In the BSN program, academic standing is reviewed at the end of each major term. For pre-nursing students, this is at the end of Fall and Spring semesters. For Upper Division students, this is at the end of any semester in which the student is taking a full-time courseload (i.e., first semester for summer start students).

Good academic standing is defined by maintaining at least a 3.0 institutional GPA and earning a C or better in required courses within the major.

A student may be placed on probation in the College of Nursing after the review period if any of the following is true:

1. The student earns one grade of D+, D, F, FN or WF in a required science course. This applies to BIOL 243, BIOL 243L, BIOL 244, BIOL 244L, BIOL 250, BIOL 250 and CHEM 102 (or equivalent approved in the academic bulletin).
2. The student has one failed attempt at a NURS course. A failed attempt is determined by earning any of the following grades in a NURS course: D+, D, F, FN, WF or W.
3. The student’s institutional GPA falls below a 3.000 once grades are finalized for the review period. This is based on a 4.0 scale.

A student may be dismissed from the College of Nursing if any of the following is true:

1. The student earns two or more failing grades (D+, D, F, FN or WF) in any required science or NURS course. This includes any combination of the following courses, including repeated attempts of the same course: BIOL 243, BIOL 243L, BIOL 244, BIOL 244L, BIOL 250, CHEM 102 (or an equivalent course approved in the academic bulletin), and any NURS course.
2. The student has two failed attempts at the same NURS course with any combination of the following grades: D+, D, F, FN, WF or W.
3. The student’s institutional GPA remains below 3.000 after two consecutive major semesters based on a 4.0 scale.

NOTE: BSN students may attempt each nursing (NURS) course twice in the undergraduate program. A grade of W (withdrawal) constitutes an attempt. If a student earns one W or one below-C grade (D+, D, F, FN or WF) in a required NURS course, this is considered one failed attempt. Students must pass the course with a C or better the next time they take it to remain in the major.

Academic Standing Appeals

A student may have the option to appeal their dismissal based on academic standing to remain in the program. Appeals are not guaranteed to be approved, and students should be prepared to submit documentation and supporting details along with their appeal. Instructions to appeal will be communicated to students within the dismissal notification. Appeals must be submitted entirely by the deadline included in the dismissal notification.

If a student chooses not to appeal the dismissal decision (or if the appeal is denied), their major will be changed to Undergraduate Studies as soon as possible, and they will be required to meet with USC Exploratory Advising. Additionally, the student will be dropped from all BSN-specific courses (i.e., courses that do not apply to the Carolina Core).

Grade Forgiveness

Students in the College of Nursing may be eligible for grade forgiveness according to the University’s grade forgiveness policy. The College of Nursing adheres to all guidelines and policies related to grade forgiveness at the University level.

Grade forgiveness may only be applied to courses taken through USC-Columbia, Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter or Union. If grade forgiveness is applied, the original failing grade will not be counted in the institutional GPA or thePGPA (for application to upper division) but will remain on the transcript.

Graduation

To be approved for graduation in the BSN program, students must complete the degree with an institutional GPA of 3.000 or higher on a 4.0 scale and complete all courses required in our curriculum with a grade of C or better.