I was accepted into University Park, but not College of Nursing. What are my options? Can I transfer into the Nursing program at a later time? If so, can I transfer into University Park Nursing program or do I have to go to one of the other branches even if I have been at University park for two years?
Also, I thought last two years you have to do Clinicals? Will the fact I did not get accepted into the nursing program as a freshman and if I can even transfer in, keep me in school for much longer than four years? So, even if I can transfer into the nursing program, can I graduate in four years as a transfer student but have always been at Penn State? I am very confused on my options!
You cannot do nursing at University Park without starting freshman year. Period. You can start at other campuses after freshman year but only after completing entry to major course requirements. Then you stay at that campus. Nursing is different than all other majors at Penn State. You must start and finish at the same campus. UP Nursing students go to Hershey medical center for a year of their clinical education. If you didn’t get into nursing at UP as a freshman, you cannot do nursing at UP campus. You can switch to a commonwealth campus (Altoona is the closest with the most involvement up at UP but it is only 4000 students vs 40,000 at UP campus). You cannot do a 2+2 in nursing. You cannot start at UP and end at another campus either.
This was a very helpful response. So, it sounds like my only option is to go to University Park as a freshman and then try to get into the nursing program at a Penn State branch (not university park) hopefully in my sophomore or junior year? Then my last year, do I do clinicals somewhere like University Park does at Hershey but just not at Hershey? Or do branch campus nursing students also get to do clinicals at Hershey? If not, where do branch campus nursing students do their clinicals? If I have this correct on the transfer process, wonder if this can be done in four years or tough chance at that due to transferring?
No, you cannot do what you’ve stated above. You cannot go to University Park and then transfer into a branch in nursing. You have to start and finish at the same campus. Your only option for nursing is to go to a branch campus from freshman year and stay at that branch all 4 years. Clinicals are done at local hospitals depending on the branch campus. You will not go to Hershey whatsoever unless you are in nursing at UP. Nursing classes begin freshman year. You have to be in the nursing program OR at a branch and taking classes as a pre nursing student. But you cannot start at UP and transfer to a branch nor start at a branch and transfer to UP nor start at a branch and transfer to another branch. Where you start, you finish. That’s the rule with Nursing at PSU. No other majors except for golf course management and architecture and maybe a few others are like this, but nursing is.
According to the College of Nursing website, it is possible to transfer from another major (or another college) to one of the branch campus nursing programs, so it would be possible to transfer from UP to a branch campus as long as certain courses are completed (see the website for details). http://www.nursing.psu.edu/undergrad/admission/
A bit confused, but I am not sure what the answer above “Penn State is not Penn” means? but from kidzncatz post above, it looks like I can transfer from UP to a branch for nursing after freshman year as long as I meet requirements. I wonder if I can commute from UP and stay at UP all four years? Also, I got into summer DUS. Does this take off two classes at the end of my fourth year or is the summer session an “added” cost to four years of college tuition at Penn State…
@kdmt1998 Theoretically, you could live in State College and commute to Altoona, but that is about a 50 minute trip one way and impractical, especially in the winter. Also, clinicals for the Altoona campus would most likely be in the Altoona area. I think starting in the summer would generally mean additional time and cost, though you might be able to take a reduced course load for one or two semesters.
My son is going to Altoona and was considering nursing. The way I understood it was that you could start sophomore year but you had to be at Altoona. They told us you start and finish at the same campus, but I must have not understood what they were saying. Perhaps that was once you are in the nursing program? I would definitely call and ask. I’d call the nursing department at Altoona.
I am not sure why you’d want to start at UP and then go to Altoona. All of your friends would be at UP. You could live in UP and commute but it’s a big commute. About 45 minutes each way and your clinical would be in Altoona. But of course, you could do it. Summer DUS means you take 2 classes in the summer. Either as part of the LEAP pride or just whatever classes you want. The summer session is an added cost, although it does take care of two classes you wouldn’t have to take. In nursing, I am pretty sure you can’t finish early because of the timing of the classes. What it would do is allow you to take lighter general ed course loads in your first year. I would definitely call.
As for the “Penn is not Penn State”, Lots of people call Penn State “Penn” for short and that’s actually the University of Pennsylvania. Just a good note going forward, because if you ask on the internet about Penn’s nursing program, you will get answers on the University of Pennsylvania (Ivy) and not PSU.