Samford University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Second Degree (BSN) – Second Degree (Five-Semester) BSN · AL · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Samford says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01General ChemistryGen/Organic/Bio Chemistry with lab · CHEM 108/109The lab must be face to face.
source · samford.edu
“CHEM 108 Gen/Organic/Bio Chemistry CHEM 109 (lab) Face to face lab. 4”
credits4labrequired - 02College AlgebraContemporary Math, Intro to Applied Mathematics, or Pre-Calculus · MATH 110 / MATH 130 / MATH 150Any one of the three courses.
source · samford.edu
“MATH 110 (Contemporary Math), MATH 130 (Intro to Applied Mathematics), or MATH 150 (Pre-Calculus) • Math will vary 3”
credits3labno - 03General PsychologyGeneral Psychology · PSYC 101
source · samford.edu
“PSYC 101 General Psychology 3”
credits3labno - 04Religion / TheologyUniversity Core Biblical Foundations · UCBF 101May be transferred in or taken in Fall 1 of the program.
source · samford.edu
“UCBF 101 (University Core Biblical Foundations) 3”
credits3labno - 05Religion / TheologyUniversity Core Biblical Foundations · UCBF 102May be transferred in or taken in Spring 1 of the program.
source · samford.edu
“UCBF 102 (University Core Biblical Foundations) 3”
credits3labno - 06OtherGlobal EngagementThe plan of study places it in Fall 2 if not transferred in.
source · samford.edu
“Global Engagement 3”
credits3labno - 07Anatomy & Physiology IAnatomy & Physiology I · BIOL 221/222The lab must be face to face.
source · samford.edu
“BIOL 221/222 Anatomy & Physiology I Face to face lab. 4”
credits4labrequired - 08Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy & Physiology II · BIOL 223/224The lab must be face to face.
source · samford.edu
“BIOL 223/224 Anatomy & Physiology II Face to face lab. 4”
credits4labrequired - 09MicrobiologyMicrobiology for Allied Health Sciences · BIOL 225/226The listing does not say 'Face to face lab'. However, no online labs are accepted for required science courses.
source · samford.edu
“BIOL 225/226 Microbiology for Allied Health Sciences 4”
credits4 - 10NutritionNutrition Science for Health Professions · NUTR 220
source · samford.edu
“NUTR 220 Nutrition Science for Health Professions 3”
credits3labno - 11Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentLife-Span Development · PSYC 205
source · samford.edu
“PSYC 205 Life-Span Development 3”
credits3labno - 12StatisticsStatistics · MATH 210May be transferred in or taken during the program as NURS 232 (Fall 2).
source · samford.edu
“Statistics- MATH 210 equivalent 3”
credits3labno
Minimum grade for transfer credit
C- or higher for a course to transfer
This is the university-wide transfer credit policy. The nursing pages do not state a separate minimum prerequisite grade.
source · samford.edu
“Transfer work from institutionally accredited (formerly regionally accredited) colleges and universities will be accepted if the student has earned a grade of C- or higher (D grades will not transfer into Samford).”
Courses that may be taken during the program
UCBF 101/102 and Statistics may be taken during the program
The plan of study also places Global Engagement in Fall 2 'if not transferred in'.
source · samford.edu
“UCBF and Math Statistics may be transferred in OR taken during the program.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Science course time limit
Required science courses completed within the last 7 years
The plan of study PDF repeats this. No reference date is stated.
source · samford.edu
“Must have completed all required science courses within the last seven years.”
Science course repeats
At most one required science course may be repeated, and only once
source · samford.edu
“Must have repeated no more than one of the required science courses, and the course can only be repeated once.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum cumulative GPA for admission
2.75
The university's general transfer guidance is 2.50; the nursing program requires 2.75.
source · samford.edu
“Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.”
Minimum science GPA
2.3 across anatomy, physiology, microbiology and chemistry
Applicants with a 2.3 in two of the four courses may be considered for conditional admission. A 2.3 must be maintained to progress into nursing courses.
source · samford.edu
“Minimum science GPA of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale in all required college courses (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry) or to be considered for conditional admission, a student must have a 2.3 in two of the four required courses. Additionally, a 2.3 or higher must be maintained to progress into nursing courses.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam
ATI TEAS: minimum 72% overall and 58.7% in each of the four areas; at most 3 attempts per calendar year
source · samford.edu
“Must complete the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a minimum score of 72% and proficiency of 58.7% in all four areas. The ATI TEAS Exam may be taken a maximum of three times per calendar year.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Online labs
Not accepted for required science courses
The plan of study lists 'Face to face lab' for chemistry and A&P I/II.
source · samford.edu
“At present, no online labs will be accepted for required science courses.”
Credit by exam
AP, CLEP, DSST and IB credit is awarded as Pass and is not counted in the GPA
This is university-wide policy. The pages do not say whether exam credit satisfies nursing prerequisites.
source · samford.edu
“Credit earned with the minimum score required will be applied with a grade of "P" for Pass; no letter grade is applied. Credit hours are earned, but no grade or quality points will be included in the GPA calculation.”
Transfer institutions Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Courses from accredited institutions offering a bachelor's degree, or an associate degree leading to one, are considered” vs “Accepted from accredited institutions offering associate degrees leading to the baccalaureate”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Pass/fail prerequisites Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles Samford publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Fall cohortDue June 1 each yearnext Jun 1, 2027Year not printed. This is the School of Nursing deadline. Applicants must also apply to Samford as an Undergraduate Transfer. The university transfer timeline shows the application opening September 1 and a final fall deadline of July 1, later than the nursing deadline. The nursing page asks applicants to submit the nursing application as soon as possible.
source · samford.edu
“Deadline: June 1 (Fall Admission Only)”
Application route
Samford University application (as Undergraduate Transfer), then the School of Nursing application; NursingCAS is not mentioned
source · samford.edu
“Prospective students must first apply to Samford University. Upon submission of your Samford application, you will receive a link to the School of Nursing application.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Cost
Tuition and fees as the school publishes them. Living costs vary; the source link has the full table.
University application fee
$50
Stated in the freshman section of the apply page. A transfer-specific or nursing application fee is not stated.
source · samford.edu
“Samford offers an online application and also accepts the Common Application. The application fee is $50.”
Tuition Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Prior degree
Non-nursing bachelor's degree from an institution accredited when the degree was awarded
source · samford.edu
“Minimum of a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing from an accredited institution at the time the degree was awarded.”
Essay (university transfer application)
Essay required with the university transfer application
Freshman guidance asks for at least 250 words. Transfer essay length is not stated.
source · samford.edu
“In addition to the application, essay, and letter of recommendation, Samford also requires the following for transfer students:”
Recommendation (university transfer application)
One letter of recommendation with the university transfer application
source · samford.edu
“In addition to the application, essay, and letter of recommendation, Samford also requires the following for transfer students:”
TOEFL
At least 550 paper, 213 computer or 80 internet
The university apply page lists higher recommended scores for international applicants: iBT 90, computer 232, paper 575.
source · samford.edu
“International applicants or American citizens who learned English as a second language must score at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).”
Program credits and clinical hours
111 total credits (40 general education and pre-professional, 71 nursing core); 932 clinical and lab hours
source · samford.edu
“Total Credits: 111/Total Clinical & Lab Hours: 932”
- Applicants must be admitted to Samford University, applying as an Undergraduate Transfer, in addition to completing the School of Nursing application.
source · samford.edu
“Admission to Samford University. Apply now. (Be sure to apply as an Undergraduate Transfer.)”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Good to know
What the school says about the program that is not a requirement: how it selects, how many it admits, what to expect.
Format
On campus, with clinicals in Birmingham
No online coursework is mentioned.
source · samford.edu
“Students complete over 900 hours of clinical training in Birmingham—one of the nation's top health care facilities—alongside expert faculty and interprofessional peers.”
Start term
Fall only
source · samford.edu
“**Transfer and/or Second-Degree Students begin Nursing courses only in the fall semester.”
ACT/SAT
Not required
source · samford.edu
“No ACT or SAT scores are required.”
Competitiveness
Competitive; meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission
source · samford.edu
“Admission to the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing is competitive. Meeting minimum admission requirements is not a guarantee of admission.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Samford, with when we last checked it. Tier 1 is the program's own pages; tier 2 the nursing school's general pages; tier 3 university-wide pages.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing Second Degree (BSN) | Samford Universitytier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- https://www.samford.edu/nursing/files/BSN-Second-Degree-Plan-of-Study-and-List-of-Courses.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Apply to Samford University | Samford Universitytier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Visit Samford University | Samford Universitytier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Undergraduate Tuition and Fees | Samford Nursingtier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Credit Transfer | Samford University's Office of Admissiontier 1 · prereqs · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Samford University Website Privacy Policytier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- The nursing page gives a June 1 deadline (no year), while the university transfer timeline gives a July 1 final fall deadline. Applicants should confirm which governs.
- No nursing-specific minimum grade per prerequisite is published; only the university's C- transfer floor is stated.
- It is not stated whether microbiology (BIOL 225/226) requires a lab, though online labs are excluded for all required science courses.
- No nursing-specific application fee, tuition amount, interview, CNA or healthcare experience requirement is published.
- The pages do not say whether pass/fail grades or credit-by-exam can satisfy nursing prerequisites.
- Is the 2.3 science requirement a GPA across the four science courses, or a 2.3 in each course?
- Is there a minimum grade for individual prerequisites beyond the university's C- transfer rule?
- The nursing deadline is June 1, but the university transfer deadline is July 1. Which applies to second-degree applicants?
- Second-degree tuition is not published; the page refers applicants to Samford One Stop.
- Is there a nursing application fee or interview?
- Two readings of the page disagreed on community_college_policy: Courses from accredited institutions offering a bachelor's degree, or an associate degree leading to one, are considered | Accepted from accredited institutions offering associate degrees leading to the baccalaureate.
Something wrong here? Report an error
ABSNcheck summarizes requirements that schools publish on their own websites, with a link to each source and the date we last verified it. Schools change requirements, sometimes contradict themselves, and make individual decisions. Results show whether you meet published minimums; they are not an admission decision or a guarantee, and are not official advice from any school. Always confirm requirements with each program before you apply or enroll in a course.
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