Academic Planning

Most students at Hamilton take four courses per semester and some nursing schools require as many as 15 courses. So pre-nursing courses will comprise nearly one half of your undergraduate education. But Hamilton’s liberal arts focus, coupled with its open curriculum, offers you an incredible opportunity to explore a vast array of subjects and expand your horizons into areas you didn’t even know existed. So take advantage of your four years as an undergraduate to explore your interests and educate yourself broadly.

Pursuing the courses that interest you will make you a well-educated, well-rounded person, something that you should value and that nursing schools value as well. That being said, it will take careful planning from your very first semester to fulfill requirements (pre-nursing and for your major) and meet other educational goals, including potential study abroad.

Creating a Four-Year Plan

By creating a tentative four-year plan for the courses you plan to take at Hamilton, you will easily be able to visualize what your pre-nursing workload will be and determine how to best arrange your coursework so that you strike the critical balance between the courses you need to take and the courses you want to take. While making your master schedule, keep in mind that it should always be tentative. In fact, it is very likely that you will have to modify your schedule to take into account a course being offered only in the fall or spring; not getting into a class due to a bad registration time; or changing your mind about what major you wish to pursue. You may wish to consider the following resources in creating a master schedule.