Program Requirements/Change of Major Requests

The Pre-Nursing Pathway is for first-time-in-college (FTIC) degree seeking students. Students interested in this pathway will apply to UH as a Freshman student. Students will select Pre-Nursing as their major when applying to UH. We advise students to select Exploratory Studies as their second major; we work with Exploratory Studies advisors so they are kept up to date with Gessner College of Nursing policies.

Quick Links:

New Student/Freshman Admission Criteria for UH Pre-Nursing Change of Major Request Change of Major Request for Current UH Students Change of Major Request for Transfer Students Next Steps for all Change of Major Requests Current UH Students with More than 60 Credit hours

New Student/Freshman Admission Criteria for UH

To declare Pre-Nursing as an intended course of study at UH, high school graduates must meet the following criteria.

Class Rank		Total SAT Score/ Min. SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW)		ACT Composite/ Min. ACT English
Top 25%	AND	1220/630	OR	25/24
26%-50%		1270/630		26/24
All Others/ Not Ranked		1300/630		27/24

Class Rank: Top 25% AND

Minimum SAT Score Total/Minimum SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW): 1220/630; OR
ACT - Minimum ACT Composite/Minimum ACT English: 25/24

Class Rank: 26% - 50% AND

Minimum SAT Score Total/Minimum SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW): 1270/630; OR
ACT - Minimum ACT Composite/Minimum ACT English: 26/24

Class Rank: All Others and Not Ranked

Minimum SAT Score Total/Minimum SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW): 1300/630; OR
ACT - Minimum ACT Composite/Minimum ACT English: 27/24

In addition, applicants for Pre-Nursing must complete the following high school coursework:

English: 4 units
Biology, Chemistry, and 2 other advanced science courses requiring biology and chemistry as pre-requisites: 4 units
Algebra: 2 units
Geometry: 1 unit
Pre-Calculus or other advanced math (e.g., statistics): 1 unit

Note: Completed AP courses will count toward admission requirements. Passed AP exams will count toward college credit.

Applicants applying to the Pre-Nursing Pathway at UH must meet ALL criteria to be admitted as a Pre-Nursing major.

Pre-Nursing Change of Major Request

If an FTIC Freshman applicant is denied placement into the Pre-Nursing Pathway by UH Admissions, the applicant will be placed into their second choice major listed on their application.

An applicant who is denied placement into the Pre-Nursing Pathway by UH Admissions can request the College of Nursing to review their UH application for the Pre-Nursing major. The applicant must initiate this process by completing the Pre-Nursing Major Change Request form.

Please note: All students applying to the Traditional BSN program are required to have SAT or ACT scores on file at UH. Applicants who do not have SAT or ACT scores on file will not be eligible to apply starting Fall 2023.

Change of Major Request for Current UH Students

There are two options for currently enrolled students at UH:

If an incoming Freshman student requested the Pre-Nursing major on their UH Application but was not admitted to UH as a Pre-Nursing student, and instead placed into their second choice major, the student can request a change of major using the Alternative Pre-Nursing Pathway Checklist & Request form after completing the requirements. NOTE: This application was designed for FTIC Freshmen students who complete the required criteria within the first two long semesters (Fall and Spring) from students’ initial matriculation semester in residence and are following the Pre-Nursing Pathway informally. All other current UH students should use the form below.
If a current student in another major wishes to have their major changed to Pre-Nursing, the student would need to submit the Pre-Nursing Change of Major Request for Current UH Students form. This form is for students who have attended UH for two or more semesters and have decided to apply to the Traditional BSN Track.

Change of Major Request for Transfer Students

Transfer students applying to UH cannot select Nursing or Pre-Nursing as their major on the UH transfer application. Transfer students interested in the Traditional BSN Track need to select a major listed on the application, then once they are an admitted UH student, they can submit the Pre-Nursing Change of Major Request for Transfer Students form.

Disclaimer: Submitting this form does not guarantee that your major will be changed to Pre-Nursing. The UH Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing reserves the right to approve the Pre-Nursing major change request based on the information presented here and in your UH Student Record. Thus, it is within students’ best interests to make sure all transfer credit, including AP scores, are listed on their UH Student Record BEFORE submitting the above form.

Next Steps for all Change of Major Requests

You will be notified via your UH email of the status of your request.

What do I do if I am approved?

Congratulations! If you are approved, you are required to meet with your Pre-Nursing academic advisor in the College of Nursing. You may schedule your advising appointment online through Navigate. Pre-Nursing advising is by appointment only.

What do I do if my request is not approved?

Please know that there are other options to help you reach your goal to graduate with an undergraduate degree. You may refer to the UH majors and minors website in exploring other majors at UH. Also, there other options to obtaining a BSN degree, please contact an academic advisor in the College of Nursing for additional information and guidance. It is our hope that you will be able to find the right major for you and that you may continue working towards earning your undergraduate degree.

If you have any difficulty with the change of major request, you may contact the Gessner College of Nursing at nursing@uh.edu.

Current UH Students with More than 60 Credit hours

Current UH students with 60 or more credit hours are encouraged to stay in their current major and apply to the Gessner College of Nursing Traditional BSN Track once all criteria have been met.

Andy & Barbara Gessner College of Nursing

Undergraduate Programs