Honours BScN Second-Entry — University of Ottawa

SpaceCat Fit Notes

CASPer: Not confirmed as required. CASPer is required for uOttawa’s MD program but no official source confirms it for the second-entry nursing program. Could not verify — would need to confirm with program directly if it reopens.
GPA window & upgrading strategy: CGPA of 7.0/10 (approximately B+ / 77-79%) is the minimum. The GPA is calculated cumulatively across all university coursework, so upgrading by adding strong courses could help dilute weaker earlier grades. However, this is moot while the program is suspended.
Experiential / written advantage: No confirmed written components or interview. The application process appears to rely primarily on GPA and prerequisite completion. SpaceCat’s experiential strengths cannot be clearly leveraged.
Out-of-province: Ontario resident. - None found. The program accepts applicants from across Canada via OUAC 105. - Ontario universities generally do not charge differential domestic tuition by province for undergraduate programs. uOttawa’s fee pages distinguish between “Canadians r…
Overall assessment: Not viable — The program is currently suspended “until further notice” and is described as “under revision.” No timeline for reopening has been published, and admission requirements may change when/if it resumes. SpaceCat cannot apply to this program in its current state. If the program reopens, it would need to be reassessed against the updated requirements.

⚠️ CRITICAL: PROGRAM CURRENTLY SUSPENDED

“Please note that the Second Entry program is under revision and is not accepting applications at this time.” — University of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences

“Admission to the Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Second Entry Program is suspended until further notice.” — uOttawa Course Catalogue 2025-2026

No timeline has been published for when the program will resume accepting applications. The information below reflects the most recent published requirements (prior to suspension) and should be verified against updated requirements if/when the program reopens. The program’s CASN accreditation remains active despite the suspension.

Quick Facts

Institution: University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
Program name: Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing — Second Entry Program
Degree granted: Honours BScN
City, Province: Ottawa, Ontario
Program type: Second-Entry / Accelerated
Duration: 24 months (75 units)
Delivery format: In-person
Full-time / Part-time: Full-time only
Language of instruction: French and English (bilingual program)
Start date(s): May (Spring/Summer term). Students begin with three consecutive terms: Spring/Summer (May–Aug), Fall (Sept–Dec), Winter (Jan–Apr), then have the following Spring/Summer off before resuming with the regular BScN cohort for Years 3 and 4.
Intake frequency: Annual
Application deadline(s): December 1 (prior to suspension)
Application system: OUAC 105 (Ontario Universities’ Application Centre)
Program URL: https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-health-sciences/nursing/undergraduate-studies/bachelor-science-nursing-bscn-second-entry
Course catalogue: https://catalogue.uottawa.ca/en/undergrad/bachelor-science-nursing-second-entry-program/
Accredited: Yes — CASN seven-year accreditation (the highest standard). The “Second Entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing” is specifically listed as an accredited program on the CASN Accredited Programs page. Also CNO-approved.
Languages: Offered in English and French

Admission Requirements

GPA

Minimum CGPA: 7.0 on the uOttawa 10-point scale (approximately a B+ / 77–79%)
Competitive GPA: Not published. The program states that “admission into the SEP is extremely competitive, and satisfying this requirement does not guarantee admission.”
GPA calculated on: Cumulative GPA (CGPA) across all university coursework
GPA scale used: University of Ottawa 10-point scale (where A+ = 10, A = 9, A- = 8, B+ = 7, B = 6, C+ = 5, etc.)

Source: uOttawa FAQ

Prerequisites

All prerequisites must be completed within six years prior to admission. The program requires at least 60 university-level credits (equivalent to approximately 2 years of full-time study), including the specific prerequisites below.

Course	Subject Area	Credits Required	Required / Recommended	Notes
Human Anatomy & Physiology	Anatomy & Physiology	6 credits minimum (9 credits if uOttawa student)	Required	Must cover all major body systems. If courses do not cover all systems, additional courses are needed before program start.
Statistics	Statistics	3 credits (not specified exactly but referenced as required)	Required	Must be completed within 6 years of admission

Anatomy & Physiology — detailed requirements:

uOttawa students: Must have completed all three ANP courses: ANP 1105, ANP 1106, and ANP 1107 (9 credits total). All three are mandatory — no exceptions.
External students: Must have completed at least 6 credits in human anatomy and physiology that cover all major body systems. If courses do not cover all major body systems, applicants must take additional courses to fill gaps before the program starts.

Statistics requirement: A statistics course must be completed within 6 years of admission. The specific course code is not mandated for external students, but the course must be university-level statistics.

Can prerequisites be taken online? Not explicitly stated on the program pages. The FAQ does not address online prerequisites. Given the 6-year recency requirement and the acceptance of credits from other universities, online courses from accredited institutions would likely be considered, but this should be confirmed directly with the program.

Minimum grade per prerequisite: Not specified beyond the overall 7.0 CGPA requirement.

Prereq source URLs: - https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-health-sciences/nursing/undergraduate-studies/bachelor-science-nursing-bscn-second-entry - https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-health-sciences/nursing/undergraduate-studies/bachelor-science-nursing-bscn-second-entry/faq

Prior Degree Requirement

Minimum credits required: 60 university-level credits (approximately 2 years full-time)
Full degree required? No — 60 credits is the minimum, a completed degree is not required
Degree field restrictions: None. Priority is given to students from programs other than nursing.
Specific undergraduate courses required beyond prereqs: No

Supplementary Requirements

CASPer: Not confirmed as required. CASPer is required for uOttawa’s MD program but no official source confirms it for the second-entry nursing program. Could not verify — confirm with program directly.
GRE: Not required
Interview: Not confirmed. No mention of interviews found in any official program materials.
Personal statement / written component: Not confirmed. No specific supplementary written components are described in available program materials. The general uOttawa application includes a “Declaration of Personal Experience” option, but it is unclear whether this is evaluated for nursing admissions.
Resume / CV: Not confirmed as required
References: Not confirmed as required
Volunteer / work experience: No stated minimum
Language proficiency: For applicants who have not completed at least 3 years of full-time study in an English-language institution in an English-speaking country, an approved language test score is required (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.)
CPR certification: Required for clinical placements (CPR-HCP or BLS)
Other: The Admission Office and the Undergraduate Studies Office do not permit pre-evaluations of files prior to admission.

How Applications Are Evaluated

No published weightings or evaluation rubric. The program states:

“The admission to the Second-Entry stream has a limited enrolment, and priority will be given to students coming from programs other than Nursing.”

The CGPA of 7.0 is the minimum threshold. Beyond that, no published criteria describe how competitive applicants are ranked.

Note: Because the program is currently suspended and under revision, the evaluation process may change when the program reopens.

Out-of-Province Considerations

Residency restrictions or quotas: None found. The program accepts applicants from across Canada via OUAC 105. Source
Out-of-province tuition differential: Ontario universities generally do not charge differential domestic tuition by province for undergraduate programs. uOttawa’s fee pages distinguish between “Canadians residing in Ontario” and “Canadians from outside Ontario,” suggesting there may be a modest differential, but specific amounts could not be confirmed. Source

Cost

Tuition (total program, approximate): Difficult to confirm precisely. uOttawa does not publish a simple per-program total for nursing. Based on general uOttawa domestic undergraduate rates (~$3,000–$3,500/term for full-time Ontario residents, with tuition frozen for 2025-2026), the 24-month program spanning approximately 6 terms would cost roughly $18,000–$21,000 in tuition alone. This is an estimate and should be verified.
In-province vs out-of-province: Possible modest differential; not confirmed
Ontario Learn and Stay Grant: Nursing students may be eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, which covers “full tuition as well as any other direct educational expenses.” Recipients must commit to working in the region where they studied for at least 180 days per funded year. If the commitment is not fulfilled, funding converts to a repayable loan. Source
Additional fees: Clinical placement requirements include CPR-HCP certification, N95 mask fit testing, Vulnerable Sector Check (police), immunizations/serology, scrubs, stethoscope (amounts not specified)

Source: uOttawa Fees

Competitiveness

Cohort size: Not published. The program has “limited enrolment.” The stand-alone 4-year BScN has a target enrolment of ~150 students/year; the second-entry cohort is believed to be substantially smaller.
Acceptance rate: Not published. One third-party source estimated 30–40% for the general nursing program, but this figure is unverified and may not apply to the second-entry stream specifically.
Number of applicants: Not published
Indigenous student spots: The School of Nursing reserves two spots annually for Indigenous students studying in French and four spots for those studying in English (this applies to the stand-alone BScN; unclear if it extends to the second-entry stream).

Fieldwork / Clinical / Practicum

Placements guaranteed? Yes — clinical placements are built into the curriculum
Total required hours: Not published as a single number
Placement settings / locations: Ottawa-area hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health centres, mental health services
Clinical start: Students enter clinical placements starting in their equivalent of Year 2
Placement requirements (annual):
CPR-HCP or BLS (annual recertification)
N95 Mask Fit Testing
Vulnerable Sector Check (must be obtained after April 15 to remain valid; processing may take up to 12 weeks)
Complete immunization history and serology
COVID-19 vaccination series
2-step Tuberculin Skin Test (baseline), then annual 1-step TST
Seasonal influenza vaccination
Crisis Management Training (if placed in Emergency, TBI, or Mental Health units)
Passing grade for nursing courses: C+ minimum

Source: Clinical requirements

Program Structure

The 75-unit program includes compulsory courses across three levels:

2000-level: 3 courses (9 units) — includes NSG 2113 (Introduction to Nursing Science)
3000-level: 15 courses (45 units) — includes NSG 3105 (Care of Adults Experiencing Illness)
4000-level: 5 courses (21 units) — includes NSG 4245 (Practicum: Consolidation, 9 units)

Second-entry students begin in Year 2 of the regular BScN and follow a compressed schedule for the first three terms before joining the regular cohort.

Source: Course Catalogue

Licensing & Career Path

Licensing exam: NCLEX-RN
Graduates eligible to practice in all provinces? Yes
Any known issues with credential recognition? None
Graduate pathways: MSc Nursing, MSc Nursing with PHCNP diploma, PhD in Nursing Sciences

Reputation & Notes

The School of Nursing is ranked among the top 100 globally and third in Ontario
Over 90 years of nursing education experience
96% employment rate for graduates
Seven-year CASN accreditation (highest standard)
Bilingual program (English and French) — a distinctive feature among Ontario nursing schools
Ultramodern simulation facilities with cutting-edge technology
The collaborative program with Algonquin College has been suspended separately
Some student reviews note that the first year of the 4-year program is theory-heavy with no clinical experience; this is less relevant for SEP students who enter at Year 2
Limited online discussion specifically about the second-entry stream; most student reviews pertain to the 4-year program

Key Concern: Program Suspension

The second-entry program is currently suspended “until further notice” and is described as “under revision.” This is a significant consideration:

No timeline for reopening has been published
Requirements may change when the program resumes
The suspension may be related to broader restructuring at the School of Nursing (the collaborative program with Algonquin College was also suspended)
Prospective applicants should monitor the program page and/or contact the School of Nursing directly at adm.esi-nur@uottawa.ca or 613-562-5800 ext. 5473 for updates

Information Not Found

No specific gaps identified for this program.