University of Central Arkansas BSN Nursing Reviews

Nursing program

• There are two tracks available to students that do not hold a Registered Nurse (RN) license– the generic/traditional BSN track as well as the LPN to BSN The generic/traditional BSN track is for those pupils that do no hold any nursing license.
• For those students that are currently a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) that are enthusiastic about obtaining an RN license and also getting their BSN, they may sign up to the LPN to BSN track. Both tracks have pre-requisites that must be satisfied before enrollment.

About the school

• The University of Central Arkansas is a public research institution in Conway, Arkansas. The school was established in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School; the institution is one of the most ancient in Arkansas, USA.
• The university comprises six colleges: the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Business, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Liberal Arts, and also the College of Education.

Total estimated cost of attendance is approximate $20,560

Following are the minimum requirements for BSN Nursing Program. Minimum admission standards include:

Applications are available by January 15 and due by March 1

• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.
• A grade of “C” or above for all nursing prerequisite credit hours.

Prerequisites — Traditional (without RN or with an LPN) 30 credit hours

• BIOL 1410 Human Anatomy & Physiology I PSYC 1300 General Psychology
• BIOL 2410 Human Anatomy & Physiology II*    UCA CORE   Diversity in World Cultures – Social Science ONLY***
• CHEM 1402 General Chemistry for Health Sciences WRTG 1310 Intro. to College Writing
• MATH 1390 College Algebra WRTG 1320 Academic Writing
• UCA CORE Fine Arts/Humanities or Diversity/Creative Works or American History/Government

*Note:  Students must take BIOL 1410 and 2410 at the same institution. Students may substitute BIOL 2406 and 2407 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, LING 1310. Choose one only.

For transfer guidelines and equivalency see Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) and/or the UCA’s Registrar Office.

• 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.
• A $50 non-refundable application fee.

1. Ranking criteria for qualified students who meet the admission criteria:

• Applications are ranked according to GPA and deficits (prerequisite courses which are not complete by the end of the spring semester).
• Overall GPA, Prerequisite GPA, and UCA Cumulative GPA are calculated and the higher of the three is used for ranking purposes.
• While GPA is important, deficits can significantly impact one’s chances for admission to the nursing major.
• Preference is given to UCA pre-nursing students who meet admission requirements (any student who has completed 12 or more credit hours at UCA and declared pre-nursing major).
• Preference is given to students who complete science courses at UCA; or via CLEP, AP, HS-CC; or as a post-BACC.
• Transfer students are also considered and ranked in the admission process.

         Application and Review Process:

• Applications are accepted once a year (March 1st deadline) for fall admission.
• Applications are reviewed after final spring grades are reported.
• Applicants are notified of their admission status by email or by letter in late May.
• Decisions regarding admission are NOT given out over the phone.
• 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.

RN TO BSN ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission is selective and competitive. Requirements for the nursing major are:

• Minimum GPA of 2.75.
• Completion of specified required non-nursing courses with a GPA of 2.5 or above (53 hours) and completion of remaining general education courses (21 hours) with at least a “D”. Applicants lacking 1 or 2 pre-reqs may be considered for admission with approval.
• Complete Nursing Application for Admission.
• Current unencumbered Arkansas RN license.
• Graduate of an NLNAC accredited nursing program leading to RN licensure. Graduates of non-NLN accredited schools will be considered on an individual basis.
• Work experience as specified by the articulation standards, see below.
• Admission to UCA. The University application form is available on-line at http://www.uca.edu/admissions

Contact:

Address: 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, AR 72035

Phone: 501-450-5000

Website: http://uca.edu/