Degree Offered
- Associate of Science
Nature of the Program
The associate of arts in pre-nursing (General Studies) program prepares students to seek admission to an associate or bachelor degree R.N. program. The degree only provides prerequisite courses for many nursing programs, and does not provide the required training to receive an R.N. license. Students who need or want to take two years to earn the requirements for the WVU School of Nursing Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) Program can use this major to complete those prerequisites and earn an associate's degree.
The pre-nursing program provides a foundation in biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, math, psychology and sociology required for admission into, and success in, any nursing program. Students should work with their advisor to determine admission requirements and transfer equivalencies for the courses offered at Potomac State College and the institution they plan to attend.
Career Opportunities
Registered nurses perform diagnostic tests, observe/record patient behavior, consult with physicians, administer medications and treatment, and perform many other duties for hospitals, doctor's offices, nursing homes, schools and many other agencies. In addition, registered nurses may choose to continue their education and enter graduate programs to become nurse practitioners.
Faculty
Chair
- Erin Cunningham - M.S. Biology
Year @ PSC 2007
Advisors
- Sheri Chisholm - Ph.D. Institutional Leadership, M.S. Immunology Biotechnology
Year @ PSC 2009 - Ganesh Ghimire - Ph.D. Organic Chemistry
Year @ PSC 2018 - Roshan Lamichhane - Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction, M.S. Chemistry
Year @ PSC 2020 - Lisa Zyga - M.S. Mathematics
Year @ PSC 2022
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEF Elective Requirements (5, 6 and 7) | 9 | |
| ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 6 |
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (GEF 3) | 3 |
| STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference | 3 |
| BIOL 102 & 102L | General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| BIOL 230 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 231 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 |
| MICB 200 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| CHEM 111 & 111L | Survey of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 1 and Survey of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 112 & 112L | Survey of General Organic Biological Chemistry 2 and Survey of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 4 |
| HN&F 171 | Introduction to Human Nutrition (GEF 8) | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| PSYC 241 | Introduction to Human Development | 3 |
| NSG 100 | Introduction to Nursing | 2 |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 102 & 102L (GEF 8) | 4 | BIOL 230 | 4 |
| CHEM 111 & 111L (GEF 2) | 4 | CHEM 112 & 112L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | NSG 100 | 2 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | Select one of the following: | 1 |
HLSC 270 (Suggested) | |||
Elective | |||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 231 | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| PSYC 241 | 3 | HN&F 171 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| STAT 211 | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| MICB 200 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Pre-Nursing
Upon completion of the associates in pre-nursing program, students will be able to:
- Describe general biological concepts including nutrition, anatomy, physiology and genetics.
- Use mathematical concepts to solve problems.
- Use chemical principles and laboratory techniques to describe chemical structure.
- Describe fundamental concepts in psychology and sociology.
- Apply for admission into the an associate or bachelor registered nursing program.