Progression and Withdrawal Policies

1. A grade of B or better is required in all graduate nursing courses. If a grade of B is not obtained in a course, the student cannot progress in the graduate nursing program. For clinical-based courses, graduate students must achieve a “Pass” in the clinical component in addition to a B or better in the didactic component. Letter grades are not given for clinical nor is a clinical “pass” utilized in computing the course grade, other than the requirement that the student must pass the clinical to earn a B grade or better. Students who do not receive a “Pass” in the clinical component will receive a letter grade of F in the course.
2. Each student must have a cumulative minimum average score of 83% on all course exams and quizzes to pass the course, unless there is a specific statement in the syllabus stating otherwise. Points for any other course assignments will be averaged in for a final grade but will not count towards meeting the minimum cumulative exam average.
3. If a student does not successfully obtain the grade of B or above in any course, the student must request consideration of their situation by the Graduate Admission and Progression Committee. The student must submit the letter to the Admissions and Progression Committee requesting to repeat the course during the semester prior to anticipated enrollment through usi1gradap@usi.edu. 
4. A total of one readmission is allowed in the MSN/Post MSN APRN Certificate program and MSN- DNP program. A total of two readmissions are allowed within the course of BSN to DNP program study. This includes course failures and withdrawals with or without evaluation. Courses may be repeated once.
5. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation from the USI Graduate programs.
6. Students in the MSN program must complete degree requirements within four years of first enrolling in the graduate program. Post MSN APRN Certificate program students must complete degree requirements within three years of first enrolling in the graduate program. BSN-DNP students must complete degree requirements within six years of first enrolling in the graduate program. MSN-DNP students must complete degree requirements within four years of first enrolling in the DNP program.
7. Refer to the Readmissions Policy in the Graduate Bulletin.

Withdrawal Policy

The option of withdrawing from a course and receiving a grade of “W” is available within the withdrawal period listed on the USI academic calendar each semester. Students electing to withdraw from a nursing course are to understand that re-enrollment in that course is subject to faculty review and space availability. Students are encouraged to explore all reasonable academic and support options prior to withdrawing. Refer to the Office of the Registrar’s guidelines for required withdrawal procedures. 

Students who do not follow the required University procedures to officially withdraw from a course will receive a grade of “F.” Grades are recorded on the official University graduate transcript in accordance with the policies of the Office of the Registrar. 

Withdrawal and readmission policies may vary across Graduate Nursing programs. Students should review program-specific criteria for withdrawal and readmission as outlined in the respective program sections. 

All students seeking to return to a Graduate Nursing program following withdrawal must petition the Graduate Admissions and Progression Committee using Appendix A, the Petition for Readmission Form. 

For academic progression purposes, all course withdrawals within the same academic semester are counted as a single withdrawal event, regardless of how many courses are withdrawn. 

If a student withdraws from courses in different academic semesters, each semester is counted as a separate withdrawal event.

Click on the tabs below to review program specific criteria for withdrawal and readmission to the program.

Delay in Progression

Progression through the graduate nursing program may be delayed if a student:

• Withdraws from a nursing course (with or without evaluation). If progression is approved, course sequencing is dependent on course availability.
• Postpones enrollment in any nursing course. Course sequencing is dependent on course availability.
• Fails to achieve a “B” or higher in a nursing or pre-requisite course. If progression is approved, course sequencing is dependent on course availability.

Readmission

• A Request for Readmission form must be submitted by the student to the Chair of the Admissions and Progression Committee for review, no later than 15 business days after the conclusion of the course in which these circumstances occur. Forms should be sent to usi1gradap@usi.edu.
• The Graduate Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee will review the student request and provide the Graduate Chair and Director of the decision to accept or deny readmission.
• The student will be notified by the Graduate Chair and Director and/or their designee the decision to accept or deny readmission to the program, along with an updated Plan of Study if applicable.

Note: Students may only be readmitted to the Graduate Nursing Program per policy stated in the progression policy. Readmission to the Nursing Program is not guaranteed. Readmission may delay the student’s graduation date. Licensure and graduation papers will not be completed until the final semester of the program.

Factors that will be considered in the decision to readmit a student include, but are not limited to:

• Availability in courses.
• Course sequencing.
• Student performance including academic integrity, professional behavior, course grades and clinical performance/evaluations.
• Pre-existing Performance Improvement Plans.

Change of Program Request

In some instances, a student may wish to change programs (i.e. BSN-DNP to MSN, MSN to BSN-DNP). The following outlines the process for change of program requests:

1. The student will submit a formal letter to the Chair of the Admissions and Progression Committee for review requesting the change. This request can be sent to usi1gradap@usi.edu. 
2. The Graduate Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee will review the student request and provide the Graduate Chair and Director of the decision to accept or deny a change of program.

The student will be notified by the Graduate Chair and Director and/or their designee the decision to accept or deny a change of program request, along with an updated Plan of Study if applicable. At this time, the student will be responsible for contacting Graduate Studies to formally change their program.

Change of Specialty Request

In some instances, a student may wish to change specialties (i.e. FNP-AGACNP; AGACNP-PMHNP). The following outlines the process for change of specialty requests:

1. The student will first discuss a potential change of specialty with their assigned advisor.
2. If the decision is to proceed with a change of specialty, the student will be responsible for requesting this change in writing to the Graduate Chair and APRN Director.

The student will be notified by the Graduate Chair and Director and/or their designee the decision to accept or deny a change of program request, along with an updated Plan of Study if applicable. At this time, the student will be responsible for contacting Graduate Studies to formally change their specialty.