Direct Admission

Upper Division Nursing Direct Admit


The Upper Division Nursing Direct Admission (UDNDA) option is for highly qualified high school seniors who wish to pursue a nursing degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate. The nursing direct admit option provides guaranteed admission to the Mary Black College of Nursing’s upper-division nursing program, provided students meet all admission criteria.

Students should submit this application before they have graduated from high school.

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  • For consideration to the nursing direct admit program, high school seniors must:

    • Be admitted to the USC Upstate as a degree-seeking undergraduate student
    • Complete one of the following high school courses with a grade of B or higher:
      • Honors Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Biology, or Physics
      • Advanced Placement Chemistry, Biology, or Physics
      • Dual enrollment credit for Anatomy & Physiology (or higher-level course), Chemistry, Biology, or Physics
    • Have a high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or greater
    • Submit within application a 1-page essay (300 words or less) detailing why you want to be a nurse.
    • Submit the MBCON direct admit application found on the MBCON website by application deadline of April 2.

    Selected applicants will receive an email from the Mary Black College of Nursing’s Director of Nursing Student Services, indicating acceptance to the nursing direct admit option. This email will come in enough time for students to make a decision in advance of the University’s May 1 deadline.

  • Once accepted as a nursing direct admit student, the student must complete the following:

    • Maintain continuous enrollment as a full-time student at USC Upstate in each regular semester (fall/spring)
    • Submit an application to the Mary Black College of Nursing upper-division program before the application deadline to verify requirements met and confirm an upper-division start date.
    • Start upper-division nursing courses within three years of acceptance as a UDNDA student for a guaranteed spot. After this time, upper-division applicants will be included in the general applicant pool.