Since 1992, UPEI's Bachelor of Nursing degree program has fostered an interactive academic environment that prepares nursing students to become critically reflective practitioners, advocates, educators, and professional leaders grounded in the principles of primary health care.
The curriculum of the Faculty of Nursing is based on the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care. Primary Health Care is defined by the World Health Organization (1978) as "essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford." The purpose of the program is to prepare nurses to practice according to the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care and to prepare graduates to meet entry level competencies.
In keeping with the basis of Primary Health Care, nurses collaborate with clients, other health care providers, and people from other sectors of society in promoting health. Nursing roles range from direct caregiver to formulator of healthy public policy and include advocate, leader, educator, researcher, and program developer.
"My professors have done an incredible job showcasing the diversity of the nursing profession."
Need more information about Bachelor of Science in Nursing?
The personal information requested on this form is collected under Section 31(c) of the PEI Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Read our Disclaimer.
Note: Current UPEI students should refer to Student Planning in myUPEI and the UPEI Academic Calendar governing their entry year, and speak to an academic advisor about course requirements. The course structure presented for this program is a recommended, unofficial progression for prospective students.
Note: As per Academic Regulation #1h), all undergraduate degree programs require successful completion of IKE-1040 and a Writing Intensive Course.
Year 1
- BIO 1060 - Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements #1)
- BIO 1210 - Human Anatomy (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #2)
- BIO 1220 - Human Physiology (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #3)
- NURS 1010 - Foundations of Nursing I*
- NURS 1020 - Foundations of Nursing II*
- FN 1020 - Nutrition for Nursing Practice (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #4)
- PSY 1010 - Introduction to Psychology I (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #5)
- PSY 1020 - Introduction to Psychology II (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #6)
- ENG 1010 - Academic Writing
Year 2
- PSY 2010 - Developmental Psychology (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #8)
- NURS 2120 - Pathophysiology for Nursing Students
- NURS 2030 - Health Assessment
- NURS 2130 - Nursing of Young Families*
- NURS 2230 - Adult Nursing Transitions in Health*
- NURS 2320 - Introductory Pharmacology
- Introductory Statistics - Normally fulfilled by STAT 1210 - Introductory Statistics or PSY 2710 - Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences I (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #9)
- IKE 1040 - Indigenous Teachings of Turtle Island
Year 3
- NURS 3030 - Issues in Nursing and Health Care
- NURS 3040 - Nursing Research Methods
- NURS 3060 - Nursing of the Childbearing Family*
- NURS 3130 - Developing Partnerships with Clients in the Community*
- NURS 3230 - Partnerships with Clients and Families Living with Chronic Illness*
- NURS 3340 - Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
- Electives (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #10 and #11)
Spring Session
- NURS 3100 - Integrated Clinical Experience I*
Year 4
- NURS 4010 - Nursing and Population Health*
- NURS 4020 - Integrated Clinical Experience II*
- NURS 4030 - Nursing Leadership and Primary Health Care
- NURS 4040 - Conceptual Models and Nursing Theories
- Electives (see Non-Nursing Course Requirements below #10 and #11)
* denotes clinical component
Non-Nursing Course Requirements
- 1) Required credit for BIO 1060 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 2060.
- 2) Required credit for BIO 1210 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 2260.
- 3) Required credit for BIO 1220 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed BIO 4010. For course descriptions of BIO 1060, BIO 1210 and BIO 1220, see Biology.
- 4) Required credit for FN 1020 will be waived only for students who have already successfully completed FN 3520. For course description for FN 1020, see Applied Human Sciences department.
- 5, 6, 8) For course descriptions of PSY 1010, PSY 1020 and PSY 2010, see Psychology department.
- 9) For course description of STAT 1210, see Mathematical and Computational Sciences and for course description for PSY 2710, see Psychology.
- 10, 11) Two free electives.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) is a four-year program. Graduates are eligible to write licensure examinations to practice nursing, and to hold membership in the College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island.
Admission Requirements
High School Applicant
A high school applicant must have achieved a mark of at least 65% in each of the following academic courses: English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and one other grade 12 academic course, with an overall average in these courses of at least 70%.
University Applicant
Applicants attending or having attended a University must meet the same requirements as listed above but can also complete the course requirements by taking degree level courses. A minimum mark of 60% is required in degree level courses.
Mature Applicant
In addition to the general admission requirements for mature students, the following regulations apply: a student of mature years may be admitted to the Faculty of Nursing without fulfilling all the entrance requirements specified for the high school graduates. A mature applicant must have achieved a mark of 65% in each of Grade 12 academic English, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology or a mark of 60% for 3 semester hours in the same subjects at the university level.
Casper Test Requirement (worth 30% of overall admission score)
All applicants are required to complete Casper as part of their application for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test that takes 65-85 minutes to complete.
You will register for Canadian Casper 1(CSP- 10200).
Casper measures different personal and professional skills that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. It will complement the other tools we use for applicant review and evaluation, and we require Casper as part of our efforts to enhance fairness in our selection process.
Casper is administered by Acuity Insights.
How to sign up for Casper
- Go to takecasper.com to create an Acuity Insights account and register to complete Casper.
- You will register for Canadian Casper 1 (CSP-10200) using a piece of government-issued photo ID.
- Please register with the email address you are using for your application and check it regularly, as there may be updates to the test schedule.
- Select a Casper test date from the available testing dates and times, which have been approved in line with our admissions timelines.
- These are the only testing dates for applying to our program and no additional tests are likely to be scheduled.
- Register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time to allow time to perform a system requirements check and take the sample test in your account. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
- Ensure you have selected UPEI for distribution before the distribution deadline listed on the Dates and Fees page.
Technical requirements for Casper
To take the assessments, you will need a:
- Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application).
- Desktop or laptop computer, ideally using Windows or macOS.
- Smartphones and tablets are not supported.
- Working webcam and microphone.
- Wired inputs or your computer’s built-in microphone are recommended.
- Reliable high-speed internet connection with download speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 2 Mbps.
Learn more about technical requirements.
Accommodations
Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete Casper should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to your scheduled Casper test date.
Learn more about the accommodations policy.
Help with Casper
If you have any questions, please contact the Acuity Insights team via the chat bubble on the bottom right of your Acuity Insights account or on takecasper.com. You can also review their collection of Frequently Asked Questions.
Selection criteria
The total number of students admitted will be limited in accordance with facilities and resources on campus and in health care agencies.
Approximately seventy (70) seats are available in the four-year Nursing program each year. All students who meet the minimum requirements will be considered. Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of PEI. Eligible first year candidates are ranked on their average in Biology, Chemistry, English and Math. University applicants completing one or more of the core courses listed above will have 15% added to each university course for ranking purposes. University applicants must be in good academic standing, as defined in the UPEI calendar.
Offers to the highest ranked may take place at any time during the process. For applicants completing prerequisite requirements, offers will take place after first semester grades have been received. All first round offers will be made by April. A second round of offers is made in May, with the number depending upon first round acceptances. Finally, a third round of offers is made in July for any seats that are still available. Late offers of a seat to the program will be made to the highest ranked alternate if and when a seat becomes available.
Please refer to the UPEI Academic Calendar for complete admissions information.
Tuition
$7,630 per year, ($3,815 per semester, or $763 per 3 credit course)
International students pay $9,040 per year in addition to full-time student tuition.
For a complete breakdown of part-time or full-time study as a student in the Faculty of Nursing, visit our Tuition and Fees page.
Scholarships and Awards
UPEI supports you and your educational goals. We administer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards to our undergraduate and graduate students every year. Depending on your faculty or program, and year of study, you may be eligible for available awards.
Search the complete list of scholarships for information and application forms.
Celebrating Student Achievement
Including Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships and Academic Excellence Awards, these awards recognize the academic achievements of all students who meet the eligibility criteria while studying towards their first undergraduate degree.
Visit the Scholarships site for complete information.
UPEI's interesting and unique programs are enhanced by our caring and supporting faculty, instructors, and staff.
