Nursing Admissions

Selection Process

Although the College has an open-door admissions policy, admission to the nursing program is selective, and there will be more applicants than spots available. Admissions decisions are made by members of the nursing faculty working together with the admissions office. Admissions decisions are based on high school or college grade average (whichever is more recent), grades in required science and math courses, and a personal statement of application, and references (if applicable). An interview and/or entrance exam may be required. The average GPA of accepted applicants in the most recent class was 3.4.

Admission Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for admission into the nursing program, an applicant must meet all admission eligibility requirements listed below under Option I or Option II. Candidates who do not meet the admission eligibility criteria will, upon their request, be considered for admission into other programs at Tompkins Cortland. Additional requirements are necessary for admission consideration and can be found under "Contents" within the admission specific category as applicable. Students with a prior felony conviction may be considered for admission into the nursing program, however, may not be granted RN licensure by the state of New York.

Make sure to visit our Program Requirements page for additional program academic requirements.

Admission Academic Requirements

In addition to what is listed here, the following requirements apply to both courses taken at Tompkins Cortland and courses taken elsewhere:

• A "C" or higher grade is required in all courses required by the nursing program.
• All required science courses must have been taken within the last 5 years.
• All required materials for admission must be submitted by the admission deadline.
• Overall GPA must be 2.5 or above to be considered for admission.

Option I — For applicants who graduated from high school within the last 5 years:

• Final high school academic average of 80 or above.
• High school coursework must include: NYS math courses in algebra, biology, and chemistry with Regent’s scores of 80 percent or above in each course.
• All other criteria being equal, preference is given to students who reside in Tompkins, Cortland, or Tioga counties.

OPTION II — For applicants who graduated from high school more than 5 years ago, or earned a GED (note: Option 1 requirements do not apply):

• 12 credits of course work at Tompkins Cortland or another regionally accredited college.
• College coursework must include:
  • An algebra course, MATH 095 or higher, with a grade of C or better. The math requirement may be waived based on entrance assessments.
  • BIOL 101 and CHEM 101, both taken within the past five years, with a grade of C or better, or BIOL 104, taken within the last five years, with a grade of C or better. BIOL 101 and CHEM 101, or BIOL 104, are the required prerequisites for BIOL 131 and BIOL 132, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology I and II.
  • Based on assessment, a student may be required to take ENGL 100 prior to enrollment in the first semester of the nursing program.
• Applicants with more college credits with a grade of C or above are ranked higher than those with fewer credits. When all other academic criteria are equal, preference is given to students who have completed course work at Tompkins Cortland.
• All other criteria being equal, preference is given to students who reside in Tompkins, Cortland, or Tioga counties.

• Explore this program
• Program Requirements
• Personal Statement
• Nursing Admissions Application
• First Semester Admissions
• Evening Nursing Program Admissions
• CNA Applicants
• Practical Nurse Admissions
• Transfer Admissions
• Nursing Readmissions

Admissions

Phone: 607.844.6580
Fax: 607.844.6560
Room 101

admissions@tompkinscortland.edu

Accreditation 

The Tompkins Cortland nursing degree program is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
404.975.5000

www.acenursing.org

NY State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Nurse Unit
89 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12234-1000
518.474.3817
HESC code: 006788

Nursing Courses and Internet Access

Since all nursing courses contain an online component, nursing students need to have the ability to access the internet on a daily basis.

Fees

There are additional fees associated with nursing, including online testing, uniforms, and equipment for clinical practice. For a complete list of fees, please contact the department chair.