🐱 Space Cat Goes to School 🚀
Charting a course through the stars to the right program

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) – Dalhousie University

SpaceCat Fit Notes

  1. CASPer: Required (per Dalhousie admissions supplemental forms page). Weight not published. details
  2. GPA window & upgrading strategy: For Semester 1: high school Grade 12 marks (min 70% overall). For Semester 3: university GPA – minimum cumulative 2.5/4.3 “based on overall post-secondary career or most recent year of studies (30 credit hours).” The “most recent year” option means the GPA window may be resettable. details
  3. Experiential / written advantage: None – no resume, letter of intent, or other documentation required. “Previous work experience is not evaluated as part of the admission process for the Nursing program.” details

  4. Out-of-province: “This program primarily serves permanent residents of Nova Scotia.” Very limited seats for other Canadian provinces. International students ineligible. details

  5. Overall assessment: Reach – SpaceCat is an out-of-province applicant (Ontario resident) competing for “very limited” non-Nova Scotia seats. As a Dalhousie BA holder with more than 12 credit hours of Semester 3 prerequisites, she would be classified as a Semester 3 applicant (not Semester 1). The Semester 3 GPA calculation offers a “most recent year of studies (30 credit hours)” option that could be resettable, but the minimum is only 2.5/4.3 and competitive averages are higher. CASPer is required (her strength), but work experience is explicitly not evaluated. The severe out-of-province restriction is the primary barrier. Dalhousie is her alma mater, but that provides no documented admissions advantage.

“Owing to the limited enrollment and the large number of applicants, this program primarily serves permanent residents of Nova Scotia. However, each year a limited number of Semester 1 (directly from high school) and Semester 3 entry (for those with previous university experience) seats are also available for qualified residents of other Canadian provinces.”

“Previous work experience is not evaluated as part of the admission process for the Nursing program.”

Quick Facts

Admission Requirements

Semester 1 Entry (from high school / minimal university)

Semester 1 is for applicants “coming directly from high school or who do not have the required prerequisites for the Semester 3 option.” Applicants with 12 credit hours or LESS of the Semester 3 prerequisites are classified as Semester 1.

GPA (Semester 1)

“The BScN program is very competitive, and all Semester 1 applicants must have completed or be in the process of completing the required grade 12 courses and have a strong admission average to be considered for the program.”

“Meeting the minimum entrance average does not guarantee admission. As a result of the competitive admission process, applicants typically require a higher entrance average than the minimum listed in the admission requirements.”

Prerequisites (Semester 1)

Course Subject Required / Recommended Min Grade Time Limit Notes
Academic English 12 English Required 70% None stated
Academic Math 12 Mathematics Required 70% None stated
Academic Biology 12 Biology Required 70% None stated
Academic Chemistry 12 Chemistry Required 70% None stated
1 additional university preparatory course Any Required Not stated None stated

Semester 3 Entry (prior university experience)

Semester 3 is for applicants with MORE than 12 credit hours of the Semester 3 prerequisites completed. Must have all 30 credit hours of prerequisites to be eligible.

GPA (Semester 3)

“A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 based on overall post-secondary career or most recent year of studies (30 credit hours)”

“Meeting the minimum entrance GPA does not guarantee admission. As a result of the competitive admission process, applicants typically require a higher entrance GPA than the minimums listed in the admission requirements.”

Prerequisites (Semester 3)

All courses require a minimum grade of C. All must be completed before program start.

Course Subject Area Required / Recommended Min Grade Time Limit Notes
ANAT 1010 or equivalent Anatomy Required C 10 years from graduation date 3 credit hours
PHYL 1001+1002 or 1011+1012 (or PHYL 1001 + Bio Science) Physiology Required C 10 years 6 credit hours
STAT 1060 or equivalent Statistics Required C 10 years 3 credit hours
MICI 1100 or equivalent Microbiology Required C 10 years 3 credit hours
ENGL 1100 or equivalent writing course English writing Required C 10 years 3 credit hours
Science elective Any science Required C 15 years 3 credit hours
Open electives Any (not nursing) Required C 15 years 9 credit hours (3 courses)

Total: 30 credit hours (10 courses)

Prereq source URL: https://www.dal.ca/study/programs/undergraduate/nursing-bscn.html

How SpaceCat Is Classified

Critical: SpaceCat has a BA from Dalhousie. She likely has more than 12 credit hours of courses that overlap with Semester 3 prerequisites (e.g., English writing, electives, possibly statistics). This means she would be classified as a Semester 3 applicant, NOT Semester 1.

“If you are applying to enter the Nursing program, and you have completed MORE than 12 credit hours of the Semester 3 pre-requisite post-secondary courses, then you are a semester 3 applicant.”

“When you fill out an application you are applying to the Nursing program. You will be placed into either Semester 1 or Semester 3 entry based on your academic history.”

She cannot choose to be assessed as Semester 1. However, she would need to complete the full 30 credit hours of prerequisites (including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics, which she may not have from her BA).

Prior Degree Requirement

CASPer

Required. Dalhousie’s admissions supplemental forms page lists Nursing (BScN) among programs requiring the CASPer test. All applicants must complete the 90-minute online assessment before their application will be reviewed.

Weight in the admission decision is not published.

Source

Supplementary Requirements

Mature Student Pathway

Not available. Dalhousie explicitly states that mature students (defined as “a Canadian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 21 who has completed less than one year of post-secondary study, has not been enrolled in studies for at least two years and who does not currently meet general admission requirements”) are ineligible for the Nursing program.

“Students in this category are ineligible for admission to the Nursing program.”

This is moot for SpaceCat (who has a full BA), but notable.

Advanced Standing for BA

No formal advanced standing. BA holders with appropriate prerequisites are directed to Semester 3 entry (which is a 2-year completion path). The BA does not shorten the program beyond what Semester 3 entry already provides.

How Applications Are Evaluated

Out-of-Province Considerations

“Owing to the limited enrollment and the large number of applicants, this program primarily serves permanent residents of Nova Scotia.”

“Does the program allow Semester 1 admission for non-Nova Scotia residents? Yes, however the number of seats offered to residents of other Canadian provinces is very limited.”

“the student has a student loan from the Government of Nova Scotia; the student entered university immediately after graduating from a high school located in Nova Scotia; the student resided in Nova Scotia for a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the first day of the first month in which their first classes at the University begin”

SpaceCat: Even though she attended Dalhousie for her BA, she is now an Ontario resident and does NOT meet the NS residency definition. She would compete for the “very limited” out-of-province seats.

Cost

Competitiveness

“The Bachelor of Science (Nursing) program is one of Dalhousie’s most competitive programs for admission. There are a limited number of seats for each entry point, and each year a large number of applications are received for those seats.”

Fieldwork / Clinical / Practicum

Licensing & Career Path

Reputation & Notes

Information Not Found

Contact: Dalhousie Admissions Office – admissions@dal.ca or 902-494-2450; School of Nursing – nursing.inquiries@dal.ca or 902-431-0748

Sources