Did your undergraduate degree prepare you for the UCSF MEPN program?

Specialized Bachelor's Degrees

Some baccalaureate/bachelor degree programs are highly specialized and do not include the breadth of general education requirements that are a necessary foundation for our Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN), and for licensing as a registered nurse.

If your undergraduate degree is a highly specialized degree, e.g., Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Engineering (BE), etc., you may not have taken the same general education courses required in less specialized Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree programs. The general education requirements include coursework in the biological and natural sciences, mathematics, humanities/social sciences, and English/communications subject areas.

If you plan to apply to the MEPN program, and you have a highly specialized baccalaureate degree, you should be prepared to show us that your completed curriculum includes the breadth of general education requirements necessary for success in our program. A supplemental form will be required in addition to your application; specifically identifying the courses you have taken that fulfill this requirement will be valuable in helping you pass our initial screening process.

The Supplemental HSB Application Form (to be submitted with your MEPN application packet to UCSF) is available below. Remember, only applicants with highly-specialized bachelors degrees (e.g., BFA) will need to download and complete the HSB form.

Caution: If your bachelor degree curriculum did not include the general education subject areas specified below, you are required to complete courses to fulfill this requirement before applying to the MEPN program, and detail them on your HSB Form. These courses must not be in progress at the time of application.

The California public college and university systems have determined appropriate breadth and general education standards for undergraduate education. These general education standards have been incorporated into the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). Below is a description of the IGETC standards, organized in subject areas A through E. Coursework to fulfill the requirement in each area do not have to be taken from institutions in California, but coursework in each subject area is required.

If you plan to take any of this coursework after completing your bachelor's degree, we strongly encourage you to seek information on the IGETC certification program at the institution where you will complete the necessary coursework and enroll in certified courses.

Courses which meet or surpass IGETC standards will appropriately prepare you for MEPN at UCSF. The IGETC standards are described as follows:

  1. Area A: English Communication – two courses required.
    One in English Composition and one in Critical-thinking – English Composition (at least 6 semester units or 8 quarter units);
  2. Area B: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning – one course required (at least 3 semester units or 4 quarter units);
  3. Area C: Arts and Humanities – three courses required, with at least one from the arts and one from the humanities (at least 9 semester units or 12 quarter units);
  4. Area D: Social and Behavioral Sciences – three courses required, with at least two disciplines or an interdisciplinary course (at least 9 semester units or 12 quarter units);
  5. Area E: Physical and Biological Sciences – two courses required,
    One physical science and one biological science - at least one must include a laboratory (at least 7 semester units or 9 quarter units).
    Note:  the MEPN pre-requisite Anatomy and Physiology courses may fulfill this requirement.

We hope this information is helpful to you in preparing your application packet to UCSF, and your eventual success in becoming a member of the nursing profession.