2022-2023 Pierce College Catalog

Nov 23, 2024

2022-2023 Pierce College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP Degree Requirements

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This pathway is applicable to students planning to prepare for upper-division Bachelor of Science-Nursing (entry-to-practice/basic BSN pathway) by completing a broad selection of academic courses. Many students transfer to the BSN program after completing the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program (RN to BSN pathway); however, this agreement is not applicable to and does not alter those ADN to BSN articulation agreements.

Due to high interest and limited space in BSN programs, admission to all BSN programs is highly competitive with many qualified applicants finding themselves on waiting lists for admission.

Degree Outcomes

General Degree Requirements

Minimum of 90 credits earned in courses numbered 100 or above is required to complete the Associate in Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP degree
ENGL& 101 English Composition I - required
COLLG 110 College Success required during the first or second quarter of attendance
Earn the lesser of (at least) 20 college level credits or 25% of the credits applicable to the degree or certificate at Pierce College
Cumulative college-level grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher is required
1.5 grade (C-) or higher is required for all coursework, unless stated otherwise
“Pass” (P) grades, independent study and cooperative work experience/work-based learning credits may be used for general elective credits only
Once a course has been successfully completed, credits earned may be used in only one category

Core Requirements

Communication Skills (10 Credits)

ENGL& 101 requires a 2.0 or higher grade. Second communications course requires a 1.5 or higher grade.

10 quarter credits in English Composition are required.

Walla Walla University requirement:
The second English Composition course must be a research writing course. ENGL& 102, or equivalent, fulfills this requirement.

ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits) required
ENGL& 102 Composition II: Argumentation and Research (5 credits)
ENGL 107 Research and Argumentation about Literature (5 credits)
ENGL& 235 Technical Writing (5 credits)
JOURN 102 Introduction to News Writing (5 credits)
Note: Your advisor will assist you in reviewing your Guided Self Placement and selecting either the 5-credit or the 7-credit co-requisite ENGL& 101 + ENGLC 101 course.

Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Skills (5 Credits)

5 quarter credits of which need to be in Statistics. Must include descriptive and inferential stats.

UW Seattle requirement:
Requires 5 additional credits in college algebra, pre-calculus, or logic.

Seattle University requirement:
Requires 5 additional credits in college algebra or pre-calculus.

MATH& 146 Introduction to Stats (5 credits)
Note: The math course you select will depend on the Career Pathway Map you are following, the transfer institution/degree that you select, and your math placement guidance. Your advisor will assist you in selecting the relevant 5 or 7 credit course(s) based upon co-requisite options.

Humanities (15 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 or higher grade. No more than 10 credits per discipline area. No more than five credits in world language at the 100 level. No more than five credits in performance/skills courses are allowed.

Choose 5 quarter credits in CMST& 220 Fundamentals of Public Speaking (5 credits) , CMST& 210 Interpersonal Communication (5 credits) , or CMST 105 Intercultural Communication (5 credits) and 10 quarter credits in other Humanities courses.

Washington State University requirement:
Requires curriculum that provides students with an understanding of and sensitivity to human diversity. The Humanities distribution area provides an opportunity to meet this requirement. For potential choices go to and select UCORE category “DIVR.”

Advising notes

Many BSN programs recommend a public speaking course. Students should contact their transfer institution(s) to find out if a public speaking course is preferred.
Students are encouraged to consult with the transfer institution(s) regarding the humanities courses that best prepare them for a BSN and for admission to the institution(s).
Students are encouraged to take courses that provide them with an understanding of and sensitivity to human diversity.

Humanities Performance/Skills

Social Sciences (15 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 grade or higher.

Choose 5 quarter credits General Psychology, 5 quarter credits Lifespan Psychology and 5 quarter credits of social science outside of psychology that has diversity focus.

Washington State University requirement:
Requires curriculum that provides students with an understanding of and sensitivity to human diversity. The Social Sciences distribution area provides an opportunity to meet this requirement. For potential choices go to and select UCORE category “DIVR.”

Walla Walla University requirement:
Requires a course in General Sociology.

Natural Sciences (35-40 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 grade or higher.

35-40 credits with at least 25 credits lab-based, specifically:

Choose 5 quarter credits General Biology (must be prerequisite to Anatomy/Physiology), 10 quarter credits Anatomy and Physiology with lab, 5 quarter credits Inorganic Chemistry with lab, 5 quarter credits Organic/Biochemistry with lab (when Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry are separate courses, both are required, for a total of 10 credits), 5 quarter credits Microbiology with lab and 5 quarter credits Human Nutrition.

University of Washington requirement:
Requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for three Natural Sciences courses or a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 for four Natural Sciences courses.

Advising notes:

Introductory survey courses or review courses do not meet the content level expectations for the Natural Sciences distribution area
Six-credit courses may be used in place of five-credit courses in the Natural Sciences distribution area. Extra credits may apply toward the Electives distribution area.

General Electives (10 Credits)

Minimum of 1.0 grade is required.

Other college-level courses, of which a maximum of 15 credits may be in college level courses as defined by the community college and the remainder shall be fully transferable as defined by the receiving institution. Where appropriate, preparation courses for the major should be included in this course work.

University of Washington requirement:

Requires 100 hours of healthcare experience

COLLG 110 College Success (3 credits) required with a 2.0 or higher grade
Note: The College Success course you select will depend on the Career Pathway Map you are following. Your advisor will assist you in selecting either the 3- or 5- credit version of the course. Should you choose to repeat a College Success course you must enroll in a College Success course with the same credit amount as the original course; a COLLG 110 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 110 course and a COLLG 115 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 115 course.

Total Credits Required: 91-96

Notes

Meeting the minimum requirements for this DTA/MRP does not guarantee admission to a BSN program.
Admission deadlines for transfer institutions vary, and students are required to meet the transfer admission deadline.
Nursing-related programs are competitive and may require a higher GPA than 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA requirements may vary among nursing programs.
Students should check with their potential transfer institutions for admission requirements, some admission requirements may not be met by this DTA/MRP.
Some transfer institutions may require additional courses before starting the BSN.
Students must apply to graduate at the community or technical college to be awarded this DTA/MRP.

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