As first-year nursing students, the curricula include a foundation course that introduces students to the nursing profession within the context of CSON academic nursing progression requirements, nursing licensure, and the evolution of nursing education as well as explores the role of nurses within the US health- care system. Concurrently students complete University requirements, science courses, and electives for progression into their second year. Students must achieve a minimum science GPA 2.75. and overall GPA 3.0. Students are allowed to repeat one science course to raise their GPA.

During sophomore year, students take nursing courses focusing on health and wellness across the lifespan and nutrition and health. In the first semester of the sophomore year, all nursing students take a standardized and proctored progression examination to assess their academic readiness to advance into upper-level nursing courses including pathophysiology in the second semester. Sophomore students take the Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) Nursing Progression Exam must achieve a minimum overall composite score of 75% and 75% or higher on each of the science, English, and math composite scores. For those students who are unsuccessful, additional attempts are offered and remediation and tutoring support is provided. Students are given the opportunity to repeat the Progression HESI.