Below is an example of a plan of study for a student to complete all general education courses prior to starting the nursing courses. This is currently the most popular pathway. Once in the nursing program, even though the credit hours are considered part-time, the workload of the nursing courses is closer to full-time related to the clinical component of the courses. By completing the general education courses first, students can focus on the nursing courses once accepted into the program.

This is also the pathway for students with prior college credit or degrees. Students coming in with prior college credit are encouraged to meet with an advisor to customize an academic plan. While continuing to take the remaining general education courses for the ASN program, the student with prior college credit can possibly include some of the additional general education courses that will be required for the RN-BSN completion program.

Traditional Pathway Sample Plan of Study

Semester 1 (13-14hrs)*

• ENGL 1101 – 3hrs
• MATH 1001 or higher (STAT 1401 included) – 3hrs
• COMM 1100 – 3hrs
• Area D Science – 4hrs (for students taking BIOL 2251/2251L at GHC)
• *NURS 1000 – Introduction to Professional Nursing – 1hr

*Semester 1 hours can vary depending on whether or not a student chooses to take NURS 1000 before or after starting the nursing program.

Semester 2 (14hrs)

• BIOL 2251 – 3hrs – 1^st 8wks
• BIOL 2251L – 1hr – 1^st 8wks
• BIOL 2252 – 3 hrs – 2^nd 8wks
• BIOL 2252L – 1hr – 2^nd 8wks
• Humanities Elective – 3hrs
• HIST 2111 or 2112 OR POLS 1101 – 3hrs 

Semester 3 (7hrs)

• BIOL 2260 – 3hrs
• BIOL 2260L – 1hr
• HIST 2111 or 2112 OR POLS 1101 – 3hrs 

Semester 4 (8-9hrs* Fall (Start of Nursing Program)

• NURS 1100 – Conceptual Foundations of Nursing – 6hrs
• NURS 1001 – Health Assessment – 2hrs
• NURS 1000 – Introduction to Professional Nursing – 1hr

*Semester 4 hours can vary depending on whether or not a student took NURS 1000 before starting the program. 

Semester 5 (10hrs) Spring

• NURS 1200 – Nursing Practice for Common Health Issues – 8hrs
• NURS 1002 – Pharmacology – 2hrs

Semester 6 (9hrs) Fall

• NURS 2500 – Nursing Practice for Complicated Health Concerns – 9hrs

Semester 7 (8hrs) Spring

• NURS 2600 – Nursing Practice for Complex Health Problems – 5hrs
• NURS 2650 – Transition to Professional Nursing – 3hrs

Full-time Plan of Study

The full-time plan of study is an option that allows high school student students who meet the criteria below to apply to a full-time pathway following the Traditional ASN Program path. In the full-time plan of study, students take their core curriculum courses along with their nursing courses. Students following the full-time plan of study can graduate with their associate degree in nursing within five (5) semesters. The full-time plan of study starts with courses in the summer semester following graduation from high school. The course load for the summer semester will be 8 semester hours, following by four semesters (fall-spring-fall-spring) with course loads of 14-17 semester hours.

Steps for admission into the nursing program:

1. Admission to the college
   1. Submit the following materials to the admissions office:
      1. Completed Georgia Highlands College application
      2. Copy of high school transcript
   2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program
      1. Submit materials that document the following requirements by the April 1^st application deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:
         3. A high school academic/HOPE GPA of at least 3.0
         4. An ACT composite score of at least 24, with an English score of at least 22, and a Math score of at least 20 OR an SAT score report with a score of at least 1160

1. OPTIONAL CNA license

Example of a Full-time ASN Program Plan of Study

Semester 1 (8hrs) Summer

• NURS 1000 – Introduction to Professional Nursing – 1hr
• MATH 1001 or higher (STAT 1401 included) – 3hrs
• BIOL 2251 – 3hrs
• BIOL 2251L – 1hrs

Semester 2 (16hrs) Fall

• *NURS 1100 – Conceptual Foundations of Nursing – 6hrs
• *NURS 1001 – Health Assessment – 2hrs
• BIOL 2252 – 3hrs 1^st 8 weeks
• BIOL 2252L – 1hr 1^st 8 weeks
• BIOL 2260 – 3hrs 2^nd 8 weeks
• BIOL 2260L – 1hr 2^nd 8 weeks

Semester 3 (16hrs) Spring

• *NURS 1200 – Nursing Practice for Common Health Issues – 8hrs
• *NURS 1002 – Pharmacology – 2hrs
• ENGL 1101 – 3hrs
• COMM 1100 – 3hrs

Semester 4 (12hrs) Fall

• *NURS 2500 – Nursing Practice for Complicated Health Concerns – 9hrs
• HIST 2111 or 2112 OR POLS 1101 – 3hrs

Semester 5 (14hrs) Spring

• *NURS 2600 – Nursing Practice for Complex Health Problems – 5hrs
• *NURS 2650 – Transition to Professional Nursing – 3hrs
• Humanities elective – 3hrs
• HIST 2111 or 2112 OR POLS 1101 – 3hrs

*Nursing courses must be taken in sequence and are only available in the semester listed above. Only NURS 1000 can be taken before starting the program, during the summer semester (with an alternate class chosen), OR in the fall semester.

Dual Enrollment Students

Dual enrollment students have the opportunity to complete the core curriculum courses for the ASN program while still in high school. Students are encouraged to work with their high school counselors and a nursing advisor to create a plan of study. It is possible for a dual enrollment student to be ready to apply to the traditional program by April 1st of their senior year provided the student will be at least 18 years of age by August 1st of that year and meets the criteria below. Depending on the number of courses completed through dual enrollment, students may have to pursue the Traditional ASN program.

Once dual enrollment students have graduated from high school, they can continue to work with the nursing advisor to stay on track for early completion of RN-BSN core curriculum courses. Students have the opportunity to position themselves to complete the RN-BSN program within two (2) semesters following graduation from the ASN program.

Steps for admission into the nursing program:

1. Admission to the college if their dual enrollment is not through Georgia Highlands College.
   1. Submit the following materials to the admissions office:
      1. Completed Dual Enrollment Update form
      2. Copy of final high school transcript including graduation date

2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program
   1. Submit materials that document the following requirements by the April 1^st application deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:
      2. A minimum GPA of 2.5 in the nine required general core courses
         1. A grade of C or better in BIOL 2251/2251L, BIOL 2252/2252L, BIOL 2260/2260L, ENGL 1101, and MATH 1001 or higher (STAT 1401 included). The C or better in the biology courses includes both class and lab grades.
         2. ATI TEAS requirements:
            1. A minimum of a 70 composite score on the ATI TEAS exam
            2. No more than four attempts per application cycle, the last two application cycles (years) are accepted. The cycles/years run April 2^nd – April 1^st.
            3. Official transcripts for the ATI TEAS are required.
               1. Students who take the exam with the GHC Testing Center do not have to submit their transcripts, we have direct access to these.
               2. Students who take the exam proctored online through ATI, or at an outside testing facility, must request an official transcript be sent from their ATI account to GA Highlands College.
            4. Proof of attendance from a nursing information session:
               1. Dates for all information sessions are posted in the drop-down menu on the High School Students/Graduates page.
            5. OPTIONAL CNA license must be active through the April 1^st application deadline.

Traditional ASN (Part-time) Plan of Study

The part-time plane of study is the Traditional ASN Program in which students complete their ASN general education core curriculum courses prior to admission to the nursing program. The part-time plan of study consists of seven (7) semesters with an average course load of 10 semester hours per semester. Students following the part-time plan of study will not apply to the nursing program until they are nearing completion of their general core curriculum courses. Students seeking acceptance eligibility to the nursing program must meet the criteria listed under the Admission Criteria tab on the Traditional ASN Program website.

*Note: MATH 1001 or higher (STAT 1401 included), BIOL 2251 & 2251L, BIOL 2252 & 2252L, and BIOL 2260 & 2260L must be completed by the spring semester of application to the program. Failure to complete these courses by the spring semester of application will result in the student’s application being marked ineligible.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and paramedics have an opportunity to be awarded credit for prior learning and exempt the first five nursing courses (NURS 1000, NURS 1001, NURS 1002, NURS 1100, and NURS 1200). Those LPNs and paramedics who wish to be awarded credit must apply for the LPN-RN and Paramedic-RN Bridge programs. Applicants accepted into the bridge tracks take NURS 1300 and NURS 1400 in the spring semester followed by the final two semesters of the part-time plan of study. Upon successful completion of NURS 1300 and NURS 1400, students receive a grade of K for NURS 1000, NURS 1001, NURS 1002, NURS 1100 and NURS 1200.

LPNs and Paramedics have one opportunity to successfully complete NURS 1300 and NURS 1400. Should a student not be successful in both NURS 1300 and NURS 1400, the student would be eligible to readmit into the Traditional ASN program and complete the courses in the part-time plan of study for which K credit was not received.

*Potential applicants need to apply to the college and have their transcripts evaluated. Once transfer credit has been awarded, students need to ensure that they have credit for all of the courses below.

Students should have completed, or almost completed, all of their core curriculum courses by the application deadline:

• ENGL 1101 or 1102
• MATH 1001 or higher (STAT 1401 eligible)**
• COMM 1100 or 1110
• A Humanities Elective
• POLS 1101
• HIST 2111 or 2112
• BIOL 2251/2251L**
• BIOLS 2252/2252L**
• BIOL 2260/2260L**

Note: The biology courses no longer expire for working LPN and Paramedic students.

**Course must be completed by the summer of applying to the nursing bridge program. Missing just one of these courses will result in an application being marked not eligible.

Professional Bridge Program for LPNs and Paramedics

Semester 1 (9hrs) Spring

• NURS 1300 – Bridge to Professional Nursing – 3hrs
• NURS 1400 – Conceptual Nursing for Paramedics and LPNs – 6hrs

Semester 2 (9hrs) Fall

• NURS 2500 – Nursing Practice for Complicated Health Concerns – 9hrs

Semester 3 (8hrs) Spring

• NURS 2600 – Nursing Practice for Complex Health Problems – 5hrs
• NURS 2650 – Transition to Professional Nursing – 3hrs