Major in Health and Exercise Science, Pre-Nursing Concentration

Many students pursuing a degree in Health and Exercise Science (HES) plan to apply to nursing school, and this concentration is designed to prepare them for post-baccalaureate nursing programs, including accelerated Bachelor of Nursing programs. The coursework within this concentration covers common nursing school prerequisites. HES courses are tailored to equip students with the skills to help people protect, maintain, and improve their health and quality of life throughout the lifespan. Students in this concentration are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor and the Health Professions Advising Team to ensure they meet the specific prerequisites for their targeted nursing schools.

This concentration also serves as a pathway to CSU’s 3+2 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, offered on the Fort Collins campus in collaboration with CSU Pueblo’s School of Nursing. Students interested in the 3+2 MSN program must begin in the Pre-Nursing Concentration and apply to the MSN program during their third semester. If accepted, students will transition from this concentration to the Major in Health and Exercise Science, Nursing Concentration. If not accepted, students will remain in the Pre-Nursing Concentration to complete the nursing prerequisite coursework and earn their Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science, after which they can apply to accelerated Bachelor of Nursing programs.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge related to the key concepts, issues, and tools fundamental to health and exercise science.
2. Understand the importance of physical activity in optimizing physical and mental health and preventing/treating disease and disability in people of all ages and provide a detailed explanation of physical activity guidelines and recommendations.
3. Develop and demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding in human anatomy and physiology through active classroom learning, laboratory, supervised college teaching, capstone projects, research involvement, practicums, and/or internship experiences.
4. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively through writing and oral presentations. Writing skills will focus on the ability to synthesize and apply health and exercise science disciplinary knowledge. Presentation skills will focus on the ability to find and summarize scientific information, develop complementary visual aids, and speak with confidence.
5. Demonstrate competence in health promotion and disease prevention in a community-based health related program.
6. Develop a depth of knowledge that enables them to critically evaluate health-related programs and products and distinguish between evidence-based facts and popular fads.
7. Develop collaborative skills necessary to work as a cooperative, productive, and accountable team member while working with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Effective Fall 2026 

Students must have an cumulative 2.0 GPA in all AUCC courses.  If students would like to apply to the 3+2 Master's of Nursing and the corresponding Health and Exercise Science Nursing Concentration, all coursework in Semesters 1-4 must be completed with a grade of C or better. 

Pre-Nursing Guided Elective List

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select a minimum of 7 credits from this list:
BC 351	Principles of Biochemistry	4
BMS *** Upper Division Electives		0-7
CHEM 245	Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry	4
CHEM 246	Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory	1
FSHN 340	Food as Medicine	3
HDFS 201	Current Topics in Healthy Aging	3
HDFS 315	Disability Across the Lifespan and Culture	3
HES *** Upper Division Electives		0-7
MIP 300	General Microbiology	3
MIP 302	General Microbiology Laboratory	2
PBHL 200	Introduction to Public Health (GT-SS3)	3
PSY 252	Mind, Brain, and Behavior	3
PSY 320	Psychopathology	3
SOC 344	Health, Medicine, and Society	3

¹

CHEM 111/CHEM 112 can be substituted for CHEM 107/CHEM 108.

²

MATH 155 or MATH 160 may be substituted for MATH 118, MATH 124, and MATH 125. 

³

Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300-400).

⁴

Nursing pathophysiology is a common prerequisite for BSN programs. A recommended external option is NSG 207 online from CSU Pueblo. Students should consult with their advisor for additional options.

Students must have an cumulative 2.0 GPA in all AUCC courses. If students would like to apply to the 3+2 Master's of Nursing and the corresponding Health and Exercise Science Nursing Concentration, all coursework in Semesters 1-4 must be completed with a grade of C or better.