Marquette Campus

Degree Progression Requirements


The following general requirements must be met for progression into and throughout the nursing major. 

  1. A minimum grade of C in all required NURS and HEAL courses with a letter grading scale. Grades of C- and lower are not acceptable. A minimum grade of Pass (P) in all required clinical courses with a pass/fail grading scale. For more information on letter grades, see the University Grading System.
  2. A minimum grade of C in the following courses: BISC 2015 Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology 1, HEAL 1060 Survey of BiochemistryBISC 2016 Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology 2PSYC 1001 General Psychology, PSYC 2101 Introduction to Life-Span Developmental Psychology for the Health Professions
    Note: For students who entered the nursing program prior to Fall 2022, refer to the bulletin that corresponds to the year you started the program.
  3. A minimum grade of D is required for all other required courses not listed above.
  4. Students must maintain a term and cumulative GPA of 2.500 or higher; freshmen completing their first semester must earn a term GPA of at least 2.000.  
  5. Students who earn less than the required grade in any course, withdraw or are assigned a WA or WF by faculty in any NURS/HEAL or required cognate course will receive a warning letter from the college and are placed on academic probation.
  6. Students will receive a College Academic Alert (CAA), which is dismissal from the College of Nursing, for any repeat or combination of the following (as defined in 1, 2, 3 and 4 above): 
    • earning less than the required grade
    • withdrawing from a required NURS/HEAL or cognate course
    • receiving a 'Withdrawn-Excessive Absences' (WA) or 'Withdrawal-Failing' (WF) in a course
    • cumulative or term GPA of 2.500 or lower; first semester freshman year GPA lower than 2.000
      For example, a student receives a CAA for earning less than the required grade in one course and withdrawing for academic reasons from another course or after withdrawing from two required courses or cognates for academic reasons. 
  7. No required cognate or required nursing course may be repeated more than one time.
  8. Students can only repeat a maximum of two different required or cognate courses. This includes repeating a course for any grade less than a C and/or withdrawing.
  9. Students must adhere to the University Repeated Courses Policy in this bulletin.
  10. Students can only withdraw from a required or cognate course one time. This option can only be applied to a maximum of two courses. Withdrawing from two courses results in a CAA (see item 6).
  11. Students who withdraw from a theory course that has a corresponding clinical course must also withdraw from that clinical course.
  12.  All students are required by the Undergraduate Program and Curriculum Committee to complete external, standardized, comprehensive nursing examinations and a review course as a condition of graduation. (fee required)
  13. Students must meet health requirements as specified in the Clinical/Health Requirements and Criminal Background Checks section found in this bulletin. (fee required)
  14. All required NURS/HEAL courses must be taken at Marquette University. Exceptions must be approved by the assistant dean.
  15. Students wanting to enroll in more than 18 credits must obtain college approval. Students may not, under any circumstances, enroll in more than 21 credits.

Note: Students may fail a clinical at any time during the semester for either a pattern of unsafe and/or unethical nursing behavior or a particularly serious incident of unsafe and/or unethical nursing behavior. At the faculty’s discretion a learning plan may be put in place based upon students' performance. Once students are informed that they are failing a clinical course, withdrawal from that course is no longer an option.

Course Progression Requirements

Progression into NURS 2001 Foundations I: Health Assessment and Fundamentals I

The following required courses or their equivalents must be completed prior to entering NURS 2001 Foundations I: Health Assessment and Fundamentals I:

NURS 1001Nursing and Health in the Jesuit Tradition3
NURS 1002Dimensions of the Nursing Profession in the Jesuit Tradition3
HEAL 1060Survey of Biochemistry3
PSYC 1001General Psychology3
BISC 2015Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology 13
BISC 2016Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology 23
Total Credit Hours:18

Progression into NURS 2002 Foundations II: Health Assessment and Fundamentals II

The following required courses or their equivalents must be completed prior to entering NURS 2002 Foundations II: Health Assessment and Fundamentals II:

NURS 2001Foundations I: Health Assessment and Fundamentals I3
NURS 2100Pathophysiology I3
HEAL 2045Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition3
Total Credit Hours:9

Progression into NURS 3201 Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research through NURS 3984 Nursing Care for Persons with Chronic Conditions-Clinical

The following required courses or their equivalents must be completed prior to entering courses NURS 3201 Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research through NURS 3984 Nursing Care for Persons with Chronic Conditions-Clinical:

NURS 2002Foundations II: Health Assessment and Fundamentals II4
NURS 2110Pharmacotherapeutics for Nursing Practice3
NURS 2200Pathophysiology II3
HEAL 1025Culture and Health3
PSYC 2101Introduction to Life-Span Developmental Psychology for the Health Professions3
Total Credit Hours:16

Progression into NURS 4000 Quality and Safety in Nursing or Higher Nursing Courses

The following required cognate and nursing courses or their equivalents must be completed prior to entering NURS 4000 Quality and Safety in Nursing and other higher-level nursing courses:

NURS 3201Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research3
NURS 3600Community and Population Health Nursing3
NURS 3700Nursing Concepts and Interventions for the Care of Adults/Older Adults I-Theory3
NURS 3800Maternity Nursing and Women's Health-Theory3
NURS 3965Community and Population Health Nursing - Clinical2
NURS 3966Maternity and Women's Health - Clinical2
NURS 3984Nursing Care for Persons with Chronic Conditions-Clinical4
NURS 3000Concepts and Interventions for the Promotion of Mental Health - Theory3
Total Credit Hours:23

All other required courses must be completed prior to graduation.

Students who withdraw from a theory course that has a corresponding clinical course must also withdraw from that clinical course.