University of Miami School of Nursing — Dismissal & Appeals

Written by Zachary Gaynor, attorney · The Florida Bar, admitted 2016 · court admissions. Reviewed 1 October 2026.

When is a University of Miami nursing student dismissed?

At the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS), a BSN student is dismissed after failing two nursing courses, or the same nursing course twice. Each nursing course needs a C, which means 75 percent, and a C- counts as a failure. The Undergraduate Academic Standing and Admissions Committee (UGASAC) makes the recommendation, the Associate Dean notifies the student, and the student has five business days to appeal in writing to the Office of the Dean, whose decision is final.

The progression rules

• C (75 percent) in every nursing course. A C- (70–74) is marked “below passing.” Clinical courses are pass/fail, and failing the final theory grade or the clinical portion fails the course.
• One repeat. Students may repeat only one failed nursing course.
• Two withdrawals. No more than two nursing-course withdrawals in the whole program, and never twice from the same course.
• GPA. A 2.0 cumulative GPA is needed to progress. Entry into clinical courses requires a 3.0 overall GPA, plus a 2.75 prerequisite GPA in the traditional BSN or 3.0 in the accelerated BSN.
• Missing written work. A student who does not turn in required written assignments fails the course.

Two tests that end courses

Medication calculation. In NUR 304, 308, 318, 320, 411 and 453, students must score 90 percent on the medication calculation exam, with up to three attempts, before the midterm alert date. A student who does not pass automatically fails the clinical component.

HESI. HESI exams are required across the curriculum, with mandatory remediation after the specialty and exit exams. In NUR 453, the Exit HESI requires 850. A lower score drops the grade to a C-, and the student must complete a remediation plan before a second and final attempt within three weeks. A second score under 850 fails NUR 453. Because one failure is all the repeat policy allows, an Exit HESI problem in the final semester can become a dismissal.

Conduct and integrity

SONHS students are bound by the ANA Code of Ethics. The handbook lists twenty grounds for dismissal beyond grades, including falsifying records, unauthorized access to patient health information, attending under the influence or refusing a screening, plagiarism, being unable to meet the technical standards, and not reporting an arrest within three business days. For cheating, the handbook says students will be dismissed. Faculty may refer a case to the Undergraduate Honor Council or impose their own sanctions. The written report goes to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Nursing Programs, who decides in writing.

The appeal

Student Services presents a dismissal case to UGASAC, and the student may submit documents. UGASAC’s recommendation goes to the Associate Dean. The student then appeals in writing, with reasons, to the Office of the Dean within five business days of the Associate Dean’s notice. The Dean’s decision is final. The handbook does not limit the grounds, so the letter should give the Dean a concrete reason to decide differently: an error in how a grade or exam was recorded, a rule applied in a way the handbook does not support, or circumstances the committee did not have.

Grade appeals have their own five-business-day chain: course faculty, then course coordinator, program director, and associate dean. UGASAC hears appeals only of final posted grades. The University’s Academic Bulletin also describes a university-level academic appeal through the Ombudsperson and the Faculty Senate Student Affairs Committee, with the Provost deciding. The Bulletin’s general rule gives thirty days to appeal an academic dismissal to a school’s standards committee, while the SONHS handbook gives five business days. When two documents conflict, meet the shorter deadline and preserve the longer one in writing.

The University of Miami is private, so its handbook and bulletin, not constitutional due process, set the procedure.

Readmission

Readmission is not automatic. A former student must apply, UGASAC must approve, and the requirements current at the time of readmission apply, including the GPA thresholds for the student’s track.

Where the governing documents are

The SONHS Student Handbook 2024–2025, Undergraduate Programs (traditional, accelerated, and RN-BSN), and the University of Miami Academic Bulletin, Nursing. The 2024–2025 handbook is the latest edition SONHS has posted publicly. Ask for the edition issued to your class.

Other Florida nursing programs

These pages set out related procedures: the Florida nursing programs overview, the FIU Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing, the NSU Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, and the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

Common questions

Does a C- pass a nursing course at the University of Miami?

No. Nursing courses need a C, which is 75 percent. A C- is below passing and counts toward the two-failure dismissal rule.

What happens if I score under 850 on the Exit HESI?

Your NUR 453 grade drops to a C-, and you must complete a remediation plan before a second and final attempt within three weeks. Scoring under 850 again fails the course.

How long do I have to appeal a dismissal?

The SONHS handbook gives five business days from the Associate Dean’s notice, in writing to the Office of the Dean. The Dean’s decision is final at the school level.

Can I be readmitted after dismissal?

You can apply, but readmission is not automatic. UGASAC must approve, and the current requirements apply.