Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Admission Requirements

Available to students who do not possess an RN license is the prelicensure BSN track. Prerequisites must be met before enrollment. For more information about the track descriptions, please visit our Curriculum and Course Description page.

I. Minimum Admission Qualifications:

• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite GPA (45 hours) of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite Science GPA of 2.5 or above.
• A grade of “C” or above for all nursing prerequisite credit hours.
• BIOL 2410 Human Anatomy & Physiology must be successfully completed (C or better grade) by the end of the Fall term of application.

Prerequisites — Prelicensure BSN Track
45 credit hours

• BIOL 1410 Human Anatomy & Physiology
• BIOL 2410 Human Anatomy & Physiology II*
• BIOL 2411 Microbiology
• CHEM 1402 General Chemistry for Health Sciences**
• MATH 1390 College Algebra
• MATH 2311 Elementary Statistics
• FACS 2341 Lifespan Development
• NUTR 1300 Foundations of Nutrition
• PSYC 1300 General Psychology
• WRTG 1310 Intro. To College Writing
• WRTG 1320 Academic Writing
• 6 Credit Hours UCA CORE Diversity in World Cultures (Social Science only)*** or Fine Arts/Humanities or Diversity/Creative Works or American History/Government orCommunication
• 2 Elective Credit Hours

*Note: Students must take BIOL 1410 and 2410 at the same institution. Students may substitute BIOL 2406 and 2407 or 3406 and 3407 for BIOL 1410 and 2410, but both courses must be taken at the same institution as well.

**Note: CHEM 1402 is recommended for nursing majors, but CHEM 1450 meets nursing requirement.

***Note: Diversity in World Cultures Social Science Courses: ANTH 1302, ECON 2310, GEOG 1300, GEOG 1320, HIST 1310, HIST 1320, HIST 1375 FYS, LING 1310. Choose one only.

• Applicants not born in the United States or in a country where English is the official language must document their English proficiency. An official score of 83 or higher on the iBT TOEFL exam is required. The exam must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years. Only iBT TOEFL scores received directly from ETS or the UCA Testing Center will be accepted as valid.
• Presentation of a complete application within published deadlines.
• Applicants who have been admitted to and currently attend, or previously attended another nursing school:

1. a) submit a letter from the school that includes a statement regarding the student’s standing, and
   b) provide an official transcript from the previous school.
2. An applicant who has been dismissed from a previous nursing program or is not in good standing, will not be considered for admission to the prelicensure BSN track.
3. Admission to the prelicensure BSN track will not be considered for anyone who has earned a “D”, “F”, “WF”, or “NC”, in any two nursing courses in a previously attended nursing school.
4. Applicants who hold a current RN license are eligible for consideration for admission into the RN to BSN degree track.

II. Ranking criteria is based on GPA, course deficits, and UCA student status:

• Applications are ranked according to GPA and deficits (prerequisite courses which are not complete by the end of the Fall semester).

1. Students with higher GPAs will receive more points than those with lower GPAs. Grades received for courses taken concurrently in high school will be counted in the GPA calculations for admission into the BSN major.
2. Course deficits (those prerequisites not completed by the end of the fall semester of application) can significantly impact the chances for admission into the nursing major. Please note: BIOL 2410 must be successfully completed in or before the fall term of application.
3. Preference is given to UCA students. To be considered a UCA student, students must have 30 hours completed at UCA or taken concurrently in high school or a combination of both. Transfer students are also considered and ranked in the admission process.

• Application and Review Process:
  • Applications are accepted once a year for Summer II admission.
  • Applications are reviewed after final Fall grades are reported.
  • Applicants are notified of their admission status by email of their conditional admission status before spring term begins.
  • Decisions regarding admission are NOT given out over the phone.
  • If conditionally admitted, the remainder of the non nursing classes must be successfully completed in the Spring term to be eligible to continue in the BSN program in the Summer.
  • Applicants who feel they were treated differently from other candidates in admissions decisions are to contact the Director of the UCA School of Nursing (501-450-3119) for information about the appeals process.
  • All appeals begin with the School of Nursing and must be filed within 10 business days of admission notification.