Undergraduate Studies

Overview and Curriculum Plan

Students are admitted directly to the nursing program and begin with a strong foundation in the natural and behavioral sciences in the freshman year. Nursing courses begin in the fall of the sophomore year and progress to include an increasing number of hours providing patient care throughout the curriculum. Over 35 clinical sites give students the opportunity to learn in urban and suburban settings, serve both the poor and the affluent, and work with people of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and needs.

The four components of the School of Nursing's undergraduate program are:

1. The core curriculum

Nursing students must complete the core curriculum that is required of all Fairfield undergraduates, with the exception that nursing students meet either the visual and performing arts or the language requirement.

2. Natural and social sciences

Students take one semester of chemistry and three semesters of biology which includes anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. Because the social sciences form an important part of the foundation for nursing practice, students also take courses in psychology.

3. Nursing courses

Classroom instruction in nursing theory and skills begins in the sophomore year and continues throughout the undergraduate program. Nursing courses are comprised of both theoretical and clinical components. With each passing year clinical work increases, until, by the senior year, a significant portion of time is spent in the nursing major, which includes clinical practice as well as the theory component. To ensure that students obtain the breadth and depth of clinical experience needed, the School has associations with many clinical facilities, including private hospitals, veterans hospitals, clinics, outpatient departments, rehabilitation centers, public health departments, long-term care facilities, home care agencies, community health centers, schools, and its own Health Promotion Center in Bridgeport.

4. Electives

Three free electives in the curriculum plan provide an opportunity to explore topics of interest to the student, including the liberal arts, nursing, independent study, and minor options.

Curriculum Plan: Bachelor of Science (Major in Nursing)

Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year