Academic Calendar 2024-2025

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements stated in this chapter are minimum requirements. Preference will be given to applicants with the best qualifications. The actual standing required for admission may be higher than the minimum levels stated.

All applicants should note that the Queen's University Senate Policy on Student Appeals states that applicants seeking admission to the University or a Program at Queen's may not appeal a decision regarding an individual application, whether or not the applicant is, or has been, a student in another Program at Queen's. By extension, applicants may not appeal any regulation stated in the Admission chapter of the School of Nursing Calendar.

Applicants should also review requirements for practicing as a nurse (for example: College of Nurses of Ontario, Requisite Skills and Abilities necessary for Nursing Practice in Ontario)

Academic Requirements

Applicants must meet academic requirements under one of the following categories:

1. Admission from Ontario Secondary Schools

Applicants from the Ontario Secondary School system must complete the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and a minimum of four Grade 12 U courses (including ENG4U*, SBI4U, SCH4U, and any 4U MATH) and two additional 4U or 4M courses.

*A minimum grade of 75% (or equivalent) in English is required for admission consideration.

2. Admission from Non-Ontario Secondary Schools
i. Admission from other Canadian Provinces and Territories

Applicants from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut must have university preparatory courses in Grade 12 Biology, Chemistry, English*, and a Mathematics, and must satisfy secondary school graduation requirements. Quebec applicants must have one academic year in CEGEP beyond the Secondary V diploma. Prerequisite courses in Biology, Chemistry, English*, and Mathematics must be at the CEGEP level. Applicants are encouraged to visit Undergraduate Admissions for region-specific admission requirements.

*A minimum grade of 75% (or equivalent) in English is required for admission consideration.

ii. Admission from the United States

12th Grade graduation with a minimum GPA of B- on four academic courses from an accredited high school. If prerequisite courses are AP, they are acceptable from any year. Otherwise, prerequisite courses must be completed in the Junior or Senior year. The submission of a School Profile is recommended. AP courses are considered excellent preparation for university courses and may be eligible for degree credit. Queen’s is Test-optional. SAT and/or ACT results will be accepted if submitted, but they are not required. (College Board Code 0949. ACT Code 5236).  Grade 12 English (two terms), four full-year courses in Mathematics. One, preferably two, full-year courses in each of Biology and Chemistry. Biology and Chemistry to be completed in Junior or Senior year. Minimum English final grade of 75% or equivalent.

iii. Admission from Other Educational Systems

Specific admission requirements may be viewed on the Undergraduate Admission. Please note, applicants must have an acceptable level of an English Literature course (not English Language).

3. Advanced Placement

A maximum of 18 units may be granted for Advanced Placement examinations passed with a grade of 4 or higher. Official examination results must be forwarded to Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee by August 1 of the year of entry.

4. International Baccalaureate System

Candidates completing the IB diploma may be considered for admission provided they pass six subjects, with at least three at the Higher Level, and accumulate a minimum total grade of 28, not including bonus points. The six subjects taken must include the prerequisite courses of HL or SL English, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. A minimum predicted/final score of four in English is required. Whether or not the IB diploma has been completed, a maximum of 18 units may be granted for HL courses completed with a score of five or greater.

5. Admission for University Students

Applicants must present, at either the Senior Secondary School or University level, courses in Cell Biology, Introductory Chemistry, English*, and Mathematics.

*A minimum grade of 75% (or equivalent) in Senior Secondary School English Literature (not English Language) or a 60% in a University English Literature course is required for admission consideration.

Students with previous university education have two options:

a. Four-Year BNSc Program

Transfer credits will be granted for comparable courses reducing the course load, but the program remains four years in length.  

b. Two-Year BNSc Program (AST)

This program is available to students applying to transfer into nursing from other disciplines with at least 60.0 units of graded university credits ( equivalent to 10 full university courses), four of which must be the following:

i. A full year introductory psychology course equivalent to Queen’s PSYC 100 (6.0), or alternately, one transferrable half year introductory psychology course plus a second transferrable half year psychology course;

ii. A full year human physiology course equivalent to Queen’s PHGY 215/216 (6.0);

iii. One half year (one term) human anatomy course equivalent to ANAT 101 (3.0); and,

iv. A half year (one term) statistics course equivalent to NURS 323 (3.0).

Note: The prerequisite courses listed above must be completed within the past seven years with a mark of 60% (C-) or higher. Proof of enrollment in prerequisite courses must be submitted by February 15th and final grades must be received by June 15th.

The AST Program is two full calendar years (including Summer Session) during which students are required to take a full normal course load. Admission to the AST is academically competitive; applicants need a minimum 2.7 GPA for admission consideration. 

Successful applicants must seek course counselling from the Academic Advisor in the School of Nursing. 

Queen's University subscribes to the following General Policy on the Transfer of Course Credits, as adopted by the Council of Ontario Universities: Acceptance of transfer credits among Ontario Universities shall be based on the recognition that, while learning experiences may differ in a variety of ways, their substance may be essentially equivalent in terms of their content and rigor. Insofar as possible, acceptance of transfer should allow for the maximum recognition of previous learning experiences in university-level courses.

The acceptance of course credit is subject to:

  1. Admission
  2.  Degree, grade and program requirements
  3.  Further details regarding transfer credit policies can be obtained by contacting Undergraduate Admission, Office of the University Registrar.
6. Indigenous Students Pathway

Please refer to this link for more information. Candidates seeking admission consideration under this policy should email the Indigenous Community Outreach Coordinator at fd.recruiter@queensu.ca for more information. Admission to Queen’s University will depend on the assessment of the student’s program pre-requisites (or equivalencies) as well as the assessment of any required supplementary information. The number of students admitted each year under this policy will be determined in the annual enrolment plan upon consultation with the faculties and schools.

7.  First Generation Pathway

Please refer to this link for more information. For more information, please contact 1gen@queensu.ca to get in touch with our First-Generation Recruitment Representative, Richard Mitchell. 

8. Equity Admission Self- Identification

Please refer to this link for more information.

9. Admission After Withdrawal from the School of Nursing

Students who have voluntarily withdrawn, in good academic standing, must subsequently apply for admission. Students required to withdraw for academic reasons may apply for admission to the School during a subsequent academic year. Students who are required to withdraw from the BNSc program for safety reasons cannot reapply to the School of Nursing.

Note: Acceptance to the program is not automatic. Students seeking admission to the School of Nursing should apply directly to the Chair of the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee, School of Nursing by 1 February. The application shall include a letter outlining the reasons for seeking admission, what the candidate has done since withdrawal, and transcripts of courses taken since leaving the School of Nursing. If admission is offered, students are subject to the degree program requirements in effect at the time of their return.

Note: Any student who has been required to withdraw and is re-admitted is automatically placed on academic probation.

a. Admission After Voluntary Withdrawal

Admission decisions are made subject to availability of space. Where space is limited, preference will be given to the applicant(s) most competitive academically as determined by the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee. Students may be required to audit specific courses as a condition of admission as determined by the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee. Refer to University Sessional Dates.

b. Admission After Requirement to Withdraw for Academic Reasons

Students required to withdraw for academic reasons may apply for admission to the School of Nursing during a subsequent academic year (see Academic Regulations Section 2.8). The applicant will be considered for admission under the following conditions:

i. The applicant must provide convincing evidence that they are suitable for a professional degree program.

ii. The applicant provides convincing evidence that they are likely to succeed in completing the degree for which admission is sought as demonstrated by the successful completion of at least two full-year courses (or the equivalent in half- year courses) taken at an accredited university after withdrawal from the School of Nursing. One of the courses must be at the 200 level or above. A minimum cumulative B standing or equivalent from university courses must be obtained with no further failures. The cumulative B standing applies to courses taken since leaving the School of Nursing. Repeated courses will not be included in meeting this requirement nor in the calculation of the average.

iii. The admission decision is also dependent upon a determination that space exists in the requested program. Where space is limited, preference will be given to the applicant(s) most competitive academically as determined by the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee.

iv. Students may be required to repeat specific courses as a condition of admission as determined by the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee.

Denial of Application for Admission

A student whose application for admission has been denied will be informed of the decision under the signature of the Chair of the Undergraduate Student Admissions Committee including reason(s) for the decision.

English Language Proficiency

English is the language of instruction at Queen's University and candidates must be able to communicate competently in English both orally and in writing. Applicants who have not lived in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language, or who have not attended an educational institution full-time where the medium of instruction is English for the most recent three years prior to beginning their university studies must achieve a satisfactory score on one of the tests of facility in English. Acceptable tests are listed on the Queen's Undergraduate Admission.