Pre-Nursing Advising

Pre-nursing refers to students who are preparing to apply for admission to the Pre-Licensure Program. These advising resources are intended to support informed decision‑making throughout the pre‑nursing process. They provide guidance on understanding program requirements, evaluating academic readiness, tracking progress toward admission, and exploring nursing and related healthcare career options. Students are encouraged to engage with these resources regularly to support productive advising conversations and to develop appropriate alternate academic plans.

The Pre-Nursing Advising Guide is a tool to be used in coordination with the Degree Audit.

This tool helps students identify requirements they have fulfilled and map out their remaining courses to prepare for program application and admission. This guide can be printed off and handwritten or downloaded and edited electronically.

Pre-Nursing Advising Guide

The degree audit is an online tool that helps students and advisors track progress toward graduation.

It shows how completed and in‑progress coursework applies to degree, major, minor, and general education requirements, and clearly identifies what courses are still needed to graduate.

Pre-nursing students should regularly calculate their Core GPA to understand how competitive they are for program admission.

Monitoring this GPA helps students determine whether they are on track for acceptance, need to improve their academic performance, or should consider an alternate academic program. Admission to the Pre-Licensure Program is highly competitive. Admitted students typically have a Core GPA above 3.4.

Pre-Nursing students should use the First Year Milestones to evaluate their academic progress after completing two semesters of university coursework.

These benchmarks help students determine whether they are on track to be competitive for nursing program admission. Students who do not meet these milestones may need to consider alternate nursing programs or a change of major.

While retaking courses may improve competitiveness for some students, this option does not guarantee admission and should be carefully evaluated. Students are encouraged to consult with the Nursing Advising Team before retaking courses.

  • Successful completion of two Core Science prerequisites.
  • Successful completion of three total Core prerequisites.
  • Successful completion of one Support prerequisite.
  • A minimum 3.0 total cumulative GPA.
  • A minimum 3.3 Core GPA.

Meeting these milestones indicates strong academic progress and readiness to continue pursuing admission to the Pre-Licensure Program, but does not guarantee program acceptance.

Choosing nursing as a career requires a strong understanding of what the profession involves and whether it is the right fit for you.

The resources below are designed to help you explore what nurses do, learn about the wide range of nursing specialties, understand job outlook and workforce demand, and compare the different levels of nursing education and licensure. Reviewing these resources will help you make informed decisions about your academic path and future career in nursing.

American Nurses Association – ANA Nursing Resources Hub

American Nurse Project

Career Development Center

Explore Health Careers

Johnson & Johnson Discover Nursing Campaign

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Not all students remain on track to be competitive applicants for program admission.

Recognizing this early is an important part of academic planning. The resources below are designed to help students research alternate nursing programs, explore related health programs and other majors offered at MSU. Using these tools can help students make informed decisions, stay on track for graduation, and identify realistic options that align with their goals.

Alternate Nursing Programs

Choosing a nursing program requires more than just finding a school with a nursing major. You must confirm eligibility, transferability of credits, program requirements, and how competitive you are as an applicant. This guide walks you through the process, helping you gather accurate information, compare programs and plan strategically for your educational and career goals. Some steps may be more relevant than others depending on your situation.

Research and Compare Nursing Programs
10 Step Guide for Students  >

Resources

Major Exploration & Related MSU Programs

Resources

Health Related Programs Outside MSU

Resources

  • Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
    Investigate their full-time allied health programs.

Minnesota State University, Mankato Logo

Mankato, MN 56001
1-507-389-1000
1-800-722-0544

Visits and Tours

Request Information

Apply Today