Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston: Programs, Texas Medical Center Clinicals & Costs (2026)
Part of UTHealth Houston in the Texas Medical Center, Cizik offers a Pacesetter Accelerated BSN (ABSN), flexible RN-to-BSN, hybrid MSN tracks, DNP pathways including nurse anesthesia, a research PhD, and post-graduate specialty completion options. Tuition appears on the UTHealth Bursar Cizik schedules (2026–27 reviewed here); NCLEX-RN figures below include Cizik school-reported 2024 data plus the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard for Board-reported verification.
Contents
Quick Facts
Key Takeaway
Cizik differentiates itself with Texas Medical Center–adjacent clinical volume (including about 900 BSN clinical hours beginning semester one), a 15-month Pacesetter ABSN geared to career changers, published UTHealth Bursar tuition rows for nursing, and stacked graduate pathways from MSN through DNP and PhD. Uses both school outcome pages and the Texas BON Education Dashboard when benchmarking NCLEX-RN.
Overview & Why Students Choose Cizik
Housed in the Cizik School of Nursing and Student Community Center on Bertner Avenue, Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston anchors its teaching mission to the Texas Medical Center—giving pre-licensure students rotation access to some of the country’s highest-acuity referral centers while still sending learners to community and public-health sites across Greater Houston.
Cizik advertises a research-intensive faculty bench (including NIH-funded programs highlighted on the school news hub) alongside practice-oriented pathways: a 15-month Pacesetter Accelerated BSN, an RN-to-BSN completion track with flexible semesters, MSN concentrations in Family Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Leadership, multiple BSN-to-DNP nurse practitioner and nurse anesthesia routes, post-master’s DNP options, a PhD in nursing, and post-graduate nondegree specialty ladders such as Emergency NP and EMS NP.
Cizik’s public “By the Numbers” page lists a BSN program NCLEX first-time pass rate with a calendar year label. For regulatory, program-level Board reporting, use the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard and locate the UTHealth Houston / University of Texas Houston SON row that corresponds to the Pacesetter pre-licensure plan. Confirm both sources when benchmarking cohorts.
Reasons students consider Cizik
Texas Medical Center density
Pacesetter materials describe rotations inside TMC institutions plus outpatient and public-health settings—useful if you want early exposure to quaternary care alongside community pipelines.
Accelerated BSN throughput
The Pacesetter track completes in about 15 months with 60 nursing credits across four semesters and roughly 900 clinical hours beginning semester one, per Cizik’s overview.
Stacked graduate portfolio
MSN FNP and Nursing Leadership feed into BSN-DNP and post-master’s DNP tracks; nurse anesthesia and psych/mental health NP routes appear on application-deadline tables alongside hold notices for selected specialties.
Published Bursar tuition rows
UTHealth Houston’s Bursar publishes discrete per-credit-hour stacks for Cizik undergraduate, graduate, and BSN-to-DNP nurse anesthesia tiers, simplifying resident vs. non-resident comparisons before fees.
Financial-aid signals
Cizik promotes the Future Nurses Fund (income-tested free tuition/fees for qualifying full-time BSN students) and HRSA-funded traineeships on select NP tracks—verify eligibility rules on the official financial pages.
Nursing Programs Offered
The bullets below mirror Cizik’s program hub, the application deadlines tables, and pathway pages fetched March 2026. Separate pre-licensure, post-RN, graduate, doctoral, and post-graduate certificate concepts per project taxonomy.
Pre-licensure & undergraduate completion
Pre-Nursing pathway
Up to 27 nursing science prerequisite hours delivered by UTHealth Houston for students who need the prescribed sciences; earn a B or better in each to qualify for direct Pacesetter admission without HESI/TEAS, per Cizik’s Pre-Nursing announcement.
Pacesetter Accelerated BSN
Accelerated BSN (ABSN)—at UTHealth Houston the program is branded Pacesetter. Cizik cites 15 months, 60 credits, full-time hybrid delivery, and 900 clinical hours; admits fall, spring, and summer via NursingCAS (NCAS).
RN-to-BSN
31 credit hours, primarily online with an in-person community clinical; fast-track (2 semesters), traditional (3), or flexible (up to 5) pacing. Early decision available with 40+ prerequisite hours completed.
Graduate nursing (MSN)
MSN — Family Nurse Practitioner
Cizik’s FNP page lists roughly 41 credits, 660 clinical hours, hybrid/online blend, and eligibility to stack the Emergency NP certificate after certification.
MSN — Nursing Leadership
Part-time hybrid track (virtual intensives plus on-campus touchpoints) totaling about 38 credits over 5–9 semesters with practicum immersions in Texas systems.
Doctor of Nursing Practice & PhD
BSN to DNP (NP & nurse anesthesia)
Cizik’s materials reference BSN-DNP nurse practitioner specialties (with Adult/Gerontology Primary Care DNP admissions on hold since Fall 2023) and a distinct BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia cycle with summer entry and interviews in September.
Post-master’s DNP
Leadership and advanced-practice completions for master’s-prepared nurses; Cizik notes Nursing Informatics admissions on hold as of Spring 2025—confirm reopening on the deadlines page.
PhD in Nursing
Research doctorate with BSN-entry, post-master’s, and DNP-to-PhD pathways described on the PhD hub; fall-only admission with December primary deadline.
Post-graduate (nondegree) specialties
Post-graduate completion tracks
Cizik lists Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Medical Services Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education, and consolidated Nursing Leadership / NP completion curricula for nurses who already hold graduate degrees.
Cizik’s published deadline tables explicitly flag paused entry for some specialties (examples: BSN-DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP; post-master’s Nursing Informatics). Treat hold notices as live compliance data—reconfirm before paying application fees.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
School-reported BSN metric: According to Cizik’s “By the Numbers” page, the BSN program NCLEX first-time pass rate was 95.58% (2024). That figure is a marketing/outcomes disclosure—confirm cohort definitions on the Cizik page.
Texas Board of Nursing: The Education Dashboard publishes Board-reported NCLEX-RN outcomes by approved program. Filter for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (menu wording may vary slightly) and read the row tied to the pre-licensure plan you intend to enter.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass (school-reported) | 95.58% for the BSN program in 2024 per Cizik “By the Numbers.” Confirm the latest figure on that page. |
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass (Board-reported) | Use the Texas BON Education Dashboard for UTHealth Houston’s approved pre-licensure program row. |
| Benchmark comparison | Not compared here to a statewide average because this page does not cite a single Texas BON aggregate from the same reporting window. |
| Source | Cizik — By the Numbers; Texas BON Education Dashboard. Confirm current rates with the Board and Cizik. |
NCLEX outcomes change by cohort and reporting window. Always confirm the newest pass rates with the Texas Board of Nursing and Cizik School of Nursing before making admissions decisions.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
Use this as a checklist only. Pacesetter BSN applicants must reside in Texas before the first day of class, and Cizik states it cannot sponsor F-1 visas for that BSN track. Graduate pathways may differ—confirm with UTHealth Houston international student services.
- English-language proficiency: Pacesetter materials list TOEFL minimums (550 paper, 213 computer, 86 internet-based) for international applicants; graduate programs may specify different exams.
- Transcript / credential evaluation: Cizik requires ECE or WES course-by-course evaluations for foreign transcripts submitted through NursingCAS.
- Texas Board of Nursing: Internationally educated nurses must follow Texas BON policies for NCLEX eligibility and credential review.
- Immigration & visa: Clinical rotations can limit lawful status options—coordinate with UTHealth Houston and Cizik before accepting a seat.
Policies change frequently. Verify with Cizik admissions, UTHealth Houston international offices, and the Texas Board of Nursing—not with this guide alone.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
Cizik routes Pacesetter BSN applications through Nursing Centralized Application System (NCAS / NursingCAS), assigns a seven-digit ApplyUTH ID, and expects transcripts, exam scores, and evaluations by published deadlines. Faculty decisions weigh cumulative performance, science grades, entrance exam outcomes (when required), and holistic factors described on the BSN admission criteria page.
Application timeline (selected entries)
| Pathway | Deadline / pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Nursing (Fall 2026) | June 1 (open on Cizik deadlines page in March 2026) | Separate from Pacesetter; see application-deadlines table for notification timing. |
| Pacesetter Accelerated BSN | Fall 2026: March 30, 2026 · Spring 2027: Sept. 1, 2026 | Summer 2026 entry (Jan. 15, 2026) was marked closed when reviewed; verify future summer cycles. |
| RN-to-BSN | Fall 2026: June 1, 2026 | Cizik also lists spring/summer terms on RN-BSN materials—cross-check the deadlines hub each cycle. |
| MSN FNP | Fall 2026: June 1 · Spring 2027: Sept. 30 | Rolling notifications possible after priority dates. |
| MSN Nursing Leadership | Fall 2026: June 1, 2026 | Fall-only admission according to deadlines table. |
| BSN-DNP nurse practitioner | Fall 2026 priority: May 15, 2026 · Spring 2027: Sept. 15, 2026 | Interviews roll until classes fill; confirm holds for paused specialties. |
| BSN-DNP nurse anesthesia | Summer 2027: July 1, 2026 | Interview window published for mid-September 2026. |
| PhD (Fall 2026) | Primary: Dec. 1, 2025 · Late: April 1, 2026 (space available) | Includes interview dates on Cizik deadlines page. |
Admissions snapshot (Pacesetter highlights)
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Cohort size (Pacesetter) | Cizik cites about 130 seats per fall, spring, and summer entry. |
| Minimum prerequisite GPA | 3.00 on all required 60 prerequisite hours and 3.00 on science prerequisites (official calculation per Cizik). |
| HESI A2 / TEAS | Required when prerequisites were completed elsewhere; limited to two total attempts across approved combinations. Waived for eligible Pre-Nursing science completers. |
| Texas residency (Pacesetter) | Must physically reside in Texas before the first class day; no F-1 sponsorship for BSN. |
| Acceptance rate | Not publicly disclosed |
| Clinical clearance | Accepted students complete immunizations, background checks, drug screening, and AHA BLS per Cizik new-student materials. |
Applicant tip: Because Cizik openly states averages exceed posted minimums, prioritize science GPA recovery, exam preparation, and early NCAS submission so transcripts sync before the hard deadline.
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
UTHealth Houston’s Bursar publishes Cizik School of Nursing tuition and fee schedules with separate collapsible tables for 2025–2026 and 2026–2027. The figures below quote the 2026–2027 resident undergraduate “Total Tuition” column (legislated + designated + designated supplemental) and the graduate resident first credit-hour band; mandatory nursing fees (technology, simulation, achievement exams, etc.) and university-wide student services fees are additional.
| Program / category | Published amount (snapshot) |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate resident tuition (per SCH, 2026–27) | $291 total tuition for 1 SCH ($50 legislated + $46 designated + $195 designated supplemental)—scale linearly to 12 SCH ($3,492) per Bursar table. |
| Graduate resident tuition (per SCH, 2026–27) | $427 total tuition for 1 SCH (includes differential and designated components per Bursar graduate table). |
| BSN-DNP nurse anesthesia resident (per SCH, 2026–27) | $378 total program tuition for 1 SCH on the nurse-anesthesia schedule (distinct supplemental rate). |
| Illustrative nursing fees (2026–27) | Examples from required-fees table: Nursing Technology Resource Fee $450/semester; Simulation fee $550 (RN-BSN & BSN); Nursing Achievement Exam BSN $439/semester; many courses add lab or clinical premiums—see Course & Lab fee schedule. |
| Books & supplies (catalog estimate) | Cizik catalog cites roughly $950/semester for books; uniforms and equipment are extra for undergraduates. |
| Financial aid signals | Review Future Nurses Fund, merit/need scholarships, and Student Financial Services COA. |
| Source | UTHealth Houston Bursar — Cizik tuition & fees; Cizik catalog tuition overview. Confirm active academic year before registering. |
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
Pair the NCLEX-RN discussion in the prior section with advanced-practice metrics published on Cizik’s statistics and specialty pages. Always distinguish RN licensure exams from APRN certification exams—they measure different milestones.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass (BSN, school-reported) | 95.58% in 2024 per Cizik By the Numbers. Confirm current year on that page and cross-check the Texas BON dashboard. |
| Nurse practitioner track exams (school-reported aggregate) | 94.89% first-time pass on all licensure exams (2024) per the same statistics page—identifies cohort scope there. |
| FNP certification pass (school-reported subset) | Cizik’s FNP page cites about 96% first-time pass on AANPCB or ANCC for 2024 MSN and BSN-DNP FNP graduates—subset metric; confirm methodology on-page. |
| DNP nurse anesthesia credential | Statistics page lists approximately 99% five-year NBCRNA first-time pass (school-reported). Confirm cohort windows on Cizik materials. |
| Enrollment / degrees (context) | Same page notes 1,114 students enrolled (Fall 2025) and 240 BSN degrees in the 2024–2025 academic year—useful scale context, not a job guarantee. |
| Job placement / salary | Not publicly disclosed on the pages summarized here; request official employment surveys from Cizik career services. |
| Source | nursing.uth.edu/stats; Cizik FNP page; Texas BON dashboard for RN verification. |
Is Cizik the Right Fit for You?
Cizik fits learners who want a health-science-center curriculum with rapid ABSN throughput, deep ties to the Texas Medical Center, and a research-heavy graduate school embedded inside UTHealth Houston.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Can relocate to Texas before the Pacesetter start and handle an intensive 15-month immersion.
- Thrive in high-volume acute-care rotations and want early clinical hours.
- Seek stacked MSN → DNP → post-graduate options without leaving the UTHealth ecosystem.
- Value transparent per-credit Bursar tables for budgeting residency vs. non-residency.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Need F-1 sponsorship for the accelerated BSN pathway (Cizik states it cannot sponsor).
- Prefer small private-college cohorts—Cizik intentionally scales (~130 Pacesetter seats per term).
- Want a traditional four-year on-campus BSN; Cizik’s flagship pre-licensure route is the accelerated Pacesetter model.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
The Texas Medical Center concentrates dozens of hospitals, specialty institutes, and research centers within miles of Cizik—supplying the complex cases referenced in Pacesetter marketing. Beyond TMC, Cizik sends students to safety-net clinics, suburban hospitals, and public-health agencies across Greater Houston; contracts rotate, so treat facility names as illustrative until you receive a clinical assignment letter.
| Setting | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Quaternary TMC campuses | Offers exposure to transplant, trauma, pediatrics, and specialty oncology services tied to major UTHealth Houston partner institutions. |
| Harris County safety net | Community rotations reinforce population-health competencies required in modern BSN curricula. |
| Suburban expansion | Growing counties (Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston corridor) provide ambulatory and chronic-care sites aligned with RN-to-BSN community projects. |
Student Experience & Campus Life
Cizik highlights the Simulation and Clinical Performance Laboratory, student organizations, tutoring (including donor-funded programs), and community camps such as IGNITE Nursing for pipeline outreach. Campus tours—virtual or in-person—show how the Cizik School of Nursing and Student Community Center integrates study space with simulation suites.
Expect commuter patterns: even “online-heavy” tracks still require periodic Houston immersion; budget for parking at TMC rates, ride-share, or transit passes, and anticipate irregular clinical shifts once practicum semesters begin.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Campus
- Houston, Texas — Texas Medical Center
- Address
- 6901 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, US
- Main phone
- 713-500-2100
- Enrollment coaches
- 713-500-2145 (number published on Cizik program pages)
- Registrar (application documents)
- 713-500-3361
- Bursar
- 713-500-3088
- Website
- nursing.uth.edu
Official links
Your “Next 7 Days” checklist
- Read the Pacesetter admission requirements and decide whether you will use the Pre-Nursing science sequence or external prerequisites.
- Create your NursingCAS / NCAS profile, request transcripts, and line up HESI A2 or TEAS if exams apply to your pathway.
- Download the 2026–2027 Cizik tuition table from the Bursar and add nursing-specific fees plus student-services charges.
- Compare Cizik’s 2024 NCLEX statistic with the Texas BON dashboard row for UTHealth Houston to understand any definitional differences.
- Shadow or tour: book a Cizik campus tour or watch the official virtual tour.
- For graduate tracks, confirm whether your specialty is on hold using the deadlines page before paying fees.
- Call 713-500-2145 with pathway-specific questions and document answers in your application journal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston CCNE-accredited?
Cizik reproduces CCNE disclosure language stating UTHealth Houston’s baccalaureate, master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate nursing programs are accredited by CCNE, with full contact data. Confirm effective dates and program coverage with CCNE and the school.
What NCLEX-RN pass rate does Cizik publish for undergraduates?
The “By the Numbers” page lists a 95.58% BSN first-time NCLEX pass rate for 2024. Cross-check the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard for Board-reported cohort data and confirm which pre-licensure plan you are evaluating.
Does the UTHealth Houston Pacesetter BSN require HESI or TEAS?
Yes, when prerequisites are completed at other colleges—submit HESI A2 or TEAS via NursingCAS using Cizik’s department codes. Completing Cizik Pre-Nursing sciences with required grades can waive entrance exams for direct Pacesetter admission.
What minimum GPAs does Cizik list for Pacesetter applicants?
3.00 on the full 60 prerequisite hours and 3.00 on science prerequisites. Cizik notes admitted cohorts typically exceed those floors—treat them as eligibility thresholds, not competitiveness guarantees.
Where do I find official Cizik tuition for 2026–2027?
Use the UTHealth Houston Bursar page “Cizik School of Nursing Tuition and Fees,” which lists per-credit totals for resident/non-resident undergraduate, graduate, and nurse-anesthesia tiers, then add required nursing fees.
Which MSN tracks does Cizik list on its deadlines page?
Cizik’s application deadlines hub advertises MSN study on the Family Nurse Practitioner track or the Nursing Leadership track, each with separate term deadlines.
Are any UTHealth Houston DNP tracks paused?
The same deadlines document flags admissions holds (for example, BSN-DNP Adult/Gerontology Primary Care NP since Fall 2023 and post-master’s Nursing Informatics since Spring 2025). Read the live page before applying.
Can international students use an F-1 visa for the Pacesetter BSN?
No—Cizik states Pacesetter students must reside in Texas before classes start and that the program does not sponsor F-1 visas. Explore other pathways or institutions if you need F-1 support for pre-licensure nursing.
How long is the RN-to-BSN pathway at Cizik?
Cizik advertises completion in as little as eight months with 31 credits, offering two-, three-, or five-semester plans depending on enrollment intensity.
What certification pass rates does Cizik report for nurse practitioner graduates?
The school statistics page cites a 94.89% first-time pass rate across nurse practitioner licensure exams in 2024, while the FNP page references about 96% first-time ANCC/AANPCB success for 2024 FNP graduates—different scopes; read both footnotes on the official pages.
References
- Cizik School of Nursing — homepagenursing.uth.edu
- Cizik — Pacesetter Accelerated BSNnursing.uth.edu/programs/bsn/pacesetter
- Cizik — Pacesetter admission requirements…/pacesetter/admission-requirements
- Cizik — RN-to-BSNnursing.uth.edu/programs/bsn/rn-bsn
- Cizik — Application deadlinesnursing.uth.edu/programs/application-deadlines
- Cizik — MSN overviewnursing.uth.edu/programs/msn
- Cizik — Nursing Leadership (MSN)…/msn/nursing-leadership
- Cizik — Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN/DNP context)…/bsn-to-dnp/family
- Cizik — BSN program outcomes…/bsn/bsn-outcomes
- Cizik — By the Numbers (statistics)nursing.uth.edu/stats
- UTHealth Houston — Cizik tuition & fees (Bursar)uth.edu/bursars/…/cizik-school-of-nursing
- UTHealth Houston — Nursing catalog (tuition overview)catalog.uth.edu/nursing/about/tuition-fees
- Texas Board of Nursing — Education Dashboardbon.texas.gov/education_school_resultsDashboard.asp.html
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)ncsbn.org
Editorial Standards & Review
About the author: Francesco Di Siena, RN, writes evidence-based nursing education guides for NurseOnShift.
Review: This page was reviewed by Araceli Collado, RN, for alignment of program names with Cizik/UTHealth Houston pages (Pacesetter, RN-BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD, post-graduate), tuition rows from the UTHealth Bursar Cizik schedules (2026–27), and NCLEX/APRN metrics as published on Cizik’s statistics and specialty pages plus Texas BON dashboard guidance.
Disclaimer: This page is for general reference only. It does not constitute professional, admissions, or financial advice. Requirements, deadlines, tuition, and policies change; always verify with the institution and the Texas Board of Nursing.
Published: April 1, 2026 · Last reviewed: April 1, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy