Accelerated BScN — Memorial University of Newfoundland
SpaceCat Fit Notes
- CASPer: Not required for 2026.
“The CASPer test will NOT be required for the 2026 nursing admissions intake.”
- GPA window & upgrading: Best of cumulative, degree, or last 30 credit hours. The last-30 option is key – 10 strong new courses fully reset the effective GPA. Details
- Experiential / written advantage: None. Purely GPA-based (no statement, interview, references, or CASPer for 2026).
-
Out-of-province: NL priority but OOP encouraged. No tuition differential.
“Priority for admission is given to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador”
-
Overall assessment: Moderate fit — Best-of-three GPA calculation (cumulative, degree, or last 30 credits) means SpaceCat gets the most favorable option. Low 2.8 minimum. Main barriers: NL priority, Corner Brook only, 3-year duration, no CASPer. But GPA itself is achievable.
Program Status
PARTIALLY PAUSED. The accelerated option is paused at St. John’s; only Corner Brook (WRSON) remains open.
Memorial stated:
“It proved to be a resource-intensive program that, at times, did not reach full capacity”
Seats were transferred to the four-year program, “allowing 32 potential students to move up from the waiting list.”
RNUNL president Yvette Coffey:
No public plans to reinstate at St. John’s have been announced.
Source: CBC News, Source: MUN Nursing Admissions
Quick Facts
- Institution: Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN)
- Program name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) (Collaborative) — Accelerated Option
- Degree granted: BScN
- City, Province: Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador (Western Regional School of Nursing, affiliated with Grenfell Campus). St. John’s campus paused.
- Program type: Accelerated / Second-Entry
- Duration: 3 years (eight consecutive semesters)
- Delivery format: In-person
- Total credit hours: 121 credit hours (94 NURS credit hours + 27 non-NURS credit hours)
- Full-time / Part-time: Full-time only
- Language of instruction: English
- Start date(s): Fall semester only
- Intake frequency: Annual (St. John’s campus paused; Corner Brook only)
- Application deadline(s): Application opens September 10, 2026 for Fall 2027; closes January 20, 2027; documents due February 3, 2027
- Application system: Online through MUN’s main application portal at mun.ca/undergrad/admissions/apply/, plus a separate Nursing application form
- Program URL: https://www.mun.ca/nursingadmissions/program-information/accelerated-option/
- Accredited: Yes — Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) seven-year accreditation (the highest that can be earned). Also approved by the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador (CRNNL).
Admission Requirements
GPA
- Minimum GPA: 2.8 on a 4.0 scale, calculated as either cumulative GPA, degree GPA, or in the last 30 credit hours (whichever is highest)
- Competitive GPA: Not explicitly published beyond the 2.8 minimum. The “How to Strengthen Your Application” page advises applicants to “maintain a strong average” but does not specify a competitive range. The 4-year option recommends 70%+; the accelerated option’s 2.8/4.0 minimum (~73%) likely functions similarly as a floor.
- GPA calculated on: Cumulative, degree, or last 30 credit hours — whichever is highest
Prerequisites
A) High School Prerequisites
Applicants must have these high school courses (or equivalents) completed. If not completed in high school, both biology courses must be completed at the post-secondary level (they must be completed at the same level — cannot mix high school and university):
| Course | Notes |
|---|---|
| Biology 2201 and 3201 | Or equivalents. At post-secondary level, MUN Biology 1001 and 1002 meets this requirement. Must both be at same level (both HS or both university). |
| Chemistry 3202 | Or equivalent. At post-secondary level, one of MUN Chemistry 1010, 1050, 1051, 1200, 1810, or 1001 meets this requirement. |
| Math 3200 or 3201 | Or equivalent. Three credit hours in math at the post-secondary level meets this requirement. |
All required biology, math, and chemistry courses must be completed by July 31 of the year of admission.
B) University-Level Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours at the university level must be completed by the end of the Spring semester in the year of applying. These 30 credit hours must include 12 credit hours from the following specified courses:
| Course | Credit Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English with Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) designation | 6 credit hours | Two courses in English with CRW designation |
| Sociology, Anthropology, or Archaeology | 3 credit hours | One course |
| Psychology 1000 | 3 credit hours | Specific course code required |
| Human Biosciences 1430 | 3 credit hours | Specific course code required |
| Biology 3053 (Microbiology) | 3 credit hours | Specific course code required |
| Statistics: 2500 (or 1510, 2550, Education 2900, Psychology 2910/2925) | 3 credit hours | Multiple acceptable course codes |
| Philosophy or Religious Studies 2610 | 3 credit hours | Specific course code required |
Important: The 12 credit hours of specified courses count toward the 30 credit hour minimum. The remaining 18 credit hours can be any university courses.
Minimum grades per prerequisite: No specific minimum grade per individual course is published. The overall GPA requirement (2.8/4.0) applies.
Can prerequisites be taken online? Not explicitly stated on MUN’s website. The course codes listed are MUN-specific; out-of-province equivalents would need to be assessed by the university. Contact nursingadmissions@mun.ca for equivalency confirmation.
Prereq source URLs: - https://www.mun.ca/nursingadmissions/program-information/accelerated-option/ - https://www.mun.ca/nursingadmissions/admission-information/current-memorial-university-students/ - https://www.mun.ca/nursingadmissions/how-to-strengthen-your-application/
Prior Degree Requirement
- Minimum credits / degree required: Minimum 30 credit hours (approximately 2 years of full-time university study / 10 courses). A completed degree is not required.
- Degree field restrictions: None — any field
- Specific undergraduate courses required beyond prereqs: The 12 specified credit hours listed above
CASPer
“The CASPer test will NOT be required for the 2026 nursing admissions intake.” (Note: CASPer was previously used starting in 2021; its future status is unclear. Confirm for 2027 intake.) Source
Supplementary Requirements
- GRE: Not required
- Interview: Not required
- Personal statement / written component: Not required (no supplementary application mentioned)
- Resume / CV: Not required
- References: Not required unless the admissions committee specifically requests one
- Volunteer / work experience: No stated minimum or requirement
- Language proficiency: Not explicitly stated for domestic applicants; international applicants have separate requirements
- Other: All admitted students must meet the “CRNNL Requisite Skills and Abilities for Entry-Level Registered Nurse Practice”
How Applications Are Evaluated
Admissions appear to be primarily GPA-based (no supplementary application, no interview, no CASPer for 2026). The program is described as “competitive.” Applicants rank nursing site preferences (first through sixth choice campuses). Priority is given to Newfoundland and Labrador residents, but out-of-province and international applicants are encouraged to apply.
Applicants receive two separate decisions: (1) general university admission to MUN, and (2) admission to the BScN program. University acceptance is required before nursing program eligibility.
Nursing decisions are emailed mid-April to mid-May.
Out-of-Province Considerations
- Residency restrictions or quotas: “Priority for admission is given to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador” but “out-of-province and international applicants are encouraged to apply.” No explicit quota published. Source
- Out-of-province tuition differential: None. Memorial charges the same domestic tuition regardless of province. Source
Cost
- Tuition (total program, approximate): Memorial University’s domestic undergraduate tuition for 2025-26 is approximately $6,750 per two semesters (10 courses) for NL students enrolled starting Fall 2025. Over 8 semesters (3 years), this would be approximately $27,000 in tuition for the full 121-credit-hour program. This is an estimate; nursing-specific fees may apply.
- In-province vs out-of-province: No differential for domestic Canadian students found.
- Additional required fees (per two semesters):
- Student Services Fee: $100
- Students’ Union: $153
- Recreation Fee: $146
- Health Insurance: $550 (includes dental; opt-out with alternate coverage)
- Nursing Students’ Association fee: ~$10/year (full-time)
- Admission deposit: $150 non-refundable (Canadian applicants); $1,500 (international applicants)
- Residence (optional): $4,987–$5,993 per semester (includes meal plan)
Note: Memorial University is widely recognized as one of the least expensive universities in Canada.
Competitiveness
- Cohort size (accelerated): Not published for the accelerated option specifically. The overall BScN collaborative program across all three sites accepts approximately 291 students per year from over 600 applicants (all options combined, per CASPer study data). The number of accelerated seats at WRSON specifically is not published.
- Acceptance rate: Not published for the accelerated option specifically. The 32 seats transferred from the paused St. John’s accelerated option to the 4-year program gives some indication of the scale.
- Number of applicants: Over 600 per year across all BScN options (per CASPer study). Not broken out for the accelerated option.
Fieldwork / Clinical / Practicum
- Placements guaranteed? Yes (built into curriculum)
- Total required hours: Minimum 1,500 clinical hours required
- Placement settings / locations: Clinical placements are coordinated through Western Health (for WRSON students in Corner Brook). Emphasis on rural and remote community nursing given the school’s location and mission.
- Can placements be done out of province? Not indicated; appears to be NL-based
Licensing & Career Path
- Licensing exam: NCLEX-RN
- Graduates eligible to practice in all provinces? Yes (NCLEX-RN is accepted across Canada)
- Any known issues with credential recognition? None
Reputation & Notes
- The accelerated program was launched in 2019 to help people with prior post-secondary education fast-track into nursing
- Program was paused at St. John’s in 2025-2026 due to under-enrollment and high attrition to the 4-year stream — a significant concern given the provincial nursing shortage
- The program at WRSON in Corner Brook remains active but requires relocation to a small city in western Newfoundland
- Memorial University is known for extremely affordable tuition — among the lowest in Canada
- The BScN collaborative program operates through a consortium of three independent schools across NL (MUN Faculty of Nursing, Centre for Nursing Studies, and WRSON)
- The provincial government invested $3 million (2022 budget) to expand nursing seats by 25%, adding 72 seats and three new satellite sites (Labrador, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor)
- Corner Brook is a small city (~20,000 population) on NL’s west coast — a significant lifestyle consideration for out-of-province applicants
- The 3-year duration is longer than most “accelerated” nursing programs in Canada (which are typically 2 years), making it less accelerated despite the name
Information Not Found
- Exact cohort size for the accelerated option at WRSON
- Whether prerequisites from out-of-province universities or online institutions are accepted (contact nursingadmissions@mun.ca)
- Minimum grade required per individual prerequisite course
- Whether CASPer will be required for the 2027 intake
- Detailed semester-by-semester course sequence
- Specific clinical placement sites or rotation schedule
- Whether the St. John’s campus accelerated option will be reinstated and when
Sources
- MUN Accelerated Option — Nursing Admissions
- MUN BScN Accelerated Option — Undergraduate Admissions
- MUN Nursing Admissions — Main Page
- MUN Nursing Admissions — Admission Information
- MUN Nursing Admissions — Current MUN Students
- MUN Nursing Admissions — Other Post-Secondary Students
- MUN Nursing Admissions — How to Apply
- MUN Nursing Admissions — Application Deadline Dates
- MUN Nursing Admissions — How to Strengthen Your Application
- MUN BScN Program Information
- MUN 2025-2026 University Calendar — Faculty of Nursing
- MUN 2025-26 Tuition and Fees
- Western Regional School of Nursing — Western Health
- CBC: Nurses’ union speaks out on MUN’s suspension of accelerated degree program
- NTV: Nurses’ Union raises concern about MUN suspending accelerated nursing program
- PMC: CASPer Incremental Validity Study — Memorial Nursing
- MUN Faculty of Nursing — Programs and Admissions