Designed to Prepare Students for a Professional Nursing Career
The Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN) program provides a comprehensive curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge, practical clinical experience and our social-justice mindset. This four-year, full-time program offers a rigorous education in nursing science, patient care, healthcare leadership, and special topics, equipping graduates with the skills necessary to provide high-quality care in a variety of healthcare settings and with a diverse set of patients.
Graduates will be prepared to sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) and apply for a RN State license or for a Compact State license.
See our BSN program disclosures to learn more about accreditation, professional licensure and opportunity for third-party comments.
Explore More Details about the Traditional BSN
Degree Plan
Major Requirements:
The TBSN pathway includes 54 credits and is designed to be completed in four semesters or 2 years of full time study.
General Education Requirements:
All majors require 44 hours of general education curriculum, in addition to their major courses.
View and download the full degree plan for our Traditional BSN major (PDF)
Students will be designated BSN-PRE NURS major while they complete their general education and prerequisite coursework. Application to the TBSN program occurs in the semester prior to beginning nursing coursework. Once admitted to the program, the student will be designating as BSN- PROF NURS.
Competencies
A competency-based approach is used to foster development of critical thinking and clinical reasoning by supporting students’ ability to define, analyze, and create correlation among individual presentation, health data, and aspects of social determinants of health. The competencies are based from three areas of professional nursing education: Texas Board of Nursing “Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs” (DECs, 2021), American Association of Colleges of Nursing “The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education” (AACN, 2021), and “Quality Safety Education for Nurses” (QSEN, 2008).
The competencies are introduced, reinforced, and evaluated throughout the curriculum using exemplars or case examples that a nurse will experience in their practice. One way our nursing students will demonstrate competency is through the use of our Simulation Learning and Resource Center. For example, a high-quality, standardized simulation scenario is created for a patient presenting with abdominal pain incorporating the integration of actors or simulated patients where appropriate. The exercise includes a pre-briefing and a debriefing (feedback and self-reflection) as well as assessment of learning outcomes. In this example, the student would be evaluated on their ability to complete a focused health history. Clinical skills evaluated would include inspection, auscultation, palpation, and percussion of the abdomen as well as accurate documentation. Variations of the scenario may require students to demonstrate competency in patient communication or inter-professional communication as well. Students and faculty will engage in active learning strategies designed to emphasize application of material rather than memorization.
Application Process and Deadlines:
All BSN candidates must first apply and be accepted to St. Edward's University before applying to the Department of Nursing. Once accepted, students are designated as BSN- PRE NURS majors.
- Candidates who are first time freshmen may apply to the university following the typical First Year Students admission process.
- Candidates who are applying from a community college or university and do not hold an RN License may apply to the university following the typical Transfer admission process.
We do not require TEAS, HESI, or other nursing entrance exams as part of the application.
Once students have met the general education requirements and prerequisite Nursing coursework, students will then be required to apply to the Department of Nursing as an upper division student to proceed with the BSN degree. Students must have earned a "C" or better for prerequisite coursework and overall GPA minimum of 2.5
Once accepted at the department level, students will then be designated as BSN- PROF NURS. Application occurs the semester prior to matriculation (Spring or Fall), which is typically the spring of the student's sophomore year and status changes fall of the junior year.
Students may apply to being Nursing coursework in the fall or spring.