Graduates of the program have the requisite knowledge and skills to pursue graduate study in nursing. The curriculum consists of one year of prerequisite requirements and eight quarters of nursing courses. However, nine quarters are frequently needed to complete all nursing courses because of clinical space limitations. The prerequisite courses may be completed at Cal State Hayward or by taking equivalent courses at another college or university. Nursing courses have concomitant laboratory activities both on campus and in local hospitals, community health agencies, child care centers, and retirement communities.
Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to clinical facilities.
Expenses for clinical courses include the purchase of uniforms, stethoscopes, malpractice insurance, personal health insurance, laboratory equipment, course syllabi, and so forth. The program is accredited by the State of California Board of Registered Nursing and by the National League for Nursing. Courses must be completed by the end of Spring quarter for the student to be eligible for admission to the nursing program in the Fall quarter. Students who plan to use transfer courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements must have equivalencies determined by the Cal State, Hayward Department of Nursing and Health Sciences. Because Nursing has been designated as an impacted program by the Board of Trustees, a special admission procedure has been instituted to assure that all students have an opportunity to be considered for admission to the Nursing major for Fall quarter.