Navigating the Nursing GPA: A Comprehensive Guide

For aspiring nurses, understanding and calculating your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a crucial step in the application process. Nursing programs often have specific GPA requirements, and NursingCAS (Nursing Centralized Application Service) calculates GPAs in a standardized way to ensure fair comparisons between applicants. This article provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the nursing GPA, including how it's calculated, which courses are included, and strategies for improving it.

Understanding the NursingCAS GPA

NursingCAS is a centralized application service used by many nursing programs. During verification, NursingCAS uses the information you entered in the Transcript Entry section to calculate several GPAs, including GPAs for each institution you attended. To calculate these GPAs, each A-F or 0-100 grade you entered in the Grade field is first converted to a NursingCAS numeric grade value, then multiplied by the attempted credits. Non-graded credits are not included in your GPAs. Non-graded credits are earned credits for which you did not receive actual letter grades (e.g., advanced placement credits, "pass" or "satisfactory" credits, college board AP exams, courses taken as pass/fail, etc.). NursingCAS calculates all GPAs in semester hours. Courses that were completed in quarter hours are converted to semester hours. Using Quality Points, NursingCAS calculates a GPA for each academic year. Course Subject Category GPAs are based on your overall GPA in each course subject category, regardless of academic year.

Core Courses and GPA Calculation

The curriculum for the Associate Degree Nursing Program features core courses that are typically indicated in bold and/or italics. These are courses such as ENG 101, MTH 100, PSY 210, SPH 106 or 107, BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 220, and a humanities elective. These courses are crucial for GPA calculation.

To calculate your GPA, you'll need copies of your college transcripts. Locate the course(s) that have transferred into SUSCC or that you have completed at SUSCC and type the number of semester credit hours and the letter grade you have earned for each class. Only completed courses with grades on transcript at the time of application deadline may be considered. Grades to be included in grade point average calculations include the following denoted types: A, B, C, D, F, IP, S, U, and I. Grades of W or WP do not factor as attempted/quality hours. If you have repeated a course, use the highest grade only in the calculation. For more than one humanities elective, use the approved elective with the highest grade. GPA calculated only on transcripted hours from colleges accredited by one of the six regionally accrediting agiencies (i.e. SACS). Some colleges denote columns labeled "quality hours" in addition to "attempted hours." For such colleges, use "quality hours" in GPA calculations.

Most courses from Area II of the Alabama General Studies Curriculum (AGSC) can be used to satisfy the humanities elective requirement. The courses taught at SUSCC that can be used for the elective are: ART 100, Art Appreciation; MUS 101, Music Appreciation; THR 120, Theater Appreciation; IDS 102, Ethics; HUM 101, Introduction to Humanities; ENG 271 or 272, World Literature; ENG 251 or 252, American Literature, REL 151, Survey of Old Testament; or REL 152, Survey of New Testament.

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The GPA Formula Explained

The GPA formula is simple: GPA = (Grade Points × Credit Hours) ÷ Total Credit Hours. Quality points come from multiplying each grade’s point value by the class credits.

Here's a breakdown:

Grade Points: Each letter grade is assigned a point value. Typically, A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, and F = 0.0. Some colleges use a 4.33 GPA scale where A+ = 4.33.
Credit Hours: Credit hours show how much a class is worth.
Quality Points: Quality points are calculated as grade points × credit hours. For example, a B (3.0) in a 4-credit class equals 12 quality points.
Total Credit Hours: This is the sum of all credit hours for the courses you're including in the GPA calculation.

Example GPA Calculation

Let's say you took the following courses:

ENGL 1301 (3 credit hours) - Grade: A (4.0)
BIOL 2401 (4 credit hours) - Grade: B (3.0)
PSYC 1301 (3 credit hours) - Grade: C (2.0)

Calculate Quality Points for each course:
- ENGL 1301: 4.0 x 3 = 12
- BIOL 2401: 3.0 x 4 = 12
- PSYC 1301: 2.0 x 3 = 6
Total Quality Points: 12 + 12 + 6 = 30
Total Credit Hours: 3 + 4 + 3 = 10
GPA: 30 / 10 = 3.0

Key Courses to Consider

Several courses are commonly required for nursing programs. These courses often carry significant weight in the GPA calculation:

BIOL 2403 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I OR BIOL 2401 HUMAN ANATOMY
CHEM 1406 INORG & ENVIRON CHEM OR CHEM 1411
MATH 1314 COLLEGE ALGEBRA OR MATH 1324, MATH 1410, MATH 1420
PSYC 1301 INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY
ENGL 1301 ENGLISH COMPOSIITON I
ENGL 1302 ENGLISH COMPOSITION II
HIST 1301 US HISTORY TO 1876
HIST 1302 US HISTORY SN 1876
POLS 2305 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
POLS 2306 TEXAS GOVERNMENT
KINE 2115 LIFETIME HEALTH & WELLNESS

Additionally, several elective courses can contribute to your GPA:

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ARTS 1301, ARTS 1302, ARTS 1303, DANC 1372, CAMX 2301, MCOM 2366, MUSI 1306, MUSI 1310, MUSI 2348, POLSC 2399, OR THEA 1366
ENGL 2332, ENGL 2333, GEOG 2355, GEOG 2356, HIST 2311, HIST 2312, MCOM 1330, MUSI 1379, PHIL 1301, PHIL 2306, SOCI 2319, WOLC 2311, OR WOLC 2312
BUAD 2321, COMS 1361, COMS 2382, MCOM 1371, ENGL 2332, ENGL 2333, GEOG 2355, GEOG 2356, HIST 2311, HIST 2312, MCOM 1330, MUSI 1379, PHIL 1301, PHIL 2306, SOCI 2319, WOLC 2311, OR WOLC 2312

Factors Affecting GPA

Several factors can influence your GPA, and it's important to be aware of them:

Grading System: Schools use a letter grading system, though details can vary. Some include grades like A+ or B-, while others don’t, and what counts as an A or B may differ.
Credit Hours: Certain courses also carry more weight through credit hours, meaning they have a bigger impact on your overall GPA.
Pass/Fail Courses: Pass/fail courses typically don’t impact GPA. A passing grade adds credits toward graduation, but it doesn’t raise or lower GPA.
Withdrawals: A standard withdrawal (W) won’t change your GPA.

Types of GPA

It's also important to understand the different types of GPAs:

Semester GPA: Semester GPA measures performance in one term only.
Unweighted GPA: An unweighted GPA uses the standard 4.0 scale.

Strategies to Improve Your GPA

If you're looking to improve your GPA for nursing school applications, here are some strategies:

Focus on Earning A’s in High-Credit Classes: Since credit hours impact the weight of a course, prioritize doing well in classes with more credit hours.
Retake Courses with Low Grades if Possible: If your school allows it, retaking courses in which you received a low grade can significantly improve your GPA. If you have repeated a course, use the highest grade only in the calculation.
Stay Organized with Consistent Study Habits: Consistent effort and good study habits can lead to better grades overall.
Utilize GPA Calculators: Use a GPA calculator to understand how different grades will impact your overall GPA.
Seek Academic Support: Don't hesitate to seek help from tutors or academic advisors if you're struggling in a course.

Additional Considerations

Dean’s List: A GPA of 3.0 is usually seen as average, while 3.5 or higher often qualifies for Dean’s List. Most schools set the Dean’s List cutoff at around 3.5 GPA.
Rounding: Many schools allow rounding to the nearest tenth (for example, 3.48 → 3.5).

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