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Connell School of Nursing

Founded in 1947, the Boston College Connell School of Nursing offers a four-year program of study leading to a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Nursing. At the completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the national examination for licensure as a registered nurse (R.N.). The program of study is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Visit bc.edu/cson for more information.

The mission of the Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing is to prepare compassionate, professionally competent nurses whose practice and scholarship are scientifically based and grounded in humanizing the experience of health and illness. In keeping with the Jesuit, Catholic ideals, we focus on the formation of the whole person and the promotion of social justice. The Connell School of Nursing educates students as reflective life-long learners who use knowledge in service to others. The graduate of the baccalaureate program is prepared as a generalist who promotes, maintains, and restores the health of individuals, families, and communities/populations across the lifespan.

Nursing courses are designed to include more complex concepts and content at each level. Consequently, students must take courses in a specific sequence and pass each course before proceeding to the next level. To be eligible for graduation, students must successfully complete the courses that comprise the curriculum, nursing requirements, and electives.

The study of nursing is based on a common intellectual heritage transmitted by a liberal education and the art and science of nursing. (See Core Curriculum under the University Policies section of this catalog.) Students are encouraged to complete their art, history, philosophy, theology, and English Core courses in their first and second years.

Nursing students use the clinical reasoning process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care. Judgments made by the nurse result in a selection of interventions and outcomes in concert with the client's choices. Most nursing courses have a theory and a clinical component, and the curriculum includes content on the care of children, childbearing families, and adults of all ages across the continuum of wellness to illness. Faculty members guide student learning in campus laboratories and in a variety of healthcare agencies in the Greater Boston area.

Students should consult the curriculum plan and see their advisors as they plan for registration.

Nursing Courses

Forensics Courses

Palliative Care Courses

Connell School of Nursing Faculty

Connell School of Nursing Website

Typical Plan of Study for Class of 2019 and Forward

Note: CSON Undergraduates are obligated to register for a minimum of 12 credits per semester but normally should take 15 credits in almost all semesters to meet all program requirements on time.

Freshman Year

BIOL1300, BIOL1310 Anatomy and Physiology I
CHEM1161, CHEM1163 Life Science Chemistry
NURS1010 Professional Development Seminar
Core or elective

Semester II

BIOL1320, BIOL1330 Anatomy and Physiology II
MATH1180 Principles of Statistics for the Health Sciences
NURS2070 Introduction to Professional Nursing

Sophomore Year

BIOL2200, BIOL2210 Microbiology for Health Professionals
NURS2122 Nursing Health Assessment Across the Life Span
NURS2121 Nursing Health Assessment Across the Life Span Clinical Laboratory
NURS2080 Pathophysiology
NURS2230 Adult Health Nursing Theory I
NURS2231 Adult Health Nursing Clinical I
NURS2205 Clinical Pharmacology
HLTH2206 Principles of Nutrition
NURS2090 Sophomore Formation Seminar

Junior Year

All students will have a flexible semester in their junior year. The flexibility will allow for study abroad (if approved by the Office of International Programs and their specific program). Students who are not abroad in their "flex" semester will be scheduled to take at least one clinical course.

This is one example of the flexible junior year schedule below. The Undergraduate Program Office will determine the exact clinical sequence for each junior.

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
"Flex" Semester

Senior Year

The Undergraduate Program Office will determine the exact clinical sequence for each senior. This is one example of the senior year schedule below.

NURS4250 Child Health Theory
NURS4251 Child Health Clinical
NURS4252 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Theory
NURS4253 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Clinical Lab
NURS4260 Population Health Nursing Theory
NURS4261 Population Health Practice in the Community
NURS4263 Nursing Synthesis Clinical Laboratory
NURS4264 Actualizing the Role of the Professional Nurse

The Connell School of Nursing reserves the right to alter any program or policy outlined.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The CSON Academic Standards Review Committee meets at the end of each semester to review the records of students with course failures, course deficiencies, low GPAs, or other academic concerns. Decisions about progression in the program are made by this committee in accordance with the policies outlined in the CSON Baccalaureate Program Handbook (on the CSON website) and other relevant university policies.

Credit and Graduation Requirements

Students registered for at least 12 credit hours per semester are considered full-time students. Usually, 15 credits are carried each semester and a minimum of 117 credits are required for graduation.

Information for First Year Students

Information for first-year students.

During the first-year students typically complete two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology with laboratories, Life Science Chemistry with Laboratory, Statistics, Introduction to Professional Nursing, and Nursing Professional Development Seminar along with a combination of two core courses each semester. Electives may be substituted in certain situations (e.g., the student has Advanced Placement credits for Core courses or wishes to continue foreign language study). During orientation, students will meet with faculty members who will assist them with registration for the fall. In September, students will be assigned advisors who will guide them through the Nursing program.

Special Opportunities

Study abroad.

Students in the William F. Connell School of Nursing are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad for one semester. Normally, students may study abroad during fall or spring semester of junior year. Most students take electives and can sometimes complete core courses while they are abroad. Students are free to study abroad in any location approved by the Office of Global Education. A minimum GPA is required for all study abroad programs.

Nursing Synthesis Course

The Nursing Synthesis course in the senior year offers students an advanced nursing practicum where they work with an individually assigned professional nurse preceptor. Students write a proposal in their junior year indicating their special learning interests.

Independent Study (NURS4911)

Junior or senior nursing students develop a proposal for independent study in an area of nursing in which they wish to obtain further knowledge and/or experience. Guidelines are available on the CSON undergraduate website. Students should consult an academic advisor about their proposal. All independent study is graded as Pass/Fail.

Undergraduate Research Fellows Program

Students in excellent academic standing may apply to assist faculty in a faculty-directed research project and gain valuable experience in nursing research.

Minors in the Connell School of Nursing

Nursing students may minor in any Morrissey College Arts and Sciences, Carroll School of Management, or Lynch School of Education and Human Development discipline by fulfilling the requirements of those departments.

Minor in Hispanic Studies

Nursing students may minor in Hispanic Studies by completing 18 credits in Spanish/Hispanic Studies that are approved by the Associate Dean. CSON students who wish to declare a CSON Hispanic studies minor should meet with the Associate Dean.

Minor in Psychology

The minor is awarded to CSON students who complete 18 credits in psychology. Courses should include PSYC1110 Brain, Mind, and Behavior and PSYC1111 Mind Self and Society. Students who received AP credit for PSYC1110 or PSYC1111 may select one alternate course. Courses that may be applied to the minor include the following (or others approved by the undergraduate Associate Dean):

ADPS1100 Introductory Psychology (Woods College; no credit for ADPS1100 if PSYC1111 was taken)
APSY1030 Child Growth and Development
APSY1032 Psychology of Learning
APSY2041 Adolescent Psychology
APSY2241 Abnormal Psychology
FORS5315 Victimology
FORS5317 Forensic Mental Health
FORS5318 Forensic Science 1
PSYC1011 Psychobiology of Mental Disorders
PSYC1029 Mind and Brain
PSYC2241 Social Psychology
PSYC2260 Developmental Psychology
PSYC2268 Psychological Development through the Life Span
PSYC2272 Cognitive Psychology
PSYC2274 Sensation and Perception
PSYC2285 Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC3329 Psychology of Stress
PSYC3331 Developmental Psychopathology
PSYC3334 Interpersonal Violence
PSYC3336 Clinical Psychology
PSYC3338 Topics in Abnormal Psychology
PSYC3344 Psychology of Gender
PSYC3345 Social Motivation
PSYC3354 Culture, Identity, and the Asian-American Experience
PSYC3366 Social and Emotional Development
PSYC3367 Psychology of Art
PSYC3371 Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC3372 Affective Neuroscience
PSYC3377 Psycholinguistics
PSYC3382 Neurobiology of Stress
PSYC3383 Neurobiological Basis of Learning
PSYC3384 Neurophysiology
PSYC3386 Psychopharmacology
PSYC3391 Ethical Controversies in Psychology and Neuroscience

Minor in Forensics

The Forensic Science minor explores the application of scientific principles in legal contexts, focusing on human-centered applications and a commitment to the common good. Designed for students across disciplines, the minor covers scientific analysis, forensic applications, the role of forensic science in resolving disputes, enforcing laws, and safeguarding public health.

Minor Requirements

The minor in Forensics is composed of three required courses and three electives from an approved list. The required courses are:

FORS5318 Forensic Science (Fall - CSON)
FORS5315 Victimology (Fall - CSON)
FORS5317 Forensic Mental Health (Spring - CSON)

Three electives from the following list of approved electives:

ADCJ3010-01 Criminal Law and Procedure (Woods)
SOCY1030-01 Deviance and Social Control (Morrissey)
SOCY3000-01 Crime and Punishment (Morrissey)
SOCY3309-01 Restoration and Resistance: International Innovations in Criminal Justice (Morrissey)
SOCY3310-01 Studies in Crime and Social Justice (Morrissey)
FORS2201 Wounded Warriors in Transition (CSON)
ADPS2220-01 Forensic Psychology (Woods)
BSLW1170-01 Securities Regulation (Carroll)
BSLW102101 Law I--Introduction to Law and Legal Process (Carroll)
ADCJ2101-01 Corrections: Policies and Practices (Woods)
ADCJ2801-01 The Evolution of a Hate Crime from Thought to Execution and Punishment (Woods)
APSY224101 Mental Illness: Social and Clinical Perspectives (Lynch)

Minor in Global Health and the Common Good

Recognizing that public health is an eclectic field that draws insights and technologies from many disciplines, the approved electives span a wide range of schools and departments across Boston College. Additional courses at Boston College and in other institutions in the United States and overseas may be may be considered as approved electives subject to the approval of the program director and Associate Deans. (Adapted from Schiller Institute Global Public Health and the Common Good .)

The minor in Global Public Health and the Common Good is composed of three required courses and three electives. The required courses are:

Public Health in a Global Society (PHCG1210)
Introduction to Epidemiology (PHCG2120)
Either Global Public Health Law (PHCG2130) or The Ethics of Global Public Health and the Common Good (PHCG3223, cross-listed as THEO3223)

Minor in Humanities, Health, and Culture

This is a minor for students who are interested in examining health and health care from new and varied perspectives. Currently, students from pre-med and pre-health professions throughout the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences and other backgrounds such as law, psychology, public/global health, social work, and journalism are enrolled in the MCAS version of the minor. A special version of the minor has been created for CSON students to accommodate constraints in the B.S. (nursing) schedule. CSON students who are comfortable with significant writing assignments, have room in their schedule to accommodate added classes (especially those who have brought in AP credit and/or fulfilled a majority of their Core in the freshman year), and may wish to engage with a range of academic fields may consider this minor.

Minor Requirements:

ENGL2212 Introduction to Medical Humanities (Enrollment is based upon acceptance to the minor.)
BIOL1300 and BIOL1310 Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
BIOL1320 and BIOL1330 Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
(At least one course should be beyond those used to fulfill the Core requirements and not come from either Nursing or Biology.)

Applications for the Humanities, Health, and Culture minor are available in the early spring semester for first-year students only.

Special Requirements for CSON Students

Health requirements.

In addition to the health and immunization requirements for all undergraduate students, nursing students must have immunity to varicella (chicken pox), hepatitis B, and MMR with an annual screening for tuberculosis (PPD) and flu shot. Other requirements may be required.

Other Clinical Requirements

Nursing students are required to obtain and maintain a Castlebranch account, and to be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) before enrolling in Adult Health I clinical, and must keep this certification current. Nursing students must also undergo the expanded multistate criminal offense background checks that are required by affiliating health care institutions.

General Information

Cooperating hospitals and health agencies.

Students in the baccalaureate nursing program have planned learning experiences in teaching hospitals and community agencies in the Boston metropolitan area. The facilities used for these experiences are located in Boston and the surrounding area. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from those facilities. Most sites are accessible by public transportation.

School of Nursing students pay the same tuition, fees, and room and board costs as other colleges' enrollees. In addition, nursing students have the following expenses:

Standardized examination (NCLEX Assessment Test) $70.00
Laboratory Fee up to $200.00 (Payable for certain clinical nursing courses)
Costs for scrubs, a stethoscope, a BC name badge, transportation to clinical sites, additional health requirements, and CPR certification

College Credit for Transfer Students

Candidates possessing a bachelor's degree in another field and candidates possessing college credit in either nursing or non-nursing programs apply to the Office of Transfer Admissions, located in Devlin Hall. A maximum of 60 credits will be accepted in transfer. Nursing courses taken at another institution will be evaluated on an individual basis. Students applying for transfer will be asked to submit course syllabi to the School of Nursing for use in evaluating prior course work. Additional information on transfer credits may be found in the Baccalaureate Program Handbook on the BC website.

Career Opportunities

The field of nursing offers a wide variety of career options, including positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health agencies, clinics, and day care centers for children and the elderly. Nurses are establishing private practices and group practices with other health professionals. Business, industry, and occupational health settings employ nurses.

The baccalaureate program of study prepares its graduates for entry into master's and doctoral degree programs in nursing. With graduate study, advanced practice nurses see clients in primary care, teach students and other health professionals, establish programs of research, provide consultation, serve as health care planners, and participate on governmental committees dealing with health care issues. Many graduates of the Boston College Connell School of Nursing have gone on from clinical careers to become researchers in clinical settings and to serve on faculties of schools of nursing and administrators of clinical and educational institutions.

University Catalog Office of Student Services Lyons Hall 103

Nursing Education

This two-year program prepares its graduates for a variety of rewarding careers in the field of nursing. Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate is awarded an Associate in Science degree and is eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination to become licensed as a registered nurse. Those graduates wishing to continue their education and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing can enter any of a number of area four-year colleges and universities and can usually complete this process within two additional years.

Along with meeting the general admission requirements of the College, students wishing to enter this program are required to take the Entrance Examination for Schools of Nursing. More information about the admission procedure can be obtained by requesting the Nurse Education brochure from the Admissions Office.

In addition to courses in general education, liberal arts and nursing theory, carefully selected clinical experiences are provided in local hospitals and health agencies to enable students to develop the skills necessary for successful completion in order to receive credit and progress to the next program level. A minimum grade of 78 (C+) must be achieved in all nursing courses. Theory courses may meet during the day or evening, students may be assigned to either day or evening clinical experiences.

Students contemplating a career in nursing must be aware that if they have ever been convicted by a court of law, their records will be subject to review by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing upon application to take the examination for registered nurse licensure. A C.O.R.I. check will be required for all students before clinical experience.

Nursing Student Handbook (PDF)

Nursing Program Accreditation and Approval

The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc., 3390 Peachtree Rd. N.E., Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, Telephone: 404-975-5000, Fax: 404-975-5020.

Full approval status has been granted to the Program by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, 250 Washington St. Boston, MA 02108, and telephone: 617-973-0900.

Nurse Education Admissions Requirements

The College’s “open enrollment” policy does not apply to “selective admissions” programs of study which may have specific deadlines, prerequisites and other admissions criteria. (Application Deadline: February 1st)

Selective Admissions Requirements
Schedule an Information Session

Nurse Education Application Process

NCLEX-CAT Application Process An applicant must:

Be a graduate of a school approved by the Board of Registration in Nursing
Pay the application fee
Declare a misdemeanor or felony conviction
C.O.R.I (Criminal Offender Record Information) checks will be done on all NCLEX applicants. Unsatisfactory C.O.R.I status will prohibit participation in clinical experience. Therefore, program requirements cannot be completed.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony in a court of law; your record will be subject to review by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing upon application for the registered nurse licensure examination.

NOTE: These programs may qualify for MassTransfer. Please visit the MassTransfer website to confirm if the program you are interested at Massasoit and a participating state university qualifies.

* Selective admissions program
^ Not Financial Aid Eligible

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