Nursing Major
At the heart of nursing: compassion and confidence
In our nursing program, you’ll learn how to combine the art of caring and compassion with the science of health care. Discover how providing holistic care to body, mind, and soul inspires an empathetic, respectful, and dignified outlook. Saint Mary’s prepares you for a career that’s in high demand — and one that makes a difference. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the B.S. in Nursing program prepares you to enter the world with a better sense of self and an enriched, holistic view of compassionate nursing in the Catholic tradition of providing health care.
Our integrated approach is what sets us apart from other nursing programs. As a Lasallian Catholic university, this means holistic formation preparing you to become a good nurse. We’re guided by our Lasallian Catholic values and have lived them for more than 100 years. They will guide us — and you — into a bright future.
Caring, supportive community
The BSN program at Saint Mary’s is influenced by the Careful Nursing Philosophy and
Professional Practice Model©. This means you’ll be part of a community that does more than care for patients — you and your classmates will focus on the nature and inherent dignity of the full person. You’ll learn to practice care for yourself and others, and be welcomed and embraced in a vibrant, caring community
At the heart of Saint Mary’s: you.
From day one, you’ll be part of a nursing cohort, building relationships with fellow future nurses and faculty. Together, you’ll discover not only where you want to go, but who you want to be.
Practical, hands-on education
Learn and interact in a dedicated nursing space inside Aquinas Hall, featuring state-of-the-art lab spaces and classrooms. You’ll complete over 500 hours of practical, hands-on learning throughout the program in clinical and simulation learning experiences. We have several partnerships with clinical healthcare partners across Minnesota and Wisconsin, because we focus on preparing you for tomorrow’s workforce.
Core curriculum
The B.S. in Nursing is a four-year program requiring successful completion of general requirements, along with nursing coursework covering central themes and key topics, including:
Pathophysiology
Pharmacology
Health promotion
Chronic care
Acute care
Mental health care
Health care ethics
Leadership and management
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Program Highlights
We prepare compassionate, competent, and professional nurses through a transformative and holistic curriculum. Discover why Saint Mary’s nursing program stands apart. And learn how you can help make a difference — for your patients and your future.
Program Features
What Makes it Special:
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Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) -
Approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing
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Begin nursing courses your first semester
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Cohort model (50 students)
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Faculty-to-staff ratio 13:1
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Total of 585 hours of hands-on learning
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Modern evidence-based teaching strategies
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Reputable relationships with nearby leading healthcare systems
What You'll Learn
What You’ll Learn
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In-depth study of scientific principles of nursing
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Evidence-based decision making and clinical reasoning
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Recognition of social determinants of health and advocacy for health equity
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Therapeutic and professional written and oral communication
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Ethical leadership with a focus on character and integrity
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Adaptation to the changing healthcare environment
What is holistic nursing?
Body. Mind. Spirit.
“We’re looking at the whole person and so we have to form you as a whole person to be a good nurse. We have to let you learn how to see your patients in that full broad context.”
– Sister Agnes Mary Graves, RSM, DNP
Virtual Information Sessions
7-8PM (CST) - January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10
Course Information
Approvals and Licensure
The Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Saint Mary’s received approval by the Minnesota Board of Nursing for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on June 3, 2021. Board approval of the program is required for graduates to be eligible for professional nursing licensure as a registered nurse in Minnesota.
Through the Licensure by Examination process, BSN graduates who pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) obtain an unrestricted RN license. The NCLEX-RN is a national exam administered by individual states and jurisdictions throughout the United States and its territories and Canada. Each individual governing body issues authorization to test based on specific requirements which allows a student to take the NCLEX-RN.
All students intending to take the NCLEX-RN outside the state of Minnesota should direct their questions to Sister Agnes Mary Graves, director and Inaugural Jack and Mary Ann Remick Chair of Nursing.
Visit our Professional Licensure Disclosures and Resources page for additional information about this program and nursing licensure.
Careers that look to the future.
Over the next eight years, RN jobs will grow by 276,800 or 9%.1 The median annual salary for an RN in 2021 was $77,600.1 With so much flexibility in nursing, whether you decide to work in a remote hospital or your community as a public health nurse, you'll make a difference wherever you go.
Registered Nurse
$77,600Medical Services Manager
$101,340Nursing assistant
$30,290FAQs
All incoming first-year students can apply to Saint Mary’s online using the Saint Mary’s application or The Common Application. Application materials will be reviewed and letters of acceptance to the nursing program sent on a rolling basis beginning in August. Each cohort has 50 seats and to accept a seat in the cohort, you must submit an admissions deposit. Requirements and timelines: smumn.edu/nursing.
Saint Mary’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.
Our program is unique because you begin nursing courses your very first semester with Introduction to Professional Nursing and gradually build up to more advanced nursing courses in the junior year with classroom, clinical, and simulation lab learning experiences. General education and prerequisite courses are mostly completed in the first two years. Complete curriculum: smumn.edu/nursing.
During this four-year program, you will pay Saint Mary’s tuition and fees. Nursing students in their junior and senior year will have additional student fees and costs related to the program.
Of course! You may qualify for Saint Mary’s scholarships and financial aid during your time in the program.
To maintain enrollment, you must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher while in the program. First-year and sophomore students must earn at least a C grade in the general education science courses. Prior to beginning clinicals in the junior year, you must 1) obtain Basic Life Support Certification (BLS), 2) successfully complete a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) course, 3) submit proof of immunizations, 4) pass a criminal background check, and 5) pass a drug screen.
If requirements are not met during the program, a review meeting will be held with the nursing student, program director, and faculty advisor to assess remediation or dismissal from the nursing program. If dismissed from the nursing program, the program director will help the student explore other degree options at Saint Mary’s.
The Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Saint Mary’s received approval by the Minnesota Board of Nursing for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on June 3, 2021. Board approval of the program is required for graduates to be eligible for professional nursing licensure as a registered nurse in Minnesota.
Registered nurses are already in high demand, and the world needs even more. Over the next eight years, RN jobs will grow by 276,800 or 9%.1 What’s causing such an astounding employment growth? The need to care for the aging baby boomer population, longer life expectancies, and more patients with chronic conditions all require experienced and compassionate care.1
1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses at www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited July 12, 2022).