School of Nursing Debuts Direct Admission Pathway for Fall 2025

The Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing at the University of St. Thomas is debuting a new direct admission pathway for high school students interested in a nursing career. This new admissions option will accept high school seniors – applying to the school for fall 2025 and beyond – directly into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

Previously, bachelor’s degree applicants were considered for admission after completing their first semester at St. Thomas. The change assures accepted applicants a place in the nursing cohort before they begin their time at St. Thomas, removing the need to apply and complete a competitive admissions process during their first year of college.

“When students are admitted via the direct pathway into nursing, it decreases their stress in the first semesters of college,” Executive Director of the School of Nursing Annette Hines said. “Students will also be able to identify as a nursing major and start seeing themselves as nurses from the very beginning of their St. Thomas experience.”

To be considered for direct admission, high school seniors must have a GPA of 3.75 or higher and apply to the university by Dec. 1. Once on campus, students are required to complete prerequisite courses and maintain good academic standing.

The new direct admissions pathway is expected to maximize interest in the School of Nursing and its unique mission to prepare nurses who are “culturally responsive, practice clinical excellence with ingenuity, and improve whole-person healing.” Growing steadily since opening its doors in 2022, the school is rolling out new classes, programs and strengthening student services.

The BSN program currently has 102 students in its two cohorts and will add an additional cohort next year as it builds to its full capacity.

“With the implementation of the direct admission pathway, we expect to see the number of applications rise, and along with that, we plan to gradually increase the size of our cohorts,” Hines said. “Through it all, we will maintain our clear focus on the students’ whole-person health and that of our clients.”

The nursing program at St. Thomas stands out from others with its emphasis on whole-person wellness and advancing health equity. As Minnesota and the U.S. experience a nursing shortage, St. Thomas aims to educate professionals who approach health care from a whole-person perspective.

The School of Nursing recently graduated its first class in May 2024, when at that time it also received accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Pursued in tandem with the school’s opening, the accreditation supports the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and its 21-month Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.

Transfer students and Tommies who do not gain admission to the BSN program through direct admission will have the opportunity to apply through the current general admission pathway.