Nursing (AAS)
Degree: Associate of Applied Science
Major: Nursing
Program Code: 1615
This program, which is offered on the Montrose campus, allows the student to achieve an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, opening up greater employment opportunities, increased compensation, and more job security. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program prepares the student to achieve a balance between general college and nursing education. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing RN is prepared to be a direct caregiver in hospitals, long-term facilities, and ambulatory care-clinical settings.
Specific Requirements of the Program:
- Science courses will be accepted if they have been taken within the last 10 years.
This program has selective admission requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the current admission requirements.
Important information for this program:
- All essential learning requirements and prerequisite courses must be in progress or completed before applying to the program. Additional admission requirements also apply. Please visit the Department of Health Sciences’ website for a complete list of admission requirements and program information.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit Career Services’ What to Do with a Major? resource.
All CMU/CMU Tech associate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, personal and social responsibility, and information literacy. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:
- Implement patient-centered care strategies to promote patient outcomes in a variety of settings. (Critical thinking, Personal Social Responsibility, Communication Fluency)
- Demonstrate professional nursing care as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to achieve quality patient care. (Communication Fluency, Personal Social Responsibility, Critical Thinking)
- Incorporate evidence-based practice and clinical guidelines to optimize patient outcomes. (Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning, Information Literacy, Critical Thinking)
- Identify areas for improvement that enhance patient safety and care effectiveness in a variety of settings. (Quantitative Fluency, Critical Thinking, Specialized Knowledge)
- Explain error prevention strategies to minimize the risk of harm to patients and healthcare providers across a variety of care environments. (Personal Social Responsibility, Critical Thinking, Communication Fluency)
- Utilize healthcare information systems to communicate decision-making processes when delivering safe patient care. (Information Literacy, Communication Fluency, Critical Thinking, Quantitative Fluency)
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Degree Requirements
The following institutional degree requirements apply to all CMU and CMU Tech Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- 60 semester hours minimum.
- Students must complete a minimum of 15 of the final 30 semester hours of credit at CMU/CMU Tech.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU/CMU Tech coursework.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- No more than six semester hours of independent study courses can be used toward the degree.
- Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, and credit for prior learning, is limited by the institutional residency requirements for an associate of applied science degree.
- Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Degree Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and degree requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Specific to this degree:
- 79 semester hours required for the AAS in Nursing.
- Must have a "C" or better in all courses.
Essential Learning Requirements
(15 Semester hours, must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course for this degree.)
See the current catalog for a list of courses that fulfill the requirements below. If a course is an Essential Learning option and a requirement for your major, you must use it to fulfill the major requirement and make a different selection for the Essential Learning requirement.
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | ||
| ENGL 111 | English Composition I-GTCO1 | 3 |
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II-GTCO2 | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 110 | Mathematical Investigations-GTMA1 (or higher) | 3 |
| Other Essential Learning Core Courses | ||
| PSYC 150 | General Psychology-GTSS3 | 3 |
| PSYC 233 | Human Growth and Development-GTSS3 | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Other Lower Division Requirements
(2 semester hours, must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Requirement | ||
| KINE 100 | Health and Wellness | 1 |
| Select one Activity course | 1 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 2 | |
Foundation Courses
Program Specific Degree Requirements
(62 semester hours, must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Prerequisite Courses | ||
| All 5 Courses (BIOL 209/BIOL 209L, BIOL 210/BIOL 210L, BIOL 241) must be completed or in progress during semester of application to the AAS program. | ||
| BIOL 209 & 209L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 210 & 210L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 241 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| Program-Specific Courses | ||
| NURS 243L | Foundational Nursing Skills Laboratory | 1 |
| NURS 246 | Pharmacological Concepts I | 3 |
| NURS 247 & 247L | Fundamentals of Nursing and Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical | 5 |
| NURS 248 & 248L | Adult Health I and Adult Health I Clinical | 7 |
| NURS 249 | Pharmacological Concepts II | 3 |
| NURS 250 & 250L | Health Assessment for Nurses and Health Assessment for Nurses Laboratory | 4 |
| NURS 252 & 252L | Mental Health in Nursing and Mental Health in Nursing Clinical | 5 |
| NURS 253 & 253L | Family Nursing Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Family Nursing Obstetrics and Pediatrics Clinical | 6 |
| NURS 255 & 255L | Advanced Adult Health and Advanced Adult Health Clinical | 7 |
| NURS 256L | Nursing Capstone Clinical | 5 |
| NURS 258 | Transition to Nursing Practice | 4 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 62 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 111 | English Composition I-GTCO1 | 3 |
| MATH 110 | Mathematical Investigations-GTMA1 | 3 |
| BIOL 209 & 209L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 |
| KINE 100 | Health and Wellness | 1 |
| KINA Activity Course | 1 | |
| PSYC 150 | General Psychology-GTSS3 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II-GTCO2 | 3 |
| PSYC 233 | Human Growth and Development-GTSS3 | 3 |
| BIOL 210 & 210L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 241 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 243L | Foundational Nursing Skills Laboratory | 1 |
| NURS 246 | Pharmacological Concepts I | 3 |
| NURS 247 & 247L | Fundamentals of Nursing and Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical | 5 |
| NURS 250 & 250L | Health Assessment for Nurses and Health Assessment for Nurses Laboratory | 4 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 248 & 248L | Adult Health I and Adult Health I Clinical | 7 |
| NURS 252 & 252L | Mental Health in Nursing and Mental Health in Nursing Clinical | 5 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 253 & 253L | Family Nursing Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Family Nursing Obstetrics and Pediatrics Clinical | 6 |
| NURS 255 & 255L | Advanced Adult Health and Advanced Adult Health Clinical | 7 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 249 | Pharmacological Concepts II | 3 |
| NURS 256L | Nursing Capstone Clinical | 5 |
| NURS 258 | Transition to Nursing Practice | 4 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 79 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. The suggested course sequencing outlines how students could finish degree requirements. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters, while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and altering the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended degree(s).
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a degree and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.
If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.