Important — All application materials and official transcripts must be received by the College of Nursing Admissions Office by March 1 of the year the student plans to enter the BSN program.
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program applicants are required to have obtained an undergraduate degree or higher.
Applications for fall 2024 admission to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program will open on October 1. This applies to both the accelerated and traditional degree programs.
Prerequisites
Applicants must complete 58 semester hours of general prerequisite education courses prior to admission. All general education prerequisites must be completed prior to the entry date each year and may be completed at any regionally accredited higher education institution. See the Prerequisites page for more information.
GPA
- All applicants, including those with a previous baccalaureate or higher degree, must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale with a grade of “C” or better in all College of Nursing general education prerequisite courses AND a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale, including those with a previous baccalaureate or higher degree, on all completed college/university coursework.
- Entering prerequisite GPA is calculated using every general education prerequisite course grade excluding elective hours.
- Grade replacement policy is in effect for entering prerequisite GPA calculation only. To replace a grade, the number of hours must be equal, and the course content must be equal. (In the case of repeated courses, only the last grade will be used to calculate the GPA.)
Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essentials Academic Skills
- Applicants must complete and successfully pass the Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essentials Academic Skills. This exam must be completed at the applicant’s personal expense prior to March 1 of the year of application and an official score report from www.ATITesting.com must be submitted by the application deadline.
- Minimum adjusted individual total score must be 65% or greater (rounding does not apply) to be considered for admission. NOTE that applicants to either the BSN or the A-BSN programs who receive an ATI TEAS score between 60% and 65% (without rounding) may be considered for admission, depending on the quality of their other application materials; this applies ONLY to the 2024-2025 application cohort.
- Students must have completed the exam within two (2) years prior to the application date with the highest exam score considered for application purposes. Scores older than two (2) years will not be considered. (Licensed RNs returning for a BSN degree are exempt from this test.)
- You can find UAMS test dates for the Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essentials Academic Skills here.
TOEFL
- If you were not born in the U.S. or in a country where English is the official language, then an official TOEFL score of a minimum score of 20 in each section of the iBT, is required.
- The test must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years of admission.
- Official TOEFL exam score report reflecting successful completion must be received no later than one (1) month after the application deadline date. Only TOEFL test scores received directly from ETS will be accepted as valid.
- Testing information is available at https://www.ets.org/toefl.
- If the applicant’s entire educational experience has been in the United States, the applicant does not have to take the TOEFL. To document this, the applicant must provide records/transcripts from the time that the applicant entered school in the seventh grade through high school and college. If the applicant cannot provide this documentation, the applicant may appeal first to the College of Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee and then to the College of Nursing Dean.
Transcripts
Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) of course work from ALL institutions attended should be forwarded to the College of Nursing, Director of Student Services, for review. Upon request, an accompanying catalog for the years covered by the transcript may be requested before evaluation can take place.
Mail all transcripts to:
UAMS College of Nursing
Student Service Office
4301 W. Markham, Slot 529
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Electronic transcripts sent directly to the College of Nursing are considered official.
Evaluation of Foreign Transcripts – If the degree was earned outside of the United States, the applicant must have all international transcripts evaluated by a credentialing entity that is a member of NACES (The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) naces.org (e.g., www.wes.org or www.ece.org). The evaluation must include proof of the equivalency of a United States degree and an equivalent GPA that is based on a 4.0 grading system.
Applicants who have previously attended a nursing school or another school of a health profession must have a letter submitted from that school that includes a statement regarding the student’s standing at the previous school or provide an official transcript reflecting successful completion.
An applicant who has been dismissed previously from a program or is not in good standing will not be considered for admission. Admission will not be considered for anyone who earned an “NC”, “D”, “F” or a “WF” in any two nursing courses, unless they are currently a licensed registered nurse.
Online Application
All prospective students must complete the online application. It is highly recommended that you read the application FAQs before starting the online application.
Note: Students must have evidence of TB skin test, completed Hepatitis B series, and current CPR certification on file with the College of Nursing before registering for any course.
Request to Transfer From Another Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
Students who want to request a transfer from another BSN program have a special process to follow. Please see the admission requirements for more information.
RN-to-BSN
If you are already a registered nurse (RN), please navigate to our RN to BSN Accelerated program below for more information.
Request for Re-Entry
The Returning Student Application is required for students who have previously withdrawn from a degree-seeking program and are seeking approval to return to a UAMS College of Nursing program to complete the degree. (MNSc students who have not enrolled in College of Nursing courses for two or more semesters are required to submit this request.)