Focus Area
Health Professionals
This focus area would be of interest to those seeking a career in healthcare with a focus on nursing and employment within the field of nursing. Nursing encompasses a wide range of opportunities for employment outside the traditional hospital setting.
Health Professional
The Health Professions meta-major at the University of West Georgia currently encompasses the Tanner Health School of Nursing.
Nurses are employed in physician and other healthcare provider offices and clinics, the school system, public health departments, law offices, insurance company facilities, research labs, government offices and facilities, and a myriad of other organizations and institutions. The range of care nurses provide opens up opportunities for those wishing to become part of a world-wide profession or those who wish to work with a specified population in providing care or services to improve or maintain the health of others. Core requirements for the health professions meta-major include courses focused on the social and biological sciences such as psychology, sociology, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology. A broad base of understanding of human behavior and of human biological function is essential to success in this meta-major.
Program Map
Year 1 Courses
TERM 1: FALL
English Composition I (3 Credit Hours)
Quantitative Skills and Reasoning, College Algebra or Precalculus (3 Credit Hours)
First-Year Seminar Course (2 Credit Hours)
Principles of Biology I or Survey of Chemistry I + lab sections (4 Credit Hours)
Elective Course (3 Credit Hours)
Milestones:
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Academic Advisor.
- Begin exploring academic resources
- Center for Academic Success: Peer Academic Coaching, Peer Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI)
- Career Services for Career Counseling
TERM 2: SPRING
English Composition II (3 Credit Hours)
Elementary Statistics (3 Credit Hours)
US History (3 Credit Hours)
Principles of Biology II or Survey of Chemistry II + lab sections (4 Credit Hours)
Milestones:
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Academic Advisor.
- Begin researching CNA programs for upcoming summer completion (recommended).
- At the end of Year 1 Term 2, your required core IMPACTS STEM sequence should be successfully completed.
Year 2 Courses
TERM 1: FALL
Anatomy & Physiology I (4 Credit Hours)
World History (3 Credit Hours)
Elective Course (3 Credit Hours)
Elective Course (3 Credit Hours)
Elective Course (3 Credit Hours)
Milestones:
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Academic Advisor.
- Application for Nursing School admission opens 10/1 and closes on 2/1.
- Register for HESI A2 Entrance Exam using the UWG Distance Testing ID by 2/1.
- If CNA is not completed, deadline for certification is 5/1.
- Begin preparing for out-of-pocket expenses and transportation for Nursing School.
- The program GPA obtained at the end of this semester will be the program GPA used on your Nursing School application.
- Due to competitive admission, begin exploring parallel plan options with your Academic Advisor.
TERM 2: SPRING
American Government (3 Credit Hours)
Anatomy & Physiology II (4 Credit Hours)
Foundations of Microbiology (4 Credit Hours)
Elective Course (3 Credit Hours)
Milestones:
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Academic Advisor.
- Application for Nursing School admission should be completed by 2/1.
- CNA certification should be completed by 5/1.
- HESI A2 Entrance Exam should be completed by 2/1. Ensure you have tested using the UWG Distance Testing ID.
- Prepare for out-of-pocket expenses and transportation for Nursing School.
- All courses required in the BSN core curriculum must be completed at the end of this term for summer admission.
- BIOL 2252 and BIOL 2260 require a C or better in order to progress.
Course Progression Information
Critical Course Progression Information:
| Course | Minimum Grade Required |
|---|---|
| ENGL 1101 - English Composition I | C |
| ENGL 1102 - English Composition II | C |
| MATH 1001 - Quantitative Skills and Reasoning | C |
| MATH 1111 - College Algebra | C |
| BIOL 1107/L - Principles of Biology I | C |
| BIOL 1108/L - Principles of Biology II | C |
| CHEM 1151/L - Survey of Chemistry I | C |
| CHEM 1152/L - Survey of Chemistry II | C |
| BIOL 2251/L - Anatomy & Physiology I | C |
| BIOL 2252/L - Anatomy & Physiology II | C |
| BIOL 2260/L - Foundations of Microbiology | C |
Admission to the School of Nursing is highly selective.
In order to remain a Focus Area Health Profession student, you must maintain a 2.5 PGPA (program GPA) after completing 24 credit hours. The minimum PGPA to apply is a 2.75. The average PGPA of the students that have been accepted the past several years has been roughly a 3.3. Academic Advisors recommend students having at least a 3.3 to be marginally competitive. Advisors encourage students to be aware of their own academic standing, so when they do meet with an advisor they are prepared to hear the honest and realistic prognosis for where they stand. Should a student not be competitive, advisors will explain in detail alternate routes to nursing or other career and helping profession possibilities.
Only your Nursing Academic Advisor can pull your program GPA. The GPA listed on Wolf Watch is not the GPA that is used for admission.
Get Involved with Your Major!!
Join PNSA- (Pre-Nursing Student Association). Learn about upcoming pre-nursing events; meet other pre-nursing students; attend intentional, organized study sessions; volunteer; stay updated on the pre-nursing curriculum, and ways to become a competitive applicant.
- Email pnsa@westga.edu
Core Options
BSN Core IMPACTS Curriculum
The following core guide is meant to display the list of possible/required courses for students pursuing a BSN at the University of West Georgia. Students using this guide should also refer to the UWG Undergraduate Catalog regarding core policies. Many courses are available online. More information about online options can be found here: uwgonline.westga.edu and ecore.westga.edu. If you are ever uncertain of choice for core, please contact your advisor.
Institutional Priorities 4-5 hours.
(Students may take any combination of courses as long as one is from category 1 & the total is 4hrs for science majors).
Category 1: Oral Communication - Choose one of the following:
- ANTH 1101 - Voices of Culture (3 Credit Hours)
- ART 2000 - Oral Communication & the Visual Arts (3 Credit Hours)
- COMM 1110 - Public Speaking (3 Credit Hours)
- COMM 1100 - Human Communication (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2000 - American Speech (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2050 - Self-Staging: Oral Communication in Daily Life (3 Credit Hours)
- PHIL 2020 - Critical Thinking (3 Credit Hours)
- THEA 2050 - Self-Staging: Oral Communication in Daily Life (3 Credit Hours)
- XIDS 1004 - Technological Communication 1001 or 1002 (4 Credit Hours)
- FOR LANG - French, German, Spanish (3 Credit Hours)
Category 2: Other Institutional Priorities - Choose one of the following:
- ANTH 1100 - Faces of Culture (2 Credit Hours)
- BUSA 1900 - Surfing the Internet for Success (2 Credit Hours)
- CS1000 - Practical Computing (1 Credit Hours)
- LIBR 2100 - Info Literacy & Research (2 Credit Hours)
- MUSC 1110 - Survey of World Music (2 Credit Hours)
- XIDS 2001 - What Do You Really Know About... (1 Credit Hours)
- XIDS 2002 - What Do You Really Know About... (2 Credit Hours)
Nursing majors take either MATH 1001 or MATH 1111.
- MATH 1001 - Quantitative Skills and Reasoning (3 Credit Hours)
- MATH 1111 - College Algebra (3 Credit Hours)
Note: Math 1113 Precalculus and Math 1634 Calculus are acceptable. Grades of C or better are required in both English courses; Grade of C or better required in Area M Math in order to take MATH 1401 (see Area T).
Category 1: American/GA History (One required from the following two)
- HIST 2111* - United States History I (to 1865) (3 Credit Hours)
- HIST 2112* - United States History II (since 1865) (3 Credit Hours)
Note: *Students may exempt HIST 2111 or HIST 2112 by examination. If the course is exempted however, an additional 3 hours are to be taken from area #2 of area S.
Category 2: American/GA Government (Required)
- POLS 1101 - American Government (3 Credit Hours)
If US History or American Government course taken out-of state, student must fulfill GA History/Constitution requirement (contact Academic Testing Services)
Arts, Humanities, and Ethics - 6 credit hours
Category 1 (Choose one)
- XIDS 2100* - Arts & Ideas (various topics) (3 Credit Hours)
- ART 1201 - Introduction to Art (3 Credit Hours)
- ART 2201 - History of Western Art I (3 Credit Hours)
- ART 2202 - History of Western Art II (3 Credit Hours)
- FILM 2080 - Introduction to the Art of Film (3 Credit Hours)
- MUSC 1100 - Music Appreciation (3 Credit Hours)
- MUSC 1120 - Survey of jazz, Rock, & Popular Music (3 Credit Hours)
- THEA 1100 - Theatre Appreciation (3 Credit Hours)
Category 2 (Choose one)
- XIDS 2100* - Arts & Ideas (various topics) (3 Credit Hours)
- COMM 1154 - Introduction to Mass Communications (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2001 - Introduction to Literature (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2110 - World Literature (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2120 - British Literature (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2130 - American Literature (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2180 - Studies in African-American Literature (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 2190 - Studies in Literature by Women (3 Credit Hours)
- FOR LANG 1001, 1002, 2001, 2002 (3 Credit Hours)
- FORL 2200 - Survey of National Literatures (3 Credit Hours)
- FORL 2300 - Topics in National Literatures (3 Credit Hours)
- PHIL 2010 - Introduction to Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
- PHIL 2030 - Introduction to Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
*XIDS 2100 Can only be used in one Area A Category
Essential Skills - 6 credit hours
- ENGL 1101 - English Composition I (3 Credit Hours)
- ENGL 1102 - English Composition II (3 Credit Hours)
Category 1: Laboratory science sequence (Choose one Sequence)
- BIOL 1107/L - Principles of Biology I w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
- BIOL 1108/L - Principles of Biology II w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
-OR-
- CHEM 1151K* - Survey of Chemistry I w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
- CHEM 1152K* - Survey of Chemistry II w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
-OR-
- CHEM 1211K** - Principles of Chemistry I w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
- CHEM 1212K - Principles of Chemistry II w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
-OR-
- PHYS 1111/L - Introductory Physics I w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
- PHYS 1112/L - Introductory Physics II w/Lab (4 Credit Hours)
*Pre/co-requisite MATH 1111 (if taken as a co-req, must 1st register for MATH 1111)
**Pre/co-requisite MATH 1113 (pre-calc)
Category 2
- MATH 1401 - Elementary Statistics (3 Credit Hours)
Category 1: World History (One required from the following two)
- HIST 1111 - Survey of World History/Civilization I (3 Credit Hours)
- HIST 1112 - Survey of World History/Civilization II (3 Credit Hours)
Category 2: Social Science Elective Courses (One required from the following)
- ANTH 1004 - Introduction to Archeology
- ANTH 1102 - Introduction to Anthropology
- ECON 2100 - Economics for Everyone
- ECON 2105 - Principles of Macroeconomics
- ECON 2106 - Principles of Microeconomics
- GEOG 1013 - World Geography
- GEOG 2503 - Cultural Geography
- PHIL 2130 - Introduction to World Religions
- POLS 2201 - State and Local Government
- PSYC 1101** - Introduction to General Psychology
- SOCI 1101** - Introduction to Sociology
- SOCI 1160** - Introduction to Social Problems
- XIDS 2300 - Interdisciplinary Studies in the Social Science
- XIDS 2301 - Introduction to Global Studies
**Students may not use the same PSYC or SOC/ course to fulfill both Area S and Area F requirements.
Nursing Requirements - 18 hours (All required)
- BIOL 2251/L* - Anatomy & Physiology I w/Lab
- BIOL 2252/L* - Anatomy & Physiology II w /Lab
- BIOL 2260/L* - Foundations of Microbiology w/Lab
Choose One**:
- PSYC 1101 - Introduction to General Psychology
- PSYC 1030 - Personal Relationships
- SOCI 1101 - Introduction to Sociology
- SOCI 1160 - Introduction to Social Problems
Nursing Course Taken in BSN Program
- NURS 2101 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I
*Students should consult with advisor and/or review Undergraduate Catalog for Area F Prerequisites. Grade of C or better required in all Area F Course.
**Students may not use the same PSYC or SOC/ course to fulfill both Area S and Area F requirements.
Policies & Procedures
Tanner Health School of Nursing (THSON) GPA Policies and Procedures:
CNA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT
Applicants must receive CNA certification by May 1st for enrollment in nursing courses each summer. Applicants with a current LPN license in the state of Georgia are exempt from this requirement; however, EMTs, CNAs and other certified/
- licensed professionals will be required to complete CNA certification. If you were previously certified but have been out of practice for 2 years or more, re-certification will be required.
- UWG offers CNA courses through Continuing Education for current students.
Training centers are available by visiting the CNA Association of Georgia website
HESI A2 ENTRANCE EXAM
Must be taken prior to February 1st of the year the applicant is applying to THSON. No minimum score required.Required sections include Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Basic Math Skills, and Anatomy and Physiology. Details are provided on our nursing admissions website. We do not accept scores from other colleges/universities as the exam must be scheduled and taken under our UWG Distance Testing ID (201715).
TRANSPORTATION
Once admitted to the BSN Program, students are responsible for transportation to class and clinical sites. The Tanner Health School of Nursing cannot provide transportation between Carrollton and Newnan campuses; however,students can check with UWG's Parking Services regarding shuttle options.
*Note: Admission decisions cannot be modified because a student has transportation limitations.
EXPENSES IN NURSING SCHOOL
Professional students must finance not only the standard tuition and fees for the college/university (see UWG Bursar's website for current tuition rate/fees), but also finance costs specific to their program. Many of these expenses are out-of-pocket and items may be needed before financial aid for the upcoming term is disbursed/available. The BSN Handbook is where you can find a list of estimated out-of-pocket costs of about $3000 that has been compiled to make students aware of them and, thereby, allow students to anticipate and plan for program expenses in a timely manner.
Interested in exploring other majors at UWG?
We have a variety of majors in addition to Nursing that allow students to work in diverse health-care and helping professions! See information below or set up a time to discuss these with your advisor.
Bachelor of Science in Social and Behavioral Health
The Bachelor of Science in Social and Behavioral Health provides students with the opportunity to learn foundation skills necessary to succeed in the dynamic health and social services environments. Courses in the program teach students how community and social factors contribute to a variety of public health problems, policies, and solutions; how to design, administer, and assess social service and/or behavioral health programs to ensure their quality and effectiveness; and how to help people navigate the healthcare system to find the resources they need to be healthy. Students will learn this through courses in health services, health analytics, complementary & alternative healthcare, cultural & social aspects of health, and behavioral & mental health. Upon graduation, students are prepared for advanced graduate and professional school education, and for entrance into the job market in a variety of health- and social services-related settings such as hospitals, public health agencies, research laboratories, mental health agencies, assisted living facilities, insurance companies, rehabilitation facilities, and non-profit organizations caring for marginalized populations.
Health and Community Wellness
With Health and Community Wellness, students have the option of taking 15 credit hours of electives or choosing an approved minor such as Biology, Business Administration, Management, Psychology, Sociology, Nutrition Promotion & Education, Sport Management, Coaching, or others. Students also have the option to choose 1 of 4 professional tracks: Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Dietetics. These tracks will prepare students to apply for a Master's or doctoral program in the designated field of study.
Career options for health professions
- Health Informatics Specialists
- Mental Health Counselors
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
- Health Education Specialists
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
- Community Health Workers
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Home Health Aides
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
- Epidemiologists
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Nurse Midwives
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
- Registered Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Preventive Medicine Physicians
Health Professional Information
Wolf Watch
Wolf Watch (Degree Works) is a web-based tool designed to help students and advisors monitor students' progression toward degree completion.
How to Register
- The Scoop is your one-stop-shop for all thing’s registration
- These registration steps are a PDF found on The Scoop
- This registration video is also from the Scoop
Focus Area Advisors
- Last Names A-D: Billy Etheredge
- Last Names D-Mo: Laura Hand
- Last Names Mp-Z: Rebekah Folds