Since 1992, UPEI's Bachelor of Nursing degree program has fostered an interactive academic environment that prepares nursing students to become critically reflective practitioners, advocates, educators, and professional leaders grounded in the principles of primary health care.
The curriculum of the Faculty of Nursing is based on the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care. Primary Health Care is defined by the World Health Organization (1978) as "essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford." The purpose of the program is to prepare nurses to practice according to the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care.
In keeping with the basis of Primary Health Care, nurses collaborate with clients, other health care providers, and people from other sectors of society in promoting health. Nursing roles range from direct caregiver to formulator of healthy public policy and include advocate, leader, educator, researcher, and program developer.
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Note: Current UPEI students should refer to Student Planning in myUPEI and the UPEI Academic Calendar governing their entry year, and speak to an academic advisor about course requirements. The course structure presented for this program is a recommended, unofficial progression for prospective students.
Note: As per Academic Regulation #1h), all undergraduate degree programs require successful completion of IKE-1040, one of UPEI-1010, 1020 or 1030, and a Writing Intensive Course.
Year 1
- BIO 1060 - Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements #1)
- BIO 1210 - Human Anatomy (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #2)
- BIO 1220 - Human Physiology (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #3)
- NURS 1010 - Foundations of Nursing I
- NURS 1020 - Foundations of Nursing II
- FN 1020 - Nutrition for Nursing Practice (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #4)
- PSY 1010 - Introduction to Psychology I (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #5)
- PSY 1020 - Introduction to Psychology II (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #6)
- One of UPEI 1010 - Writing Studies, UPEI 1020 - Inquiry Studies, or UPEI 1030 - University Studies (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #7)
Year 2
- PSY 2010 - Developmental Psychology (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #8)
- NURS 2120 - Pathophysiology for Nursing Students
- NURS 2030 - Health Assessment
- NURS 2130 - Nursing of Young Families
- NURS 2230 - Adult Nursing Transitions in Health
- NURS 2320 - Introductory Pharmacology
- Introductory Statistics - Normally fulfilled by STAT 1210 - Introductory Statistics or PSY 2710 - Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences I (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #9)
- IKE 1040 - Indigenous Teachings of Turtle Island
Year 3
- NURS 3030 - Issues in Nursing and Health Care
- NURS 3040 - Nursing Research Methods
- NURS 3060 - Nursing of the Childbearing Family
- NURS 3130 - Developing Partnerships with Clients in the Community
- NURS 3230 - Partnerships with Clients and Families Living with Chronic Illness
- NURS 3340 - Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
- Electives (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #11 and #12)
Spring Session
- NURS 3100 - Integrated Clinical Experience I
Year 4
- NURS 4010 - Nursing and Population Health
- NURS 4020 - Integrated Clinical Experience II
- NURS 4030 - Nursing Leadership and Primary Health Care
- NURS 4040 - Conceptual Models and Nursing Theories
- Electives (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #12)
Non-Nursing Course Requirements
1) Required credit for BIO 1060 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 2060.
2) Required credit for BIO 1210 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 2260.
3) Required credit for BIO 1220 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 4010. For course descriptions of BIO 1060, BIO 1210 and BIO 1220, see Biology.
4) Required credit for FN 1020 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed FN 1010 or FN 2120 prior to the 2017 first summer session. From the 2017 first summer session to date, required credit for FN 1020 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed
FN 3520. For course description for FN 1020, see Applied Human Sciences.
5, 6, 8) For course descriptions of PSY 1010, PSY 1020 and PSY 2010, see Psychology Department. Required credit for PSY 2010 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed FSC 2410.
7) For course descriptions of UPEI 1010, UPEI 1020 and UPEI 1030, see UPEI First Year Experience
9) For course description of STAT 1210, see Mathematical and Computational Sciences and for course description for PSY 2710, see Psychology.
10, 11, 12) Three free electives
Please note:
- NURS 4010 will normally meet the UPEI Writing Intensive degree requirement. Please see Writing Intensive Courses.
- For students not accepted to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and looking to upgrade their mark in the English requirement for admission to Nursing for a future application, only UPEI 1010, UPEI 1020 or any course designated/offered by the English Department will meet the requirement.
- As per Academic Regulation 1h, all undergraduate degree programs require successful completion of IKE-1040 (new for students beginning or returning after re-application in Fall 2022); one of UPEI-1010, UPEI-1020, or UPEI-1030, and a Writing Intensive Course.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) is a four-year program. Graduates are eligible to write licensure examinations to practice nursing, and to hold membership in the College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island.
Admission Requirements
High School Applicant
A high school applicant must have achieved a mark of at least 65% in each of the following academic courses: English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and one other grade 12 academic course, with an overall average in these courses of at least 70%.
University Applicant
Applicants attending or having attended a University must meet the same requirements as listed above but can also complete the course requirements by taking degree level courses. A minimum mark of 60% is required in degree level courses.
Mature Applicant
In addition to the general admission requirements for mature students, the following regulations apply: a student of mature years may be admitted to the Faculty of Nursing without fulfilling all the entrance requirements specified for the high school graduates. A mature applicant must have achieved a mark of 65% in each of Grade 12 academic English, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology or a mark of 60% for 3 semester hours in the same subjects at the university level.
CASPer Test Requirement (worth 30% of overall admission score)
All applicants applying to the Bachelor of Science, Nursing program at UPEI are required to complete Altus Suite for the 2023–2024 admissions cycle.
Altus Suite is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. Altus Suite will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing Altus Suite, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
Altus Suite consists of:
- Casper: 100–120 minute online, open-response situational judgment test
How to complete Altus Suite
In order to take Altus Suite, you will be responsible for securing access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps. You will require the following for both account creation and completing Altus Suite:
- Government-issued photo ID (English/French) for account validation
- Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application)
- Desktop or laptop computer
- Working webcam
- Working microphone
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
1. Please go to www.TakeAltus.com to sign up for Altus Suite for CSP-10202 Undergraduate Health Sciences, under your specific country, and register using a piece of government-issued photo ID.
2. Select a Casper test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times, which have been pre-arranged/approved by your program(s) in accordance with their admissions timelines. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your Casper test based on your program selection(s). There will be no additional tests scheduled. Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your application; there may be updates to the test schedule.
Important: To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
3. Ensure you have selected a University of Prince Edward Island Bachelor of Science, Nursing program for distribution before the posted distribution deadline. Likely, there will be no additional tests scheduled, but the most up-to-date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times on TakeAltus.com.
4. It is recommended that you complete Snapshot and/or Duet within 14 days of taking Casper at TakeAltus.com. The final deadline however, is the same as the distribution deadline for your program(s) as shown on the Dates and Fees page.
5. Please direct any inquiries on Altus Suite to support@altus.as. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the TakeAltus.com website.
Testing Accommodations: If you require testing accommodations for Altus Suite, you will need to submit the Accommodations Request Form signed by you and your qualified professional 3 weeks in advance of your desired test date. More information regarding accommodations can be found on the Acuity Insights website.
Selection criteria
The total number of students admitted will be limited in accordance with facilities and resources on campus and in health care agencies.
Approximately seventy (70) seats are available in the four-year Nursing program each year. All students who meet the minimum requirements will be considered. Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of PEI. Eligible first year candidates are ranked on their average in Biology, Chemistry, English and Math. University applicants completing one or more of the core courses listed above will have 15% added to each university course for ranking purposes. University applicants must be in good academic standing, as defined in the UPEI calendar.
Offers to the highest ranked may take place at any time during the process. For applicants completing prerequisite requirements, offers will take place after first semester grades have been received. All first round offers will be made by April. A second round of offers is made in May, with the number depending upon first round acceptances. Finally, a third round of offers is made in July for any seats that are still available. Late offers of a seat to the program will be made to the highest ranked alternate if and when a seat becomes available.
Please refer to the UPEI Academic Calendar for complete admissions information.
Tuition
$7,170 per year, ($3,585 per semester, or $717.00 per 3 credit course)
International students pay $8,410 per year in addition to full-time student tuition.
For a complete breakdown of part-time or full-time study as a student in the Faculty of Nursing, visit our Tuition and Fees page.
Scholarships and Awards
UPEI supports you and your educational goals. We administer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards to our undergraduate and graduate students every year. Depending on your faculty or program, and year of study, you may be eligible for available awards.
Search the complete list of scholarships for information and application forms.
Celebrating Student Achievement
Including Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships and Academic Excellence Awards, these awards recognize the academic achievements of all students who meet the eligibility criteria while studying towards their first undergraduate degree.
Visit the Scholarships site for complete information.
UPEI has about 250 faculty—exceptional scholars, teachers, and mentors, with more being hired each year as we open new, progressive, and unique programs. But the story isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in the quality of our people. Award-winning faculty from around the globe have made UPEI home. Here, you’ll learn directly from these world-class professors and researchers in small classes where you’ll have easy access to them.
