Pre-Nursing
Nursing is the single largest health profession with over 2 million jobs. Texas, the nation, and the world are facing an unprecedented nursing shortage because of an aging workforce, declining enrollment in nursing schools, and job stress. Officials estimate that Texas needs to graduate and place an extra 5,000 nurses each year to meet the state’s needs. As a result, new graduates and returning nurses have more practice opportunities within the hospital and specialty or advanced practice fields.
Nurses promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. They have a unique scope of practice and can practice independently, although they also collaborate with all members of the healthcare team. Nurses serve as advocates for patients, families, and communities. They develop and manage nursing care plans and instruct patients and their families in proper care. There are many entry and exit points in nursing. The majority of nurses work in hospital settings, however growing numbers work in home health, long-term care, industry and business, legal, and consulting roles. There are numerous specialty options-critical-care, emergency, hospice, labor and delivery staff, etc.
Pre-Nursing is considered a designation at Texas Tech University; it is not a major. Pre-Nursing student's take the required courses in order to apply for admission to nursing school.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing requires the following courses:
| Texas Tech University | Texas Common Course Numbering System |
|---|---|
| ENGLISH 1301 | ENGLISH 1301 |
| ENGLISH 1302 | ENGLISH 1302 |
| MATH 2300 | MATH 1342, 1442, 2342 or 2442 |
| CHEMISTRY 1305 or 1307 | CHEMISTRY 1305, 1405 or 1311, 1411 |
| CHEMISTRY 1105 or 1107 (laboratory) | CHEMISTRY 1105, 1405 or 1111, 1411 |
| ZOOLOGY 2403 | BIOL 2401 |
| ZOOLOGY 2404 | BIOL 2402 |
| MICROBIOLOGY 3400 | |
| NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE 1325 OR 1410 | BIOL 1322, 1323; HECO 1322 |
| PSYCHOLOGY 1300 | PSYCHOLOGY 2301 |
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & FAMILY STUDIES 2303 | PSYCHOLOGY 2311 |
| HISTORY 2300 | HISTORY 1301 |
| HISTORY 2301 | HISTORY 1302 |
| POLITICAL SCIENCE 1301 | GOVERNMENT 2301 |
| POLITICAL SCIENCE 2302 | GOVERNMENT 2302 |
| HUMANITIES( 3 hours) see the TTUHSC School of Nursing website for a list of these courses. | |
| VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS (3 hours) any art, music, drama or theatre arts course. | |
| HUMAN SCIENCES 3221 (Intro to nursing as a profession) | |
| ZOOLOGY 3303 (Pathophysiology) |
Frequently check with the programs to which you plan to apply prerequisites and /or application procedures can change.
Minimum requirements for admission consideration to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing are as follows:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required to be considered for admission.
- All pre-nursing courses should be completed with a grade of C or better prior to enrollment.
- At time of application submission, applicants must have completed a minimum of 40 of the 57 credit hours of the required non-nursing prerequisite courses including at least three of the four lab sciences.
- Completion of the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) examination will be required for admission beginning with the 2012-2013 application period.
Visit the TTUHSC School of Nursing's website for addtional information about the program.
Other Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in Texas