We are here to answer your questions.
1-800-690-0934
You don’t have to wait 2 years to see if you’re accepted into the nursing program. As a BSN Pre-Licensure Freshman Direct-Entry student you will be a part of the College of Nursing pack from the very start of your freshman year at UNM.
You won’t have to wait to apply in your sophomore year.
You will receive support and guidance right away from the College of Nursing advisors and faculty.
You will be goal-oriented. Focused on advancing your career as a nurse beyond your BSN degree. Prepared to return for a DNP or a PhD degree.
Unique experiences just for you and your cohort.
Being a lobo nursing student is more than just simulations, clinicals and exams. It’s about the full experience. Our students are getting out in the community making a difference for all they serve. From participating in national nursing organizations to volunteering to administer vaccinations. Honored for their work–publications, scholarships, awards and grants. They are advancing the future of nursing. Learn about the student experience.
Learn to lead by leading. Build lifelong relationships. Join student nursing organizations and honor societies at The University of New Mexico College of Nursing.
Explore what being a UNM BSN student nurse looks like. Watch videos and testimonials that give you a glimpse into your future experience. Explore the virtual campus.
Undergraduate nursing student can participate in Honors electives in which they will engage in the various aspects of research to improve nursing outcomes and patient care. Providing them with the opportunity to work with our esteemed research faculty. Learn more about research & honors.
Your clinical experiences will be diverse. You will receive the necessary experiences to ensure you are ready for your career as a BSN-prepared nurse.
Our students have the opportunity to participate in international clinical experiences in Navajo nation, Chinle, Arizona and Costa Rica, among others.
We have a strong partnership with UNM Health System that allows our students to participate in clinical experiences in the only Level 1 trauma center in the state. Each year, about 99% of our Pre-Licensure BSN Albuquerque campus students participate in clinical experiences within the UNM Health System, including Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho.
Our BSN Direct-Entry students also participate in clinical placements with our other clinical partners: New Mexico VA Health Care System, Lovelace Health System, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Albuquerque Public Schools and New Mexico Department of Health, among many others.
Explore more about your clinical experiences at UNM.
At UNM you will practice and test your skills you learn in the classroom in our state-of-the-art simulation center and skills lab. Simulation provides you with the hands-on learning you require in a low-risk environment. All simulation experiences follow strict COVID-safe guidelines to make sure you’re practicing in a safe way, the right way.
Our high-fidelity manikins are fully interactive and mimic a real person. They can have conversations with you, blink and track their eyes, and even bleed.
Students also benefit from our low-fidelity manikins used for learning basic skills. We practice IVs, catheters, feeding tubes, wound care, positioning and much more.
Our simulation center is dedicated to learners and includes: 24 clinic spaces, 7 debriefing rooms, 3 acute care rooms, 5 skills rooms with 6-8 beds each, and a community student waiting area/lounge.
Learn more about simulation at UNM.
New Mexico is a diverse state. More than half of our students identify as a member of an underrepresented group. Our student bodies are among the most diverse in the country.
We value our diverse communities, students and faculty, and we strive to promote equity and advocate for inclusiveness. We value our partnerships with our community to enhance our understanding and learning.
Learn more about UNM’s Division of Diversity and Equity and Inclusion; the Health Sciences Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the UNM College of Nursing Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
Live and learn in Albuquerque, a historic city on an expansive mesa a mile above sea level. A city that’s simultaneously cosmopolitan and soulful, urban and rural, and brimming with light and possibilities. A friendly place just around the corner from ordinary, on land bisected by historic Route 66 and the great Rio Grande river.
Just a step away from the monumental Sandia Mountains. Named for their sunset crimson hue—“sandia” is the Spanish word for “watermelon”—they appear to leap out of the landscape to the east, and serve as an awe-inspiring example of the kind of wild, natural beauty that wraps around everything here and rushes off in every direction throughout the state. You’ll see.
Not from New Mexico? Visit NewMexico.org & VisitAlbuquerque.org to learn about our state.
A community where every student is a part of our pack. No matter what campus you are on. And we have many.
Just across the road from UNM Main Campus you will find the North Campus. North campus is home to the Health Sciences campus where you will study. This campus provides you with all the resources you will need and more. Starting in the classroom, we provide you a home to gather and study in the College of Nursing building and Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education (The Dom). To putting your education into practice in the simulation and skills labs at the Interprofessional Healthcare Simulation Center (IHSC). And studying it all at the UNM Health Sciences Library & Information Center (HSLIC).
You won’t be alone on campus. You will be surrounded with students, learners and faculty from the College of Pharmacy, College of Population Health, the School of Medicine, Allied Health Programs, and the School of Law. With quick access to the UNM Health System and UNM Hospital. Ready for critical interprofessional learning.
Fuel up with coffee and meals at the Happy Heart Bistro. Probably most important of all you can take time to breath, exercise – or study on the grass with views of the Sandia Mountains. And find supplies and apparel at the UNM Medical/Legal Bookstore.
HSC-ABQ has everything you need and more. Experience photos of campus as part of our virtual campus tour.
Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico – Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache – since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history.
This entry option is for current high school seniors only.
Minimum high school GPA of 3.0
For the full list of admission criteria and the application, click below.
The majority of our students receive some form of financial aid – scholarships, grants, loans and/or work study.
We awarded over $825,000 in scholarships during academic year 2022-2023. Individual scholarship amounts range from $200-$5,000, annually.
Academic advising, tutoring, administrative services and classes. All waiting for you at the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy building.
The Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education – the center of the UNM Health Sciences Campus.
Health Science campus – modern buildings under a big sky.
Enjoy coffee, breakfast, lunch or just grab a bite to go at the Happy Heart Bistro.
Back to class at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education after a coffee break at Happy Heart Bistro.
Peek inside the buildings.
Halls not only to walk from class to class but to sit, stop and study.
The patio view at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education.
Learn in our state-of-the-art classrooms with some of the best views of Albuquerque.
Fully equipped classrooms designed for all class sizes and learning environments.
Heading to the bookstore for supplies and Lobo gear.
Everyone is a Lobo.
Reset your mind with some outdoor activities on the lawn between classes.
The Health Sciences Library and Information Center is always around the corner and ready to meet your research needs.
Bird's eye view of the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy building.
Time for class inside the College of Nursing and Pharmacy building.
Collaborative learning in the classroom.
After lab is over in the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education, it is time to head home.
Just steps away from UNM Hospital – the state's only Level 1 trauma center.
Health Sciences campus also has traditional buildings.
There is nothing prettier then campus layered in snow – that melts by lunchtime.
Explore the UNM College of Nursing’s Virtual Campus Experience and what being an undergraduate UNM student nurse means.
Learn more about your education, curriculum, academic calendar and clinical & simulation experiences at the UNM College of Nursing.
There is a lot of information to consider as you prepare to apply to our BSN Freshman Direct-Entry option. We know you have questions. We have answers.
Fill out the form below and our team will contact you.
Office of Admissions & Recruitment
College of Nursing
Building 214
Suite 1501
1 University of New Mexico
Pre-Licensure Program Director
Sasha Poole, PhD, RN
Interim Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education
Clinician Educator, Assistant Professor
SNPoole@salud.unm.edu