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College of Nursing

MNSc Admissions Requirements

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Important Information

All application materials and official transcripts must be received by the College of Nursing Admissions office by March 1.

Students are given a tentative admission status, that is, those not having met all admission prerequisites such as completion of the BSN degree, current licensure, health assessment, or statistics course may not register for graduate nursing courses until the tentative status is removed. Preference will be given to Arkansas residents.

Requirements

Applicants for graduate study in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences–College of Nursing must meet the following requirements:

License

  • Provide evidence of an unencumbered Arkansas or unencumbered compact state RN license. All UAMS College of Nursing (CON) students who are or have been licensed as a nurse (LPN, RN, RNP, APN, etc.) must maintain that nursing license “in good standing” with the appropriate State Board of Nursing throughout their enrollment in the College of Nursing.

Prerequisites

  • A course in basic statistics must have a letter grade of “C” or better.
  • Provide evidence of an academic (3 credit hours) or an ANCC-COA continuing education approved health assessment course. 

GPA

  • Hold a GPA of 2.85 or above (on a 4-point scale) for regular admission. Students with less than a 2.85 GPA may be considered for conditional admission. However, the grade replacement policy is in effect. To replace a grade, the number of hours must be equal and course content must be equal. (In the case of repeated courses, only the last grade will be used to calculate the entering GPA.)
  • Admission of conditional applicants, those with a GPA of 2.5 – 2.84, maybe contingent based on an interview and the availability of resources and program space. (Students with less than a 2.5 GPA will not be considered for admission.)
  • Admission to the Master of Nursing Science program is competitive and will be ranked by the GPA calculated from the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.  An individual interview and essay may also be a part of the admissions process.  The selection of participants is based on space and the availability of resources. The highest GPA and interview scores are given priority consideration.

Transcripts and Letter

  • Provide official transcripts from any and all colleges and universities attended.
    • Important Note about electronic transcripts: UAMS can only accept electronic official transcripts from eScrip-Safe.  If sending an electronic official transcript to our office, please check to make sure your host institution sends it through the eScrip-Safe network before ordering an electronic official transcript.
      • Mail to:
        UAMS College of Nursing
        Student Services Office
        4301 W. Markham Street, Slot 529
        Little Rock, AR 72205
  • Present proof of earned baccalaureate degree in nursing from a NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program.
  • 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) www.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 attended a previous graduate nursing school or another health-related profession school must have a letter submitted from that school that includes a statement regarding the student’s standing at the previous school. Applicants who have been previously dismissed from a program or who are not in good standing will not be considered for admission. Admission will not be considered for anyone who earned a “NC”, or ”C” in any two graduate nursing courses or a “D”, “F”, or “WF” in any graduate nursing course.

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/test-takers/

Online Application

Notes (for after possible acceptance):

  • A graduate student must show proof of 2000 hours of work experience as an RN before registering for advanced health assessment, all clinical specialty, or nursing administration practicum courses.
  • Students will be charged a fee for liability insurance.
  • A student must show proof of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate when registering.
  • Proof of current TB test and completed Hepatitis B immunization series is also required when registering.
  • A standardized entrance exam is NOT required for entry (GRE/MAT).

Additional UAMS Services

Students have the responsibility to self-identify as a person with a disability with a need for accommodation(s).

  1. Students should submit all requests for adjustments, including auxiliary aids, to the ADA / Disability Services Coordinator. It is recommended that students thoroughly review technical standards, course descriptions, and the applicable syllabus to determine if accommodations may be needed
  2. Students should review the Disability Services webpage for specific guidance related to the accommodation process and for the link to apply for accommodations.
  3. Upon receipt of the request and any associated documentation, the ADA Coordinator will contact the student to schedule an interview.

UAMS supports veterans, guardsmen, reservists, spouses, and dependents as they transition to university life and pursue academic success.

  1. The Office of the University Registrar collaborates with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to support military education benefits.
  2. For questions about VA benefits, contact David E. Williams, an experienced VA/Military Education Benefits specialist, at vaservices@uams.edu or dewilliams@uams.edu, or visit the Registrar’s Office in CHP Building 2, Suite 100.
  3. Website: https://registrar.uams.edu/veteran-services/