School of Nursing

[1] Purposes

The School of Nursing is committed to educating students at the baccalaureate and graduate level to address evolving health care needs and to advance the practice of nursing in an ever-changing society. Graduates of the baccalaureate program have the foundation for graduate study.

[2] Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Degree (BSN) Program

Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and is eligible to apply to take the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing examination (NCLEX-RN). The professional program requires a minimum of sixty credit hours during the last two years of the student’s degree studies. These hours includes classroom, clinical, simulated learning, and a variety of experiences in health care agencies, institutions, and communities in Central Arkansas.

Per state law, persons convicted of certain crimes will not be eligible to take the RN licensure examination. In addition, applicants for licensure must have a valid United States Social Security number. For more information and a list of crimes, refer to www.arsbn.org, Nurse Practice Act, chapter 3, § 17-87-312.

[2.1] Admission to the Pre-Licensure BSN Track

Admission is selective and competitive. Preference is given to University of Central Arkansas students with 30 hours completed in residence by the end of the Fall semester of application. Applications to the pre-licensure BSN program are due by November 1st for the following nursing cohort beginning Summer II. One class is admitted each year. Applications are available each October 1st and may be obtained at uca.edu/nursing

Sixty (60) credit hours must be completed prior to starting the nursing courses. Of the 60 hours, 45 credit hours must be completed by the end of the fall semester of application.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Nursing enter the Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1365 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit that completes their 1000-level math requirements.

Admission criteria include the following:

• Admission to UCA
• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite GPA (45 hours) of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite Science GPA of 2.5 or above.
• Completion of:
  WRTG 1310* and WRTG 1320*
  MATH 1365* or MATH 1390*
  CHEM 1402* or CHEM 1450*
  BIOL 1410* and BIOL 2410* or equivalent courses* (BIOL 2410 must be successfully completed by the end of the fall term of application)
  (Parts I and II must be completed at the same institution)
  PSYC 1300*
  BIOL 2411*
  NUTR 1300*
  FACS 2341* or PSYC 2370*
  MATH 2311* or PSCI 2312* or PSYC 2330* or CISA 2330* or SOC 2321*
  BIOL 4311*

Courses listed above must be complete with a minimum grade of a “C”.

• Lower Division Core:
  Diversity in World Cultures/Social Science option
  Lower Division Core: Diversity in Creative Works option
  Lower Division Core: Fine Art/Humanities option
  Lower Division Core: History/Government option
  Effective Communication: Oral Communication
  Electives – 5 credit hours

Courses marked with an asterisk (*), any two of the Lower Division Core (6 credit hours) courses, and 2 credit hours of elective make up the 45 hours of prerequisites required to apply except BIOL 4311 Pathophysiology, which is taken in the spring after application if the student is admitted into the BSN program or on the waitlist.

• 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.
• Submission of a complete application and other required documents within published deadlines

A more detailed list of criteria and information regarding the application review process should be obtained from the School of Nursing.

[2.2] Program of Study for the Pre-Licensure BSN

The baccalaureate program consists of 60 hours of pre-nursing/prerequisite courses and sixty hours of nursing credit hours. Courses in the professional major are sequentially planned. Each nursing course is usually offered only once each academic year.

[2.2.1] UCA Lower-Division Core and Related Major Requirements (60 hours)

[2.2.2.] Nursing Major and Upper-Division UCA Core Requirements (60 hours)

[2.3] BSN Post-Acceptance Requirements

Upon acceptance to the RN to BSN program candidates must:

1. Complete a criminal background check, as directed by the School of Nursing, with favorable results.
2. Complete a drug screen, as directed by the School of Nursing, with negative results.
3. Submit a verification of specified health requirements (see School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook for list of immunizations and other requirements).
4. Provide proof of health insurance coverage.

[3] RN to BSN

The RN-to-BSN track is for the Registered Nurse (RN) who is a graduate of any nationally accredited associate degree or hospital diploma program and seeks a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The UCA School of Nursing complies with the Arkansas Nursing Education Progression Model. Visit uca.edu/nursing or contact the School of Nursing for additional information about the RN-to-BSN track.

Students who have graduated with an associate degree in nursing from one of the Arkansas Community College Partners should refer to the transfer agreement for that college when determining the courses needed to be eligible for admission into the UCA Nursing program. (See uca.edu/2plus2/agreements/.)

[3.1] Admission to the RN-to-BSN Track

Admission is selective and competitive. Students applying to this track are admitted spring, summer, and fall. Requirements for admission to the RN-to-BSN track are the following:

1. Current unencumbered Arkansas RN license.
2. An associate degree or hospital diploma earned from a nationally accredited nursing program leading to RN licensure. (Graduates of non-accredited schools will be considered on an individual basis.)
3. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
4. Completion of the following non-nursing prerequisite courses (34 credit hours) with a minimum of “C”. If applicable, UCA courses below are accompanied by their Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) equivalent in brackets. Visit the ACTS website to determine course equivalents at other Arkansas institutions.
   • BIOL 1410 Human Anatomy & Physiology I [ACTS: BIOL2404]
   • BIOL 2410 Human Anatomy & Physiology II [ACTS: BIOL2414]
   • BIOL 2411 Microbiology in Human Affairs [ACTS: BIOL2004]
   • CHEM 1402 General Chemistry for Health Sciences [ACTS: CHEM1214] or CHEM 2450 Introduction to Organic & Biochemistry [ACTS: CHEM1224] or CHEM 1450 College Chemistry I [ACTS: CHEM1414] or CHEM 1451 College Chemistry II [CHEM1424]
   • MATH 1390 College Algebra [ACTS: MATH1103]
   • MATH 2311 Elementary Statistics [ACTS: MATH2103] or UCA equivalent (PSYC 2330, QMTH 2330, SOC 2321, or PSCI 2312). This course can be considered as a non-nursing prerequisite or a co-requisite course.
   • PSYC 1300 General Psychology [ACTS: PSYC1103]
   • PSYC 2370 Development Psychology [ACTS: PSYC2103] or FACS 2341 Lifespan Development. This course can be considered as a non-nursing prerequisite or a co-requisite course.
   • WRTG 1310 Introduction to College Writing [ACTS: ENGL1013] or HONC 1310 Honors Core I
   • WRTG 1320 Academic Writing & Research [ACTS: ENGL1023] or ENGL 1320 Interdisciplinary Writing & Research [ACTS: ENGL1023] or HONC 1320 Honors Core II
5. Completion of any remaining state minimum core requirements or UCA Lower Division Core with a minimum of a “D”.
   • 6 credit hours of Fine Arts and/or Humanities courses (see the current lower-division UCA Core check sheet for qualifying courses and ACTS equivalents: check sheet link)
   • 3-credit-hour Social Science course besides PSYC 1300 General Psychology (see the current lower-division UCA Core check sheet for qualifying courses and ACTS equivalents: check sheet link)
   • HIST 2301 The Making of America [ACTS: HIST2113] or HIST 2302 America in the Modern Era [ACTS: HIST2123] or PSCI 1330 US Government & Politics [ACTS: PLSC2003]
   • COMM 1300 Principles of Communication [ACTS: SPCH1003] or UCA equivalent (MGMT 2301 or MKTG 2376)
6. At least 1000 hours of nursing employment during the past 12 months if the associate degree or hospital diploma was earned from a nationally accredited program more than twelve months prior to admission. No work experience is required if the associate degree or hospital diploma was earned from a nationally accredited program in the past 12 months. Graduates of non-accredited programs are handled on an individual basis.
7. Admission to UCA

[3.2] RN-to-BSN Requirements

Qualified RNs receive 41 hours of BSN nursing credit based on their prior educational program. Credit will be placed on the student’s transcript for the following courses after all other RN-BSN requirements have been met (see below). Students do not enroll in or pay tuition for these courses.

Once admitted, students will need to complete 12 months of online courses (30 credit hours). The RN-to-BSN track is offered totally online. To be awarded the BSN degree from UCA, the RN-to-BSN student must complete the following required nursing courses.

Capstone (Z) requirement of the Upper Division (UD) Core is assumed as met by prior learning assessment (PLA) and the students’ clinical work experience as registered nurses.

NURS 4511 and NURS 4516 clinical practicum experiences can be done in or near the student’s home community.

[3.3] RN to BSN Post-Acceptance Requirements

Upon acceptance to the RN to BSN program candidates must:

1. Complete a criminal background check, as directed by the School of Nursing, with favorable results.
2. Complete a drug screen, as directed by the School of Nursing, with negative results.
3. Submit a verification of specified health requirements (see School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook for list of immunizations and other requirements).
4. Provide proof of health insurance coverage.

[4] Honors in Nursing

Students who major in Nursing and who demonstrate exceptional ability may be invited to enter the Honors in the Major Program. For details, see Honors in the Major Program.

[5] Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

See Graduate Bulletin.

[6] Accreditation Status

The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs are approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. The baccalaureate, master’s, post-master’s certificate, and DNP programs in nursing at UCA are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791, www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE.

[7] School of Nursing Policies

The current editions of the UCA Student Handbook and the Nursing Student Handbook: Baccalaureate Program specify the rules, regulations, and policies that apply to all UCA undergraduate nursing students. It is the responsibility of the student to know and follow the most recent policies and procedures.

[8] Courses in Nursing (NURS)

Follow this link for NURS course descriptions: course link.