School of Nursing

Undergraduate Academic Programs

The Decker School of Nursing (DSON) is registered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through June 30, 2029. The Decker School is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Decker School of Nursing undergraduate programs lead to the bachelor of science degree with a major in nursing. These programs prepare graduates to provide high-quality healthcare in complex environments, foster commitment to lifelong learning, the moral and ethical values of nursing, and promote social responsibility through community service.

Graduates of the traditional baccalaureate and Baccalaureate Accelerated Track programs are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become licensed registered nurses (RN). Following successful completion of the NCLEX-RN, graduates are prepared for beginning professional practice in a variety of settings such as hospital, community health and long-term care agencies. These programs, in addition to the RN-BS program, provide the foundation for continuing education at the graduate level.

Traditional Program

Decker School of Nursing applications are reviewed for the fall semester only. Traditional nursing applicants are admitted to the first-year or junior class. Students applying for the junior class must have all prerequisites completed by their intended start date.

BAT Program

Applicants must apply using a transfer application for the fall semester of the year they intend to enroll. Prerequisites and a first bachelor’s degree may be in progress during application review but must be completed prior to the program start date (Summer Session).

RN-BS Program

Applicants must apply using the RN-BS application and are reviewed for multiple start dates per year. Completed prerequisites and proof of RN licensure are required to apply. The prerequisites are:

Anatomy and Physiology I
Anatomy and Physiology II
Microbiology
Intro to Psychology
English Composition
Two additional liberal arts and sciences courses (examples include courses in anthropology, economics, English, history, humanities, mathematics, sociology, and philosophy)

Grading System

Grades in courses offered by the University are normally recorded as follows: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D and F.

A grade of C- or higher in nursing courses is required for progression in the nursing curriculum.

A grade of D or less in a nursing course will require repeating that course.

The grading of all coursework in the upper-division nursing courses is as follows:

Letter Score (%)
A	93-100
A-	90-92
B+	87-89
B	83-86
B-	80-82
C+	77-79
C	73-76
C-	70-72
D	60-69
F	<60

A cumulative grade-point average is computed for all courses and the following values are assigned to these letter grades as follows:

Letter GPA Value
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D	1.0
F	0

Grades of I (Incomplete), W (Withdrawn) and AU (Audit) may be given. These grades are not included in cumulative totals.

Grading for Prerequisites, General Education Courses and Electives

Prerequisites: Prerequisites must be completed with a minimum grade of C- prior to enrolling in upper-division nursing courses. Courses may be taken Pass/Fail but must be repeated to meet the minimum grade of C-.
General Education Courses: To meet a General Education requirement, courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a D or better, unless the only grade option for the course is Pass/Fail.
Electives: Any additional credits needed to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for graduation (126 for traditional and BAT programs, 120 for RN-BS) may be taken Pass/Fail. Nursing elective credit beyond the required two credits for the traditional and BAT programs may be taken Pass/Fail.

Note: Not all grading options are offered for all courses.

Incomplete Grades

A notation of Incomplete (I), rather than a grade, may be reported by the instructor when a student has made substantial progress but has not been able to complete a course due to justifiable circumstances. The issues of substantial progress, potential to pass the course and the reason for the request are decided by the instructor.

A grade of Incomplete must be removed and replaced with a permanent grade no later than the last day of classes of the semester following the one in which it was received; however, an instructor may set an earlier date for completion of the work. If the grade is not removed by the applicable date, and an extension has not been granted, the grade of “I” automatically becomes a grade of “F”.

The student is responsible for initiating a request for an extension and obtaining appropriate approval from their instructor.

Academic Standing

A cumulative grade-point average of at least a 2.0 is required to be in good academic standing. Warning: Academic warning occurs when a student’s term GPA falls below 2.0, but the student’s cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. (First-semester students who fail to achieve a 2.0 will be placed on warning.)

Probation: Academic probation occurs when a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Probation will continue if the student’s term GPA is 2.0 or higher, but his/her cumulative GPA is below 2.0.

Suspension: Academic suspension occurs when a student on academic probation fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in the next semester. Suspension prevents enrollment in all University courses for a period of one major semester.

Repeating a Course

Students may repeat a General Education course or elective course if they receive a Withdrawn (W) or Failed (F).

Nursing Prerequisites

Students must repeat a nursing prerequisite if they receive a D, F, or W.

Failure to achieve the minimum passing grade or withdrawal in any combination of two nursing prerequisites will result in dismissal.
Failure to achieve the minimum passing grade or withdrawal from the same nursing prerequisite twice will result in dismissal.

Core Nursing Courses

Students must repeat a core nursing course if they receive a D, F, or W.

For students in the traditional and BAT programs only:

Failure to achieve the minimum passing grade or withdrawal from any combination of two core nursing courses will result in dismissal.
Failure to achieve the minimum passing grade or withdrawal from the same core nursing course twice will result in dismissal.

Independent Study

An independent study is used to accommodate students who wish to pursue individual study under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The ability to study independently is determined by the faculty of record.

Process for Taking an Independent Study:

Independent study may be taken for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. Nursing elective credit requires a minimum of 2 credit hours and a letter grade option (A, B, C, D, F). General elective credit may be taken Pass/Fail.
The student needs to find a Decker faculty to serve as faculty of record for the independent study based on the interest and expertise of the potential faculty in relation to the student’s topic.
The student prepares a plan of study that is presented to the faculty. Collaboration occurs, and the student and faculty reach a mutually agreed upon plan of study that includes a timeline for consultation and assessment of progress.
The student and faculty of record must complete the independent study form and submit it to the appropriate DSON program office prior to the add/drop deadline.

Independent Study Notes:

All independent study research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by Binghamton University’s Institutional Review Board prior to initiating any research (Human Subject Review).
Students wishing to earn academic credit for internship or externship experiences should review the CDCI Internship guidelines on the Fleishman Center for Career Development’s website.

Class and Laboratory Attendance

The Decker School of Nursing adheres to University policy pertaining to attendance in class. In addition, attendance for all laboratory experiences is mandatory. Students must notify their instructors if they are unable to meet this commitment because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control. All course-related assignments must be completed as indicated in course syllabi unless prior arrangements are made with course faculty.

Clinical Laboratory Requirements

There are a number of requirements Decker School of Nursing students must fulfill prior to beginning required nursing courses as noted in the Decker School of Nursing Requirements section of the Decker School of Nursing website.

The Decker School of Nursing will not provide clinical experiences for students who fail to meet the requirements/responsibilities as outlined in the Decker School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook (Section 4: Clinical/Laboratory Policies and Procedures).

Professional Ethics and Academic Honesty

Students are expected to comply with the University Rules for Student Conduct and the policies related to professional ethics and academic honesty as stated in the undergraduate student handbook.

Academic Honors

Dean’s List

Decker School of Nursing has a Dean’s List for all students who have an outstanding academic record. To qualify for inclusion in the Dean’s List for that semester, students must meet the following criteria:

be matriculated in Decker School of Nursing;
have a minimum GPA of 3.5;
have completed at least eight credits for that semester; have a complete transcript with no Missing Grade (MG) or Incomplete (I) grades on their transcript.

Dean’s List is noted on the student’s official transcript for each semester it is achieved.

Graduation with Honors

Students with outstanding academic records receive college-wide honors upon graduation. To qualify, students must meet the cumulative grade-point averages specified below, have at least 48 graded Binghamton University credits (27 graded Binghamton University credits for RN-BS students), and have no Missing Grade (MG) or Incomplete (I) grades on their transcript.

Honors are awarded as follows:

3.50-3.69 GPA: cum laude
3.70-3.84 GPA: magna cum laude
3.85-4.00 GPA: summa cum laude

The appropriate graduation honors are indicated on the diploma and on the final transcript.

Sigma Theta Tau International

Sigma Theta Tau International, the International Honor Society of Nursing, recognizes outstanding graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and practitioners of nursing. Candidates for membership in the Zeta Iota chapter of Binghamton University must have demonstrated:

superior scholastic achievement;
academic integrity; and
professional leadership potential and/or marked achievement in the field of nursing.

Eligibility for membership in the Zeta Iota chapter is by invitation to students who have completed at least half of the courses in the nursing major, have a GPA of 3.0 and above and rank in the top 35% of their class in scholarship.