Bears Admission

1. Minimum of 18 earned UNC credits (excluding college credit earned while concurrently enrolled in high school or advanced placement (AP) credit)
2. Currently enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado
3. Admitted to UNC as a first-time freshman. Applicants with prior college credit earned through support or co-registration of high school education are eligible for Bear Admission application. Applicants who have attended any other community colleges or universities not supported/co-registered with high school education are not eligible for Bear Admission.
   Courses taken at an institution other than UNC during sessions outside of fall and spring (ie, summer, interim) do not apply to this criteria.
4. Minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for the most recent 30 semester hours of credit completed. Credit is not given for vocational or remedial courses below college level.
5. A minimum grade of C- in each of the prerequisite courses or course equivalent:
   • BIO 110 Principles of Biology
   • ENG 123 College Research Paper
   • BIO 245 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology
   • CHEM 281 Fundamentals of Biochemistry
   • CHEM 281L Fundamentals of Biochemistry Lab
   • BIO 251 Allied Health Microbiology
   • PSY 230 Human Growth and Development
   • STAT 150 Introduction to Statistical Analysis
   • BIO 246 Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology
   • FND 250 Principles of Nutrition
   • NURS 326 Pathophysiology
6. Must successfully complete the Casper Assessment.

Meet with your NHS Nursing Exploring Advisor if you have questions about eligibility.

You can email nhsadvising@unco.edu and verify all requirements for Bear Admission have been met.

All applications must be submitted through NursingCAS.

• All questions must be answered, and all appropriate documents must be uploaded to submit your application.
• Set up an account with NursingCAS. Please go to www.nursingcas.org to create an account and start the application.
• The cost to apply to the program through NursingCAS is $60.00 and will be paid to NursingCAS (not the School of Nursing) through their online portal.
• Your application should be complete and submitted no later than Thursday, June 18th.

1. All applicants applying to the BSN program at UNC must complete Acuity Insights Assessments’ Casper exam for the 2026/2027 admissions cycle. This is a 90–110 minute online, open-response situational judgment test. The cost of the examination is $50.
2. Casper is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. These assessments will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing the Casper examination, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
3. How to complete the Casper assessment: You will be responsible for securing access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps download and at least 2 Mbps upload speed. Both account creation and completing the Casper assessment require you to have the following items:
   1. Government-issued photo ID (English/French) for account validation
   2. Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application)
   3. Desktop or laptop computer
   4. Working webcam
   5. Working microphone
   6. Reliable high-speed internet connection
4. Please go to www.acuityinsights.app to sign up for Acuity Insights Assessments for CSP-10106 – U.S. Undergraduate Health Sciences – Nursing – Undergraduate, under your specific country, and register using your name, UNC Bear email, and a piece of government-issued photo ID.
5. Select a Casper test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times:
   • May 19, 2026 – 6 p.m. MDT
   • May 23, 2026 – 11 a.m. MDT
   • June 9, 2026 – 6 p.m. MDT

   Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your UNCO Casper test. There will be no additional tests scheduled. Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your application; there may be updates to the test schedule.

6. Important: To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
7. Ensure you have selected University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing and choose a test date:
   • May 19, 2026 – 6 p.m. MDT
   • May 23, 2026 – 11 a.m. MDT
   • June 9, 2026 – 6 p.m. MDT

   Casper submits scores directly to UNC, and we will receive them while we are still processing applications. You can submit your NursingCAS application without having completed the Casper assessment.

8. Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to support@acuityinsights.app.
   Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the
   www.acuityinsights.app website.
9. Practice tests are available and can be accessed at https://acuityinsights.app/test-prep-casper/. Practice tests are optional but highly recommended, and you can access practice exams any time prior to your Casper test date. There is no additional cost to complete the practice test, and it will help prepare you for the test format and the types of scenarios you can expect to see on the test.

1. For Spring 2027 eligibility –
   1. You may have no more than 4 outstanding prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be predicted to finish by Friday, December 11, 2026, or sooner (with a grade posted by Thursday, December 17, 2026).
   2. To verify enrollment in prerequisite courses you are taking during the Fall 2026 semester, upload an official transcript into NursingCAS (see transcript section).
   3. We strongly encourage all students to complete LAC requirements prior to starting the clinical portion of the nursing program.
2. For Fall 2027 eligibility –
   1. You may have no more than 8 outstanding prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be predicted to finish by Friday, May 8, 2027, or sooner (with a grade posted by Thursday, May 14, 2027).
   2. To verify enrollment in prerequisite courses you are taking during the Fall 2026 semester, upload an official transcript into NursingCAS (see transcript section).
   3. We strongly encourage all students to complete LAC requirements prior to starting the clinical portion of the nursing program.

1. Unofficial transcripts are required. These can be accessed in URSA. Please upload a copy into NursingCAS.
2. NursingCAS requires you to enter course information into the application, including course name, where the course was taken, and when the course was completed. The data entered will be verified internally by the Admissions team with UNC DegreeWorks. All courses, completed and in progress, must be entered.