Hands-on Learning
As an undergraduate student, you'll work with a small group of peers under the guidance of faculty mentors during prestigious and varied clinical placements.
Nursing (B.S.)
As a student in our bachelor's program in nursing, you will be prepared to practice as a generalist in a range of settings—including hospitals, clinics, and community agencies—while also making the most of your undergraduate experience by studying abroad, participating in student organizations, and working alongside faculty on their current research.
Our undergraduate curriculum combines classroom learning with clinical experiences and includes essentials in nursing, the liberal arts, and the natural and social sciences. You also may be eligible to take graduate-level electives during your junior and senior years.
Earning a bachelor's degree takes four years, and we encourage you to take advantage of opportunities outside the classroom—including Boston College athletics, student clubs, and international study and travel. In fact, one-third of our students study abroad during their junior year and another third of senior students participate in global clinical experiences.
Get Started
Apply through the Boston College Office of Undergraduate Admission.
#9
ranked Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Nursing
Program Overview
Fall Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS1010 | Professional Development Seminar |
| BIOL1300 | Anatomy & Physiology I |
| BIOL1310 | Anatomy & Physiology I Lab |
| CHEM1161 | Life Science Chemistry |
| CHEM1163 | Life Science Chemistry Lab |
| 2 core courses | |
Spring Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS2070 | Introduction to Professional Nursing |
| BIOL1320 | Anatomy & Physiology II |
| BIOL1330 | Anatomy & Physiology II Lab |
| MATH1180 | Statistics |
| 2 core courses | |
Fall Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIOL2200, 2210 | Microbiology + Lab |
| NURS2122 | Nursing Assessment of Health |
| NURS2121 | Health Assessment Clinical* |
| NURS2080 | Pathophysiology |
| 1 core course | |
*Lab fee associated with this course
Spring Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS2230 | Adult Health Nursing Theory I |
| NURS2231 | Adult Health Nursing Clinical I* |
| NURS2205 | Clinical Pharmacology |
| HLTH2206 | Principles of Nutrition |
| NURS2090 | Sophomore Formation Seminar |
| 1 core course | |
*Lab fee associated with this course
Fall Semester
This flexible semester—available for you to study abroad, adjust clinical hours, or catch up on core course requirements—may occur during the fall or spring semester.
Spring Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS3242 | Adult Health Nursing Theory II |
| NURS3243 | Adult Health Nursing Clinical II |
| NURS3244 | Childbearing Nursing Theory |
| NURS3245 | Childbearing Nursing Clinical |
| NURS3170 | Principles of Evidence-based Nursing |
The Undergraduate Programs Office will determine the exact clinical sequence for your junior and senior years.
Fall Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS4250 | Child Health Theory |
| NURS4251 | Child Health Clinical |
| NURS4252 | Psych-Mental Health Theory |
| NURS4253 | Psych-Mental Health Clinical |
| 1 core course or elective | |
Spring Semester | |
| Course | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NURS4260 | Population Health Theory |
| NURS4261 | Population Health Practice |
| NURS4263 | Nursing Synthesis Clinical* |
| NURS4264 | Actualizing the Role of Professional Nurse |
| 1 core course or elective | |
*Lab fee associated with this course
The Undergraduate Programs Office will determine the exact clinical sequence for your junior and senior years.
For undergraduate laboratory fees, visit Boston College's Student Services webpage.
Continuous improvement through assessment
Boston College is deeply committed to providing you with the highest quality educational experience. The ASSESSMENT process requires all programs to:
- Be clear and specific about the learning goals it sets for students
- Develop measures to determine the degree to which each of its goals is being met
- Have a standard process for assessing learning outcomes for students and recommending appropriate adjustments
As a graduate of the CSON baccalaureate nursing program, you will be a critical thinker who:
- Respects the intrinsic worth of all human beings by valuing and integrating altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice into professional nursing practice across all health care settings and populations
- Synthesizes concepts from a liberal arts, Jesuit education to develop a philosophy of care that guides professional nursing practice
- Uses management and leadership skills to coordinate and promote quality health care
- Uses empirical evidence and theoretical knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to influence health promotion and disease prevention in individuals, families, and populations across the lifespan and across health care environments
- Generates clinical judgments based on assessment data and implements interventions to achieve individual, family, and population-centered outcomes
- Collaborates with individuals, families, community stakeholders, and the interdisciplinary health care team to ensure safe, clinically efficacious, cost-effective care
- Articulates the relationships among intrapersonal, interpersonal, social, environmental, cultural, and ethical influences on health care delivery in a diverse, multicultural, and global society
- Uses informatics and electronic technology to document, evaluate, and improve the quality of health care
- Articulates the influence of policy on health care and professional nursing practice
- Accesses information and seeks experiences to promote personal and professional growth, advance nursing practice, and improve the care of individuals, families, and populations.
Approved by Faculty Assembly, April 21, 2010
Professional Nursing Standards and Guidelines addressed by the Baccalaureate Program
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2008). The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice.
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). (2007). Competency Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for Pre-Licensure.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2021). Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2010). Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the Profession.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Healthy People 2030.
- The Joint Commission. (2022). National Patient Safety Goals.
Other
- American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association and International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (2014), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition. Silver Spring, MD: Nursebooks.org.
- The Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organization Competencies. (2018). Core Competencies for Public Health Nurses.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2013). Public Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.
- Association of Women Health’s, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) (2019). Standards for Professional Nursing Practice in the care of women and newborns
- American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Practice Guidelines & Reports.
Our Undergraduate Nursing Students
448
Undergraduate nursing students
98%
First-time pass rate on NCLEX
34%
Students who study abroad their junior year
“While at Boston College, I explored philosophy and theology classes. I learned about restorative justice, ethics, and Catholic social teaching. I was encouraged to reflect on what it means to live a ‘good life’ and how to find meaning amid human suffering. This value set, coupled with my nursing classes, allowed me to learn not only the science of nursing, but the art of nursing as well.”
Student Spotlights
Julie Canuto-Depina
Julie Canuto-Depina ’25, who hopes to address the social determinants of health as a nurse after graduation, received Boston College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.
Oluchi Ota
Named one of four Seniors to Remember, Oluchi Ota ’24 served as a delegate to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP27).
Esther Udoakang
In a video, Esther Udoakang ’25 talks about how her nursing studies and extracurricular activities help prepare her to make a difference in the world.
Clinical Placements
Students experience a variety of practice settings by rotating among clinical sites, including:
- Addiction Treatment Center of New England
- Atrius Health
- Beth Israel Lahey Health
- Boston Children's Hospital
- Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
- Boston Medical Center
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Cristo Rey Boston High School
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Dimock Center
- Fenway Health
- Franciscan Children's
- Hebrew SeniorLife
- Joslin Diabetes Center
- McLean Hospital
- Shriners Children's Boston
- Signature Healthcare
- South Boston Community Health Center
- Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
- VA Boston Healthcare System
Opportunities at the Connell School
Leadership
Enhance your leadership abilities through undergraduate research fellowships, student government, our local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, or our Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing program.
Advising
Benefit from our culture of support, which includes one-on-one mentorship opportunities with our faculty of internationally renowned scholars, teachers, and practitioners.
Global Impact
Gain a greater understanding of global issues and the diversity of health care needs through our international trips. Undergraduate students can also study abroad during their junior year.
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Conducting Research
In the Undergraduate Research Fellows (UGRF) program, undergraduates pair with research-intensive faculty and their teams to work on scholarly projects. They are financially compensated for their time and effort. CSON supports approximately 50 research placements for undergraduate students each year. Many UGRFs contribute substantially to scientific products including presentations and published abstracts and papers.
