Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – Douglas College

⚠️ Program status: Active

SpaceCat Fit Notes

1. CASPer: Not required. details
2. GPA window & upgrading strategy: GPA calculated on 30 required prerequisite credits only (10 courses). Minimum 2.67 GPA with C+ in each. All attempts in required courses count (including repeats from other institutions). This is effectively a small, resettable window – SpaceCat could take these 10 specific courses fresh. However, ranking is first-qualified-first-admitted (by semester completed), not by GPA. details
3. Experiential / written advantage: None – no essays, interviews, or personal statements. Purely academic evaluation with first-qualified-first-admitted model. details
4. Out-of-province: Open to all Canadian citizens/PRs. No BC residency restriction. No differential tuition for domestic students. details
5. Overall assessment: Moderate fit – The GPA window is small (30 credits / ~10 courses) and resettable by taking the specific prerequisites fresh. The minimum GPA of 2.67 is achievable. However, the first-qualified-first-admitted model means SpaceCat would join a waitlist after completing prereqs (average 2-2.5 years wait per forum reports). No CASPer and no non-academic components means her strongest assets cannot help. The wait time is the main drawback.

Quick Facts

• Institution: Douglas College
• Program name: Nursing (Bachelor of Science)
• Degree granted: BSN
• City, Province: New Westminster / Coquitlam, British Columbia
• Program type: Standard (4-year equivalent, begins at Year 1)
• Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
• Delivery format: In-person
• Full-time / Part-time: Full-time only
• Language of instruction: English
• Start date(s): September
• Intake frequency: Annual
• Application deadline(s): Applications accepted on a rolling basis; first-qualified-first-admitted
• Application system: Direct to Douglas College
• Program URL: https://www.douglascollege.ca/program/bsnurs
• Accredited: Yes – CASN accredited

Admission Requirements

GPA

• Minimum GPA: 2.67 on the 30 required prerequisite credits, with C+ minimum in each course
• Competitive GPA (if known): Not a GPA-competitive program – first-qualified-first-admitted. Per forum reports (allnurses.com), average wait is 2-2.5 years after completing prerequisites.
• GPA calculated on: The 30 required university transfer (UT) prerequisite credits only.

“To be eligible for admission to the BSN program, students must successfully complete 30 required university transfer (UT) credits with an admission GPA of 2.67 and a minimum grade of C+ in each course.”

• Number of credits in GPA window: 30 credits (~10 courses). At 5 courses/semester = 2 semesters = 1 year to fully complete.
• GPA scale used: 4.33 (BC standard)
• Do post-degree upgrading courses count? Yes – prerequisites can be completed at any recognized institution. All attempts are counted.

“All attempts in the required courses, including those taken at other post-secondary institutions, will be included in calculating the applicant’s GPA.”

• Are online/summer/part-time courses included in GPA? Not stated explicitly. Courses must be university-transferable (UT).
• “Entire record” caveat? No – GPA is calculated on the 30 prerequisite credits only.
• Can applicants explain/contextualize a low GPA? No – no supplementary application components.

Prerequisites

Required 30 university-transferable credits:

Note: Maximum 2 attempts per course (1 original + 1 repeat). Withdrawal counts as an attempt. Maximum 2 biology courses may be repeated.

CASPer

Not required. CASPer is not mentioned in Douglas College BSN admission requirements.

Supplementary Requirements

• Interview: Not required
• Personal statement: Not required
• References: Not required
• Other: Criminal record check, immunizations, CPR certification required before clinical placements

How Applications Are Evaluated

• Admission model: First-qualified-first-admitted (FQFA). Students are ranked by the semester they complete all prerequisites. Within the same semester, priority goes to students who completed courses in Douglas College’s Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants program. Then ranked by GPA.
• Published formula: Completion date > Douglas College priority > GPA
• GPA cutoff before other components? N/A – no other components

The Key Question: BA Holder with Strong HS Marks

SpaceCat’s Dalhousie BA is irrelevant for ranking purposes – Douglas College evaluates only the 30 prerequisite credits. High school marks are not used. She would need to complete 30 credits of specific prerequisites (biology-heavy) with a 2.67+ GPA. Her prior BA courses do NOT satisfy the prerequisites unless they are exact equivalents per the BC Transfer Guide. The main issue is the waitlist – even with perfect prerequisites, she joins a queue.

Out-of-Province Considerations

• Residency restrictions or quotas: None for Canadian citizens/permanent residents. Open to all domestic students. No BC residency requirement found on program page.
• Out-of-province tuition differential: None – BC public institutions charge the same domestic tuition regardless of province of residence. See Douglas College tuition information.

Cost

• Tuition (total program, approximate): ~$20,000-$25,000 domestic over 4 years (estimate based on BC public college rates)

Competitiveness

• Cohort size: Not published
• Wait time: Forum reports suggest 2-2.5 years after completing prerequisites due to FQFA model

Licensing & Career Path

• Licensing exam: NCLEX-RN
• Graduates eligible to practice in all provinces? Yes

Information Not Found

• Exact cohort size per year
• Whether SpaceCat’s Dalhousie courses transfer via BC Transfer Guide for any prerequisites
• Precise current wait times
• Whether online prerequisite courses from out-of-province institutions are accepted

Contact: Douglas College Faculty of Health Sciences – nursing@douglascollege.ca

Sources

• Official program page: Douglas College BSN
• BSN Information Book: PDF
• Academic Foundations program: CTAFPN
• Third-party / forum sources: allnurses.com discussion