High School Direct Entry in Nursing

For High School Graduates from the Class of 2026

The High School Direct Entry in Nursing program is designed for newly graduating high school students that are dedicated to completing their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in four years.

Program Details	Application Deadline
4 years full-time cohort Credits: 122 Courses delivered: In-person Degree: Bachelor of Science	Final Deadline: January 5, 2026, 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time) Free online info sessions

Program Benefits

• Direct admission to the nursing program as a first-year college student
• Structured four-year pathway to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• In-person instruction from experienced nursing faculty
• Build lasting connections through a cohort model

Program Description

The Bachelor of Science degree prepares beginning-level generalist professional nurses to deliver care to individuals in a variety of health-care settings, and meet the state requirements for eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). Applicants are highly encouraged to attend an open house event, or an informational session.

Admission to the High School Direct Entry in Nursing program is competitive. Preference for admission will be given to Hawaii resident applicants. Applicants that have previously graduated from high school or completed a GED are not eligible to apply for this program.

High School Direct Entry in Nursing (DEN) Admissions Statistics

	Fall 2023	Fall 2024	Fall 2025
Total Applicants	564	704	606
Resident	190 of 564	228 of 704	202 of 606
Non-Resident	374 of 564	476 of 704	404 of 606
Enrolled	24	26	20
Resident	21 of 24	22 of 26	16 of 20
Non-Resident	3 of 24	4 of 26	4 of 20
Acceptance Rate	4.3% (24 of 564)	3.7% (26 of 704)	3.3% (20 of 606)
Average High School GPA	3.96	4.03	4.00

Admission Requirements

For admissions review, a holistic review process is utilized, which includes academic and experiential factors. All deadlines and minimum requirements must be met to maintain eligibility for admission.

The following is a summary of the admission requirements for this program. Details for each requirement are available in the sections below. All experiential criteria are also outlined in the Step 2 NCAS application.

Academic Requirements

• Cumulative High School GPA
• Standardized Testing – ACT or SAT
• College-Level Credits (optional)
• English Language Proficiency (for applicants born outside of the U.S.)

Experiential Requirements

• Personal Statement
• Resume

All official high school transcripts, non-UH college transcripts, and standardized test scores are required to be submitted (via mail or electronically) to the UH Manoa Office of Admissions, or to the Office of Student Services at the School of Nursing. A document is considered official only if it is sent directly by the issuing high school, college, or testing agency to the University. Student copies, faxed documents, and unofficial documents will not be accepted for review towards this nursing pathway. Mailing information for the Office of Admissions and School of Nursing is listed below.

UH Manoa Office of Admissions 2600 Campus Road, QLCSS RM 001 Honolulu, HI 96822 Email: manoa.admissions@hawaii.edu

UH Manoa School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene 2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 201 Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 Email: bsnurs@hawaii.edu

Application Deadline

• Fall Semester Admission only
• Fall 2026 Applications Available: September 1, 2025
• Final Deadline: January 5, 2026, 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Two-Step Application Process

Application requirements are found in the online applications listed below. All required applications and admissions materials must be submitted by the final deadline of January 5th. Late applications and documents will not be accepted.

Step 1 – Apply to UH Manoa Undergraduate Admissions

• Required for all new applicants and returning, transferring, and unclassified UH Manoa students.
• Link to application: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions
• Fee: $70
• Major: Nursing

Step 2 – Apply to Nursing Centralized Application Service (NCAS)

• Required for all applicants.
• Link to application: https://nursingcas.org/
• Fee: $65
• Planned Course of Study: High School Direct Entry in Nursing

Cumulative High School GPA

A minimum weighted GPA of 3.0 GPA at the end of an applicant’s junior year of high school is required. Submission of official high school transcripts at the time of application is required.

Standardized Testing Requirements

All applicants are required to submit score reports for the American College Test (ACT), or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). Repeat attempts are allowed for both examinations, and multiple score reports will be superscored. Submission of official test scores at the time of application is required.

Applicants that complete the ACT must meet the minimum score requirements for the Mathematics section, as well as the English and Reading sections (combined scores). Applicants that complete the SAT must meet the minimum score requirements for both the Mathematics section, and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section.

	ACT Math	ACT English + Reading (combined)	SAT Math	SAT ERW
Minimum Score	22	44	540	560

College-Level Credits (optional)

Completion of college-level coursework will be considered during admissions review. Acceptable college-level coursework includes Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits, Dual Credit courses (from regionally accredited institutions), and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations.

English Language Proficiency

All applicants who are not born in the U.S. are required to have a certain skill level of the English language. More information is available on the International Admission Requirements website: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions/international/.

Personal Statement

Submission of a personal statement is required. Applicants must upload their personal statement to the Step 2 NCAS application before the final deadline of January 5th. Applicants are required to respond to four  prompts found in NCAS as part of  their personal statement.

Personal statements must adhere to the following format.

• Font type: Times New Roman
• Font size: 12 point
• Margins: 1 inch
• Spacing: single spaced
• Word limit: maximum 250 words (per prompt)

Resume

Submission of a resume is required. Applicants must upload their resume to the Step 2 NCAS application before the final deadline of January 5th. Inclusion of the following is highly suggested, with durations (i.e. months/years), and descriptions.

1. Health care related activities (e.g. work, volunteer, health academy)
2. Employment/military service
3. Volunteer/community service
4. Life experience
5. Student government/committees/boards/clubs
6. Science projects
7. Research experience
8. Science fair presentations/attendance
9. Study abroad experience
10. Awards received
11. Honors received
12. Certifications earned

Continuation Requirements

For students admitted into the High School Direct Entry in Nursing program, successful completion of the first year with prerequisite course grades is required to maintain continuing status in the nursing program. Admission to this program will not be deferred.

All of the following conditions must be met, and is applicable to students admitted in the Fall 2025 cohort.

• GPA of 3.0 or higher every semester
• Minimum grade of ‘B’ (not B-) in all PHYL lectures, PHYL labs, MICR 130, and FQ
• Minimum grade of ‘C’ (not C-) in all other prerequisite courses

Prospective Students Not Applying for Direct Entry

Students that are interested in our nursing programs, but are not admitted or are not eligible for the High School Direct Entry in Nursing program, can enter UH Manoa as a Pre-Nursing student, or attend the University under another major of their choosing. Students can complete the requirements to apply for admission to the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in a future admissions cycle. Admission to the Traditional BS in Nursing program is competitive.

Informational sessions are offered that provide more information about this process. The application process and requirements are discussed in detail to assist interested students in the process. Informational session dates and times will be posted to the events page.

College-Level Exam Program (optional)

College-Level Exam Program (CLEP) examinations are a viable option for satisfying course requirements of the Bachelor of Science in nursing programs. Students must consult with their advisor regarding the use and limitations of non-graded course equivalencies to meet current graduation requirements.

Students that successfully pass a CLEP exam approved by the university will be awarded college credit, which can be used to satisfy specific coursework. A list of approved CLEP exams for our institution is available online.

Prerequisite Year Requirements

• *PHYL 141 Human Anatomy & Physiology (DB) (3)
• *PHYL 141L Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab (DY) (1)
• **PHYL 142 Human Anatomy & Physiology (DB) (3)
• **PHYL 142L Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab (DY) (1)
• *MICR 130 General Microbiology (DB) (3) (lab not required)
• Quantitative Reasoning Course (FQ) (3)
• Written Communication Course (FW) (3)
• Global & Multicultural Perspectives Course (FG) (3)
• PSY 100 Survey of Psychology (DS) (3)
• HDFS 230 Human Development (DS) (3)
• Public Speech Course (DA) (3) (choose one): COMG 151 or COMG 251
• Physical Science Course (DP) (3) (choose one): CHEM 151, CHEM 152, CHEM 161, CHEM 162, BIOC 141, BIOC 241, 244, or BIOC 341
• *NURS 200 Intro to Professional Nsg I (1)
• **NURS 201 Intro to Professional Nsg II (1)

*Courses must be completed in Fall semester of Year 1
**Courses must be completed in Spring semester of Year 1

Nursing Major Course Requirements

In addition to the general education requirements and graduation focus requirements, these are the major requirements below.   The following is a sample curriculum and is subject to change. Course offerings may vary based on the student’s year of admission to the program, faculty, and program updates

• NURS 210 Health Promotion Across Life Span (3)
• NURS 210L Health Promotion Across Life Span Lab (6)
• NURS 212 Pathophysiology (3)
• NURS 220 Health and Illness I (3)
• NURS 220L Health and Illness I Lab (6)
• NURS 213 Pharmacology (3)
• NURS 321 Women, Newborn, and Family Health (2)
• NURS 321L Women, Newborn, and Family Health Lab (WI) (3)
• NURS 322 Child and Family Health (2)
• NURS 322L Child and Family Health Lab (3)
• NURS 360 Health and Illness III (3)
• NURS 360L Health and Illness III Lab (6)
• NURS 363 Introduction to Nursing Research (ETH) (3)
• NURS 450 Community, Public & Global Health Nursing (2)
• NURS 450L Community, Public & Global Health Nursing Lab (OC, WI) (3)
• NURS 465 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (2)
• NURS 465L Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Lab (3)
• NURS 452 Cultural Aspects of Health Management in Populations Indigenous to Hawaii, Pacific & Asia (HAP) (3)
• NURS 453 Introduction to Genetics and Genomics in Nursing Practice (3)
• NURS 460 Complex Nursing and Leadership (4)
• NURS 460L Complex Nursing and Leadership Lab (WI) (6)
• NURS 461 Advanced Pathophysiology (2)
• Statistics Course (3) (choose one): NURS 306, MATH 115 (UHCCs only), PSY 225, SOCS 225, NREM 310, ECON 321, PH 350, or EDEP 429
• Nutrition Course (DB) (3) (choose one): FSHN 185 or FSHN 475

It is the student’s responsibility to meet regularly with their academic advisor(s) to ensure proper progress and to confirm their academic requirements and timely graduation.

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