Upper Division Application Procedures

Upper Division Eligibility Requirements

  • Students eligible to apply for the Upper Division must be admitted to the University of Louisville and the Lower Division of Nursing.
  • Students admitted to Arts and Sciences Pre-Nursing are not eligible to apply until they have submitted a change of major request in ULink to Lower Division (program code NU BSN) and the change has been approved.
  • Students eligible to apply to Upper Division must have either completed all Lower Division requirements or be in the last semester of completing Lower Division requirements. 
  • Minimum program of study grade point average of 3.0 and minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 are required to be considered for admission.
  • Students who plan to apply for fall admission can complete remaining Lower Division course work the summer prior and still be eligible to apply for fall.
If you are unsure if you are eligible to apply for Upper Division, please contact your academic counselor.

 

Upper Division Application Process

Admissions Deadlines
Fall Cohort: Open March 1 - May 1
Spring Cohort: Open August 1 - September 15

Note: Late applications and/or background check orders are not accepted.

All students applying for admission to the BSN Upper Division portion of the degree program must submit the following application materials online by the appropriate deadline: 

  1. Background Check: Students are responsible for the $58 order fee for the required Castlebranch background check. Students do not need to complete the drug test at this time. The background check should be ordered no later than 5 business days prior to the application deadline. Keep your CastleBranch login username and password for future use.

    Instructions:

    Go to Castlebranch.
    Select Place Order
    Select BSN and then the appropriate program location (Louisville or Owensboro) for your background check.
    Select the background check package and then continue the prompts to payment.

    • CastleBranch will submit the results of your background check directly to the School of Nursing. Once you have placed your order, you will not need to submit results on your own.
    • If additional information is needed, a School of Nursing official will contact you regarding your results.
    • Outside background checks are not accepted.
    • A new CastleBranch background check must be submitted each time you apply for Upper Division. Background check must be resubmitted if original check was ordered more than 9 months prior to the planned Upper Division start date.
  2. Prepare your Goal Statement

    Do not start the online application until you have completed your Goal Statement.

    Write 500 words or less describing your personal qualities as they pertain to a successful nursing career.  Address your perception of the profession of nursing and how you came to choose this career.  Describe your short and long term nursing goals.  The Goal Statement must be ready to attach as a Word or PDF document to the nursing application. Please save as the following file name: last name, first name ID#

  3. Online Application
    Open March 1 - May 1 for fall cohort - Now open!

    • Chrome, Firefox, or Edge are recommended for completing the form.
    • You will have 10 minutes to complete the application.
    • Please provide your louisville.edu email address on the application.
    • Attach your Goal Statement. If you have trouble attaching your goal statement, try using a different browser or computer.
    • If you continue to have trouble attaching the goal statement, please contact . Do not resubmit the application.
    • Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email to the email address you provided on the application. Check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive the email to your inbox.  If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact the Office of Student Services to verify your application was submitted before attempting to submit your application again.

    *Note transfer students only:  Please ensure your updated official college transcript(s) are on file with the Admissions Office.  Note: you do not need to submit your UofL transcript.

Admission decisions will be sent to the email address you provided on your application 4 - 6 weeks after the application deadline.