Nursing Pre-Licensure BSN

  • BSN
  • Major
Students at tables in two rows in a brightly lit classroom

Start your journey toward a rewarding career in healthcare with Montclair’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). 

Learn to deliver high-quality patient care in a variety of settings — from physicians’ offices and nursing homes to hospital ICUs. 

Turn Your Calling into a Career With:

  • Immersive, High-Tech Training: Build clinical skills in Montclair’s state-of-the-art Simulation Center, where intelligent manikins mimic real medical events — from childbirth to heart failure to end-of-life care — allowing you to practice in a safe environment before entering a hospital.
  • Train on the Anatomage Table, a life-sized, 3D virtual cadaver that lets you explore human anatomy in vivid detail — rotating real human scans in full 360° detail.
  • Hands-On Experience: Care for real patients in diverse healthcare settings throughout the community. Montclair’s partnerships with local hospitals, clinics, and care facilities ensure you’ll gain meaningful experience across the lifespan — from pediatric to geriatric care.
  • A Comprehensive Curriculum: Grow into a well-rounded nurse through coursework grounded in science, mathematics and the humanities. Develop the empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills needed to treat the whole person — not just the condition.

Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam and become a licensed registered nurse (RN). 

See the curriculum.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master’s degree program in nursing at Montclair State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Already an RN? Take the Next Step

If you’ve already passed the NCLEX you can unlock more nursing career opportunities with Montclair’s Online RN to BSN program.

Featured Course: Integration (NURS 465)

In Integration, you’ll bring together everything you’ve learned throughout the BSN program and apply it in real healthcare settings. Through hands-on clinical experience and reflective practice, you’ll strengthen your ability to care for patients with complex health needs — across all ages and stages of illness.

Sharpen your skills in clinical judgment, time management, communication, and teamwork, while also learning to navigate legal and ethical challenges that come with real-world nursing.

You’ll also examine how racism, ageism, and access to care can affect patient outcomes — and learn how your nursing practice can be a force for equity and meaningful change.

Where Graduates Go

Graduates from our program often receive job offers from facilities they completed their coursework and clinical rotations at, including:

Clara Maass Medical Center
Community Medical Center
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian University Medical Center
Jersey City Medical Center

Morristown Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Overlook Medical Center
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – New Brunswick
St. Joseph’s University Medical Center

Student Nurses Association (MSU-SNA)

The Student Nurses Association (MSU-SNA) brings nursing students together for community service, peer connection, and purpose-driven events like toy drives, bake sales, and awareness walks — even organizing scholarships for students in need.

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to Montclair’s four-year BSN program for the fall semester only. When you apply, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will first review your application for general admission to the University. If you meet those requirements, your application will then be reviewed by the School of Nursing for a final decision on your admission to the major. We take a holistic approach to admissions, looking closely at both your academic background and personal achievements.

What We Look For

Academic Performance: We strongly consider your high school GPA, the rigor of your coursework, and completion of at least 16 college-prep units, including:

  • 4 years of English
  • 3 years of math (Algebra I & II, Geometry)
  • 2 years of the same world language
  • 2 years of lab science
  • 2 years of social sciences
  • 3 additional units in any of the above subjects

Students who go above and beyond the minimum — with honors, AP, or additional coursework in subjects like science, language, or advanced math — will be recognized during the review process.

We also consider:

  • Two letters of recommendation (from teachers, counselors, or employers)
  • A thoughtful, well-written personal statement
  • Involvement in extracurriculars such as community service, leadership, sports, or the arts
  • Any hands-on experience related to the healthcare field

Before beginning your clinical courses, you’ll need to pass a criminal background check and urine toxicology screening, completed by an external agency. Results are sent confidentially to the School of Nursing. Fees apply.

Questions? We're Here to Help.

If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please contact Undergraduate Admissions.

Undergraduate Admissions Office

Whether you’re looking to begin an application, have questions about transferring to Montclair or trying to check your application status, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to help you in any way we can.

School of Nursing

At Montclair's School of Nursing, we believe nursing is grounded in the science of human caring, which focuses on being whole and being healed.