Admission Requirements

St. Joseph’s College of Nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center does not discriminate in the administration of educational policies or programs, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.  The College’s non-discrimination policy is inclusive of, but not limited to, race, age, color, national or ethnic origin, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran/military status, religion, disability or political ideology.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have minimally earned the following to be considered for admission:

• • High school diploma or equivalent – If a high school is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or has no physical address, the student would be required to submit a General Education Diploma/Test Assessing Secondary Completion (GED/TASC) before the application would be evaluated.
  • Home schooled students must work with an approved home school association or local high school.  If the student did not use an approved organization, a GED/TASC would be required before the application would be evaluated.
  • Completion of and a passing grade in Algebra, Biology/Living Environment and Chemistry at the high school or college level – New York State Regents required where available (4 years of Math and Science coursework is strongly encouraged).
  • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 85 (B, 3.0) or higher.

Note: Applicants must provide proof of a High School diploma or equivalent.  Refer to section 3.47(a) of the Rules of the New York State Board of Regents for additional options/ways to fulfill the High School proof of graduation or equivalent requirement. (Click here to view the NYS Codes & Requirements for Earned Degrees).

An official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score report may be requested for applicants who have secondary and/or college transcripts from outside the U.S. and who have not completed college level English in the U.S. Analysis of TOEFL results will be based on TOEFL established benchmarks.

Application Process

• • Complete and submit an online application including a personal statement/essay. 
  • Submit high school transcript demonstrating proof of graduation and/or high school equivalent (must be sent directly from the original institution to St. Joseph’s Admissions Department)
  • Submit official college transcripts for ALL colleges attended (must be sent directly from the original institution to St. Joseph’s Admissions Department)
  • Submit 2 professional letters of recommendation. Current high school students must submit one professional letter of recommendation and one letter of recommendation from their guidance counselor. Recommendations from family members or friends are not accepted.

An application is not considered complete until all the above items are completed/received. All applications become the property of St. Joseph’s College of Nursing and will not be returned. If an applicant does not complete an application or if the applicant is not in communication with the Office of Admissions within one year of applying, the file will be deemed inactive and consideration for admission will be canceled.

Admission Procedure

Admission to St. Joseph’s College of Nursing is highly competitive and primarily based on academic achievements (high school and/or college grade point average), strength of curriculum, standardized test scores (High School students only), personal statement, extracurricular, volunteer and/or work experience, and letters of recommendation. Applications will be considered based on:

• • Courses taken that meet or exceed the above minimum academic requirements.
  • Professional letters of recommendation that reflect positively on the applicant and their desire to pursue a degree in nursing.
  • Quality of essay including subject matter, grammar, and punctuation.
  • Non-High School applicants who have completed Anatomy & Physiology I&II (4 cr. each), Critical Writing (3 cr.), and Introductory Psychology (3 cr.) with a grade of B or higher will be considered more competitive for acceptance.
  • Applicants who repeat college courses to achieve a grade of C or higher may not be considered as competitive for admission.

Admission will be offered to qualified applicants within 4-6 weeks until all seats are filled. Decision letters will be sent by email or USPS mail to all applicants.

Suggested Institutions/Courses to Fulfill Admission Requirements

Onondaga Community College: Syracuse, NY (link)
Algebra (MAT 088); Biology (BIO 151); Chemistry (CHE 151)

Cayuga Community College: Auburn/Fulton, NY (link)
Algebra (MATH 099); Biology (BIOL 103); Chemistry (CHEM 101)

Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center (SUNY EOC): 224 Harrison St., 8th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202
Contact directly at 315-472-0130

Portage Learning: Offered Online (link)
Algebra (MAT 091); Biology (BIO 095); Chemistry (CHM 095);

In addition to these institutions, courses may be completed at any local college.  Refer to individual institution’s course descriptions or college catalog to identify the appropriate course.