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Upper Division Transfer BSN Admission Requirements

WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR FALL 2027 ADMISSION, PLEASE READ THE BELOW PAGE CAREFULLY.

Applicants to this pathway will only be considered if they have met all of the requirements.

Please be aware that a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is required for background checks upon admission to this pathway, as well as for applying for a license as a Registered Nurse in the state of California. Applicants without an SSN or ITIN cannot be admitted to this pathway.

Non-Resident Applicants: This pathway is under impaction, therefore, we may only consider California residents for admission.

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Qualify For CSUF Transfer

Applicants must have completed a minimum of 60 semester/90 quarter units of transferable college-level coursework by the end of the Fall 2026 semester. Winter or Spring in-progress coursework taken after Fall 2026 is not included in the unit count.

A full CSU General Breadth or Cal-GETC Certificate is not required for admission, but it is highly recommended.

Applicants who have completed college-level coursework outside of the United States must have the official transcript evaluated by an approved foreign transcript evaluation agency for equivalency.

TOEFL: Applicants whose primary language is not English must earn a minimum of 550 on the paper Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or 80 on the Internet Based TOEFL. Applicants may click here to see if they qualify for a waiver (and will not need to take the English Proficiency test).

Last-60-Unit GPA

Applicants must have at least a 3.25 GPA in their most recent 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) of graded transferable college-level coursework, by the end of the Fall 2026 semester. Winter or Spring in-progress coursework taken after Fall 2026 is not factored into the GPA calculation, nor the unit count.

Transferable coursework is college-level coursework that comes from a regionally accredited institution. Regional accrediting organizations include HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, SACSCOS, and WASC. National accreditation alone is not sufficient.

Casper Situational Judgment Test

All applicants are required to complete the Casper Situational Judgment Test (SJT) as part of their application for Fall 2027 admission. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test that takes 90-110 minutes to complete.  Casper measures different personal and professional skills that are important for student nurses. Casper, along with our other admission requirements, help us evaluate each applicant holistically.  Casper is administered by Acuity Insights.

Sign Up for Casper:

  • Go to  takecasper.com  to create an Acuity Insights account and register to complete the Casper.
    • Applicants will register under “Nursing – Undergraduate” and select California State University, Fullerton - School of Nursing as the program.
    • Please register with the same email address used for the Cal State Apply application.
  • Select a Casper test date from the available and approved testing dates:
    • 2026 - May 19, May 23, June 9, July 19, August 4, September 3, October 20, November 12, December 3.
    • 2027 - January 16, February 4.
    • These are the only approved testing dates for applying to our program and no additional tests are likely to be scheduled.
  • Register for the test at least 3 days before the preferred test date and time to allow time to perform a system requirements check and take the sample test. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
  • Applicants should ensure they have selected Cal State Fullerton for distribution before the distribution deadline listed on the Dates and Fees page . 

Technical Requirements for Casper:

  • To take the assessments, applicants will need a:
    • Valid email address (the same one used to submit the Cal State Apply application).
    • Desktop or laptop computer, ideally using Windows or macOS.
      • Smartphones and tablets are not supported.
    • Working webcam and microphone.
      • Wired inputs or the computer’s built-in microphone are recommended.
    • Reliable high-speed internet connection with download speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 2 Mbps.
  • Learn more about  technical requirements .

Accommodations

  • Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete Casper should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled Casper test date.  Learn more about the  accommodations policy .

Help with Casper 

  • For questions, applicants should contact the Acuity Insights team via the chat bubble on the bottom right of their Acuity Insights account or on takecasper.com . Applicants can also review the collection of Frequently Asked Questions .

Prerequisite Courses

Applicants must earn a “B” or higher in each of the four science prerequisite courses, and earn a "C" or higher in each of the four non-science prerequisite courses.

We have a recency requirement of 5 years for the four required science prerequisite courses. For Fall 2027 applicants, sciences must have been completed in 2022 - 2026.

All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the Fall 2026 semester. We will not accept prerequisite courses taken in the Winter or Spring terms following Fall 2026.

Please visit the Prerequisite Courses page for more information.

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PLEASE NOTE:
Letters of recommendation and the TEAS exam are not required or accepted for admission to this pathway.

Academic Programs Leading to Licensure
Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU and requirements can change at any time. For example, licensure or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right to work in the United States (e.g., social security number or tax payer identification number) or successfully passing a criminal background check. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs, to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet licensure or credentialing requirements.

Veteran Admission Considerations
CSUF SON will accept qualified CSUF student applicants who have completed relevant military education and experiences, have met the admission requirements, and who present documented equivalency courses. These individuals are eligible for consideration of taking a challenge exam as outlined in the CSUF University Catalog and the BSN Student Handbook once admitted to the nursing program.

Executive Order 1036 Article 1 Credit by Examinations and Article 2.3 Verification and Evaluation of Learning, Knowledge, or Skills Acquired through Experience fulfills BRN regulations related to Military Credit in nursing. The Executive Order is clear that evaluation of courses is “in accord with legitimate academic standards by faculty who are competent in the appropriate disciplines.” As applicable, previous education for all military candidates is evaluated for transfer credit. The School of Nursing will verify and evaluate nursing content. Appropriate disciplines will verify pre-requisites to admission and other non-nursing but required coursework.

Previous Health Related Experience Admission Considerations
Candidates who have taken courses related to nursing with a theoretical foundation and are currently practicing in the healthcare setting and those with military experience related to nursing, may challenge specific courses. The student must make an appointment with the Nursing Advisor and Program Coordinator to discuss this option and his/her qualifications. Eligible candidates will be given the challenge process for specific courses. The University policy for challenge exams will be followed.

Previous Nursing Education Considerations
Candidates with previous Registered Nursing education may be given transfer credit for previous nursing courses equivalent to the School of Nursing courses. The student must make an appointment with the Nursing Advisor and Program Coordinator to discuss this option and his/her qualifications. The School of Nursing will verify and evaluate nursing content. Appropriate disciplines will verify prerequisites to admission and other non-nursing but required coursework. Admission consideration for qualified applicants will be according to availability of space.

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