the School of Nursing.
• Upper division admission: the Guide calls this the standard route: students enter as pre-nursing (PRN) students, spend two years on general education and prerequisites, apply midway through sophomore year and then complete two years on campus. The pages we read describe no direct admission to nursing for first-year students.
• Other programs: a one-year Accelerated BSN for people with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, and an online RN-to-BSN (BSN@Home) for registered nurses with an associate degree; mentioned only.
• Honors and research: the Guide says Traditional BSN students can apply for Honors in the Major, which involves an essay on how engaging in nursing research would enhance a career, plus a nursing honors research seminar (2 credits) and two senior honors thesis courses (1–2 credits each). The School also lists optional programs such as BSN to Master of Public Health and Early Entry PhD; we did not read their details.
• Credits: the BSN (Traditional) requires 124 credits, including 57 credits of nursing core courses and MATH 112 College Algebra (3 credits).
• Whether the program is STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. How you get in, and the thresholds

• Get into the university first: high school students apply to UW–Madison listing nursing as a major of interest and become pre-nursing students. The School states that admission to the university does not guarantee admission to nursing, and that nursing admission is competitive, using a comprehensive review of academic preparation and performance, leadership, extracurricular activities and service, health care experience and background, diversity in experience and background, and the quality of application statements.
• Eligibility to apply (TBSN list): before applying, you must have completed or be in progress to complete at least 54 degree credits by the end of spring, and not have previously enrolled in a professional BSN program at another institution. When you submit, you must have completed any four of the seven prerequisites with C or higher, a prerequisite GPA of at least 2.75 and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (4.0 scale). Before admission (end of spring), each of the seven prerequisites needs a C or higher and both GPAs must still be at least 2.75.
• Interview: all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are invited to a virtual group interview with three faculty and three or four applicants per session, about one minute per answer; video and audio are required, failure to respond removes you from consideration and reschedules are not allowed except in extenuating circumstances.
• Entrance exams: TEAS, HESI or similar exams are not mentioned on the pages we read.
• Recommendations, clinical or volunteer experience: NursingCAS accepts up to five items in total between Achievements and Experiences and the School will not review more than five; each personal statement is limited to 1,250 characters (about 250 words). Whether letters of recommendation are required is not stated on the pages we read.
• Compliance after admission: immunizations (MMR, varicella, hepatitis B, tetanus, influenza), a tuberculosis test, CPR, HIPAA and OSHA training, an N95 mask fit test and a background check, tracked in Viewpoint Screening for a one-time student fee that covers the background check and health portal. The School does not require the COVID-19 vaccine, though some clinical partners may. The application page says a Caregiver Background Check that reveals disqualifying information can lead to rescinded admission.
• Admission can be rescinded if you do not respond by the due date, do not complete a prerequisite, miss the deadline for an updated transcript for non-UW–Madison courses, earn below a C in a prerequisite, fall below 2.75 in the cumulative or prerequisite GPA after spring, give false information, do not complete compliance requirements, or have disqualifying background-check information.
• Entry term: fall only; the program does not accept spring or summer starts.

3. Prerequisites, curriculum and clinicals

• High school: UW–Madison’s minimums are the same for every major: English 4 years, math 3 years (algebra, geometry and advanced math), social science 3, natural science 3, electives 4, for 17 units; two years of the same world language in high school are highly recommended because they can fulfill the university language requirement. No nursing-specific high school biology or chemistry requirement is stated on the pages we read.
• The seven prerequisites (met by coursework, test credit or placement exams): Chemistry (CHEM 103, 108 or 109); Microbiology (MICROBIO 101, CHEM 343 or NUTR SCI 332); Human Anatomy (ANAT&PHY 337); Human Physiology (ANAT&PHY 235 or 335); Psychology (PSYCH 202); Sociology (any sociology course carrying a social science attribute, or ANTHRO 100 or 104); Human Growth and Development (ED PSYCH 320, 321 or 331, HDFS 262 or 263, PSYCH 460 or 464). Anatomy and physiology can be met by one semester each or by A&P I and II, but you cannot mix and match, and A&P I and II must be taken at the same school. Statistics is not on the list of seven.
• Credit by exam: test credit accepted by UW–Madison as a course replacement satisfies a prerequisite but is not counted in the GPA; AP/IB scores can be uploaded to the nursing application (a test-taker copy is sufficient). An AP/IB table shows which scores fulfill general education requirements.
• General education: the Guide lists humanities, social science, Communication A and B, Quantitative Reasoning A and B and Ethnic Studies requirements for the degree; which of them must be finished before applying is not spelled out beyond the prerequisite and eligibility lists.
• Clinicals: the Traditional BSN page says students gain over 100 hours of hands-on clinical training each semester. The Clinical Placement Unit arranges all placements; students cannot request, rank or arrange their own, though they may suggest a site by emailing clinicals@nursing.wisc.edu. The Guide says clinical experiences can be up to 90 miles from Madison and may include clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, geriatric facilities, school districts and nursing homes; the clinical page also lists public health agencies, community organizations, prisons and long-term care. Total clinical hours and a list of partner hospitals are not stated.
• NCLEX: the BSN pages show a “96% NCLEX pass rate on first attempt” without a year or cohort; check the School’s pages for the details.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Nursing (NursingCAS): the Traditional BSN window is November 24 to January 15 (the Guide says “mid January”). Wait to submit until your fall grades are final; otherwise you will be asked to resubmit your official transcript. The NursingCAS fee is $60 and may be waived in some cases. There is no pre-nursing option in NursingCAS; select “Bachelor of Science in Nursing”.
• Decisions: the application page says notifications for the Traditional BSN “have been sent by mid-May”; the Guide says “on or before July 1st”. Both appear. Eligibility review takes about two to three weeks after the deadline.
• Applying to UW–Madison as well: transfer, reentry and second-degree applicants apply to UW–Madison with the Universities of Wisconsin application, reviewed by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at the same time; admission to UW–Madison does not guarantee admission to nursing.
• First-year UW–Madison application: Common App or the Universities of Wisconsin application (one only); $80 fee; two essays; one required letter of recommendation (a second is optional); transcripts; SAT/ACT optional for applicants through the spring 2028 term (application deadline October 1, 2027). Early Action: November 1 (materials November 9), decisions by January 31; Regular Decision: January 15 (materials January 22), decisions by March 31. You list a first and second choice major.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants:

• Enter as pre-nursing (Section 2), finish the prerequisites in the first two years and apply through NursingCAS by January 15. Costs by residency are in Section 6; whether Wisconsin residents get priority in nursing is not stated.

International applicants:

• There is no separate international application; apply as a first-year or transfer student, with the same deadlines. Send country-specific transcripts; non-English transcripts need an official translation by the school or an EducationUSA official.
• English: first-year applicants educated in non-English-speaking countries submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo unless English was the language of instruction for all four years of secondary school. Listed minimums: IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115; TOEFL iBT shown as “test date on or before 1/20/26: 80; 1/21/26 or later: 4.5”. No superscoring; scores no older than two years. This is the university-wide rule; whether nursing sets a higher bar is not stated.
• Funds and scholarships: financial proof and international scholarships are not stated on the admissions and nursing pages we read; the cost page notes that international students have additional expenses, including international student fees.
• Clinical access, licensure exam, Social Security number: whether international students face restrictions in clinical courses, can sit the licensure exam, or need a Social Security number is not stated on the nursing pages we read; ask admissions@nursing.wisc.edu.

Applicants from China:

• National curriculum: current upper-secondary students send transcripts from lower middle school (grade 9) and upper middle school (grades 10–11), in Chinese and English, and list grade 12 courses in progress; graduates send grade 9–12 transcripts in both languages; transfer applicants from China do not need grade 9. To enroll you must submit the final grade 12 transcript, and if it does not show a graduation date, the Chinese Graduation Certificate with English translation. The page also says Wisconsin does not accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China but accepts the iBT Special Home Edition.
• Whether the Gaokao is considered, how huikao records are handled, and any nursing-specific guidance for applicants from China are not stated on the pages we read; ask the Office of Admissions and Recruitment (onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu) and the School.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026–27 undergraduate cost-of-attendance estimate (university-wide, nine months): tuition and fees $12,532 for Wisconsin residents, $45,518 for non-residents and $18,328 for Minnesota residents; housing and meals $14,994; course materials $700; personal $2,618; transportation $612 (resident) or $1,222 (non-resident); total $31,524, $65,120 and $37,574.
• Nursing surcharge: admitted undergraduate School of Nursing students pay an additional tuition differential of $1,500 per academic year.
• Nursing-specific expenses (School estimates): compliance $100–500; textbooks $1,600–2,000; uniform $75; stethoscope $200; blood pressure cuff $40; transportation to clinical sites $1,300; laptop (if needed) $1,500; clinical placement tracking and onboarding systems (including Typhon and MyCE) $600; NCLEX registration and licensure $300–600.
• Scholarships: the School provides about $1.6 million a year to admitted students; Traditional BSN scholarship applications run mid-January to late February through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) and must be renewed each year. Federal aid needs the FAFSA. Whether international students can apply is not stated.

7. Transfer

• Transfer to UW–Madison: at least 24 transferable semester credits completed or in progress after high school (AP, A-Level, IB and CLEP do not count toward the 24); freshman-level transfers are not admitted. Deadlines: Fall Priority February 1 (materials February 16, decisions by March 31); Fall Regular March 1 (materials March 15, decisions by April 30); the application opens December 1. The university does not pre-evaluate courses; a credit evaluation comes after admission.
• Transfer into nursing: apply to UW–Madison with Pre-Nursing as the intended major; if you meet the eligibility requirements by the end of the spring term before the program starts, also apply through NursingCAS (same window, prerequisites and GPAs as Section 2). Admission to the university does not guarantee nursing. The nursing deadline (January 15) and the university transfer deadlines (February 1 and March 1) differ, and the pages we read do not explain how to reconcile them; confirm with admissions.
• People who are or were enrolled in a BSN program at another institution are not eligible for UW–Madison’s BSN programs (a Petition for Special Consideration is available). All transfer students complete all nursing degree requirements at UW–Madison. Prerequisite equivalencies are on the BSN course equivalencies page or Transferology; bring course descriptions or syllabi.
• Second degree: the first degree must be finished by the program start date; second-degree candidates cannot enter as pre-nursing second-degree students; they may apply to the traditional or accelerated BSN, which have different prerequisite deadlines. International students apply as first-year or transfer students; there is no separate procedure.

8. Pre-health advising

UW–Madison’s Center for Pre-Health Advising serves students and alumni interested in healthcare careers, mainly graduate-level professional programs; the nursing BSN application itself follows the School of Nursing’s process.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Enter as a pre-nursing student; finish seven prerequisites (at least four done when you apply, each C or higher)
• Apply through NursingCAS by January 15; prerequisite and cumulative GPAs of at least 2.75; group interview

International applicants (including China):

• English: IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, TOEFL iBT 4.5 (tests from 21 January 2026); official translations of transcripts
• China: grade 9–11 transcripts in Chinese and English, final grade 12 transcript later; Gaokao use not stated; ask the School about clinicals and licensure

Transfer students:

• At least 24 transferable credits; university transfer deadlines February 1 or March 1, nursing January 15; those previously in another BSN program are not eligible

Sources: University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing: Bachelor of Science; Traditional BSN; Traditional BSN application process; BSN prerequisites; NursingCAS instructions; How to apply; Tuition and fees; Financial support; Guide: Nursing, BSN; Clinical information; Compliance; Center for Pre-Health Advising; First-year applicants; Deadlines; International students; Transfer applicants; Cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates). The nursing application window (November 24 to January 15) and the admissions deadline pages show no year; check the university’s website to confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.