Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants (Certificate)
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On Education Planner BC select the program "Nursing - Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing"
Overview
If you plan on applying to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Douglas College, you will need to first complete the one-year Certificate in Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants. You'll take 10 university-transferable courses in the sciences and liberal arts that will prepare you for entrance into the BSN program.
Once you've completed all required courses with a minimum grade of C+, you'll receive priority registration for entrance to the BSN program.
It is important to note that completion of this certificate does not guarantee admission to the BSN program.
NOTE: International students are not currently eligible for this program. For more information, contact Douglas College International.
Admissions Requirements
I. Certificate in Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants Admission Requirements:
- General College Admission Requirements
- English 12 or English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of B (or acceptable substitution*)
- Biology 11 or 12 or Life Sciences 11 or Anatomy and Physiology 12 with a minimum grade of B (or acceptable substitution*)
- Foundations of Math 11 or 12 with a minimum grade of B (or acceptable substitution*)
*In most cases, university transfer* (UT) courses completed in the above subject areas can be used towards meeting the entrance requirements.
II. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Academic Admission Requirements:
Priority admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will be given to students who complete the Certificate in Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants (AFNURS) and meet all the BSN admission requirements. Students who are offered a seat in the AFNURS program are not guaranteed admission to the BSN program. Students who meet the minimum academic admission requirements for BSN are also not guaranteed admission to the BSN program.
The BSN program is in very high demand. Students are encouraged to consider a second choice of academic program or path in the event that seats are not available in the BSN program.
To be eligible for admission to the BSN program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Successfully complete the following 30 required university transfer* (UT) credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.67, and a minimum grade of C+ in each course:
- BIOL 1103**, BIOL 1203**, BIOL 2200, and BIOL 2401
- ENGL 1130 and one of UT ENGL elective course
- MATH 1160 or PSYC 2300
- 3 credits of UT Social Science/Humanities elective
- 6 credits of UT electives
- A maximum of 2 courses from the following list may be repeated***:
Note: A maximum of 2 attempts*** includes the following possible combinations:
- All attempts in these required courses, including those taken at other post-secondary institutions, will be included in calculating the applicant's GPA, and reviewed to ensure course repeats do not exceed the limitations****.
- No previous withdrawal from any nursing program(s) in Canada****.
*A university transfer (UT) course is a course that transfers to one of the 5 Research Universities - SFU, UBCO, UBCV, UNBC or UVIC according to the BC Transfer Guide.
**BIOL 1109 can be used as a substitution for BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1209 can be used as a substitution for BIOL 1203.
***The maximum number of attempts in a required course is limited to 2 (1 original attempt + 1 repeat attempt). A withdrawal (W notation) is considered an attempt. See Course and Status Changes Policy.
****Official transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions attended must be submitted directly to Douglas College. Failure to do so may result in the application being denied, and/or the student being withdrawn from the program and/or College in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy.
Note: Students who have shown the greatest success in the BSN program have typically completed the required AFNURS courses within 1 to 2 years.
Cost
Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more.
For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts.
Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements For Students Completing By Summer 2023:
- Successful completion of 30 credits
- 50% (15 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College if students are applying to graduate with a Certificate in Academic Foundations
- Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: four (4) years
Graduation Requirements For Students Completing After Summer 2023:
- Successful completion of 30 credits
- 50% (15 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College if students are applying to graduate with a Certificate in Academic Foundations
- Graduate in Good Academic Standing (Cumulative GPA of 1.50 – See Academic Performance Policy)
- Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: four (4) years
Course Requirements:
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| Select one course from the following two options: | ||
| MATH 1160 | Introduction to Statistics | 3.00 |
| PSYC 2300 | Data Analysis in Psychology | 3.00 |
| Required Courses: | ||
| BIOL 1103* | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 3.00 |
| BIOL 1203** | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 3.00 |
| BIOL 2200 | Pathophysiology | 3.00 |
| BIOL 2401 | Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences | 3.00 |
| ENGL 1130 | Academic Writing | 3.00 |
| Elective Social Sciences/Humanities (UT)** | Select any university transferable Social Sciences/Humanities course. | 3.00 |
| Elective ENGL (UT)*** | Select any university transferable English course | 3.00 |
| Elective (UT)*** | Select any university transferable course. | 3.00 |
| Elective (UT)*** | Select any university transferable course. | 3.00 |
| Total Credits | 30.00 | |
*BIOL 1109 can be used as a substitution for BIOL 1103.
** BIOL 1209 can be used as a substitution for BIOL 1203.
***A University Transfer (UT) course is a course that transfers to one of the 5 Research Universities - SFU, UBCO, UBCV, UNBC or UVIC according to the BC Transfer Guide.
The following courses are highly recommended for the UT elective requirements:
- ANTH 1120: Native Cultures of British Columbia
- ANTH 1160: Canadian Native Cultures
- HIST 1165: Health and Medicine in History
- HIST 1170: Global Indigenous Histories
- HIST 2210: History of British Columbia
- HIST 2270: Indigenous Peoples in Canada
- Any course designated as meeting the Indigenous content requirement for the Certificate in Academic Foundations (Indigenous Studies)
Program Guidelines
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
More Information
Reserved Seats for Indigenous Students
There are a limited number of seats reserved for Indigenous students in the Academic Foundations for Potential Nursing Applicants Certificate. Please note that all admission requirements must be met in order to qualify for a seat.
Interested students should self declare when applying for the program on Education Planner BC. For questions and support, please contact Indigenous Student Services for further details.