How to Transfer in Nursing Schools

Nursing students sometimes transfer because of personal reasons such as an illness in the family that may require them to relocate, funding problems or any other reason that may reasonably construed as plausible rationale for transferring credits from one school to another. Nursing programs that have similar course-work requirements make it easiest for current nursing students to transfer between schools.

Examine the transfer requirements of the school you would like to attend. School websites usually have the information about transfer requirements, but if you cannot find this information you can call the registrar's office of the school you are interested in.

Examine your transcript and compare it to the requirements of the school to which you are submitting your application. Ensure that your courses correspond to required work by the nursing program Most schools will allow you to transfer any general education courses in which you made a grade of C or higher. Most science classes have to be taken within the last five years because of the constant progress of modern science and the need to have current knowledge in the field of nursing. Some schools only allow certain courses to be transferred. For example, the Long Island Hospital School of Nursing allows courses in general psychology, lifespan development, nutrition, ethics in health, anatomy and physiology and microbiology.

Complete any course work that needs to be taken as a prerequisite to getting into the nursing program. Most nursing schools require prerequisite courses for admission, and if you have yet to complete the necessary requirements for the school you are transferring to, you will need to do this to complete the application process. If you can take these courses online or during the summer, it will ease the transition.

Take any College Level Examination Program examinations offered by the school of nursing for which you may be qualified to pass. This will eliminate some of your additional course-work requirements.

Contact an admissions counselor from the school to which you are transferring. Gather as much information as possible about specific requirements that you may have overlooked. Do not assume that any of your credits will transfer. Most nursing school websites note that transfer credits are up to the discretion of the school. The schools also generally set limits as to how many credits you can transfer. Be prepared to lose some of your credits that you've already earned in the transfer process.

Complete your application for admission to the school you are transferring to. You will be expected to submit an application fee and official copies of your college transcripts from all schools that you have attended. When you submit a request for your transcript to be sent to the school, request a personal copy of the transcript for yourself.