School of Nursing

The School of Nursing is a community of professional educators and practitioners dedicated to the preparation of students who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to work with and care for adult patients on the healthcare continuum. The focus is in the research, teaching and integration of adult, family, and community health issues into the body of knowledge that prepares undergraduate and graduate students for the health care workforce. Faculty value the integration of current theory, research, innovative teaching and learning strategies and professional expertise from multiple disciplines and perspectives both within and outside the College of Health and Human Services to inform the practice of new graduates to reach their potential. The school provides opportunities for students to develop as leaders in the practical discipline of nursing and clinical research to advocate for diverse patients and families regionally, nationally and globally. The school plans, develops, implements and coordinates state-of-the-art learning technology available to support all programs and collaboration with community partners. The school supports the programs in clinical research as they impact the health of family and communities in biopharmaceutical research and product development.

The School of Nursing offers two programs leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree: one with a major in nursing and a RN to BSN option. There is also a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in clinical research. The Clinical Research degree is not a nursing degree. It prepares students for the science, operations, and business of conducting human clinical studies to inform health care, lifestyle factors, and for the regulatory approval of new drugs, biologics, and devices.

Requirements for Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Programs in the School of Nursing:

1. Admission to the University of North Carolina Wilmington as a degree-seeking student.

2. Meeting admission criteria in nursing or clinical research.

3. Recommendation of the Admission and Progression Committee of the School of Nursing.

4. Approval of the nursing or clinical research faculties, as appropriate, and director.

Time Limits: Nursing and clinical research courses must be completed within a consecutive six-calendar-year period of time.

Ten-Year Rule: Applicants will have had to take all science and math pre-requisites within the past 10 years prior to application. Only the math/science pre-requisites are affected by this rule. The ten-year rule does not apply to students in the RN-BSN option who have current work experience as a registered nurse or students in the Clinical Research option who have current work experience in the clinical research field.

The curricula in the School of Nursing are subject to review and change based on the evolving health care delivery system.

Special Requirements for the B.S.N. degree in the School of Nursing

• Current immunization record CPR certification
• Professional liability insurance
• Negative drug screen
• Cleared criminal background check
• Seasonal flu vaccine

Course practice experiences will determine if these requirements are applicable to students enrolled in the RN-BSN nursing program.

Accreditation

The B.S. with a major in Nursing in the School of Nursing is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.

Requirements for Admission to the Bachelor of Science Programs in the School of Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

PreLicensure Option:
Students who declare Pre-Nursing are not automatically admitted to the nursing program. Students are admitted to the nursing program twice a year. Decisions on admission are made by the School of Nursing in the spring for fall admission and in the fall for spring admission. The application deadline for fall admission is December 15th and the application deadline for spring admission is July 1st. Admission is highly competitive and not all applicants who meet the minimum criteria for admission can be accommodated. The School of Nursing offers admission to applicants whose credentials present the best qualifications among those meeting the minimum requirements.

Minimum Requirements for Admission to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

1. Admission to the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
2. Declared a Pre-Nursing student.
3. A 2.70 total GPA is required for evaluation of a student’s transcript by the School of Nursing. Each student’s total GPA, including the fall semester/quarter grades of application year, is calculated on all transferable college courses attempted at all accredited institutions of higher education according to the guidelines in use by the UNCW Admissions Office.
4. Complete a minimum of CHM 101 and CHML 101 , one biology course (BIO 201 , BIO 240 , BIO 241 , or BIO 246 ), one math or statistic course MAT 101 or higher except MAT 141 or STT 210 , STT 215 , PSY 105 and SOC 105 , ECN 125 , or ECN 221 . In total, you must have a minimum of five of these courses completed in order to apply. At least one course in each category (Math/Science and Designated Prerequisites) must be completed for a grade in order to be evaluated for admission potential.
5. Minimum grade of “C” in all required prerequisite and corequisites (* corequisites can be completed concurrently with the first semester courses of the nursing program, NSG 250 and NSG 252). Completion of all the required prerequisites prior to start of first semester courses in the major: by August for admission to the fall cohort, and by December for the spring cohort.

• CHM 101and CHML 101 - General Chemistry with Lab
• BIO 201 - Principles of Biology - Cells with Lab
• BIO 240 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
• BIO 241* - Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
• BIO 246 - Microbiology of Human Disease
• MAT 111 - College Algebra or MAT 112, MAT 151, MAT 161
• PSY 105 - General Psychology
• PSY 223 - Lifespan Human Development
• SOC 105 - Introduction to Sociology, or ECN 125 - Survey of Economics, or ECN 221 - Principles of Economics
• PAR 101 - Philosophical Thinking, or PAR 115 - Introduction to Ethics, or PAR 205 - American Philosophy, or PAR 215 - Bioethics
• STT 210* - Introduction to Statistics with Applications in the Health Sciences, or STT 215 - Introduction to Statistics, or other related statistics.

1. Completion of TEAS Assessment (pre-admission test subject to change): The TEAS Assessment can be taken only one time during the testing administration period preceding application. Details regarding the pre-admission test are available at www.uncw.edu/son/prospective.html. The scores on the TEAS Assessment will be used to determine admission.
2. Physical and emotional health that enables a student to participate in and complete the program.
3. A cleared Criminal Background Check.

RN-BSN Option:

1. Admission to the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
2. Graduation from an Associate Degree in Nursing or Diploma Registered Nurse Program.
3. A current unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina or the state in which students will do their clinical coursework.
4. A 2.4 overall GPA is required by the School of Nursing. Each student’s total GPA is calculated on all transferable college courses attempted at all accredited institutions of higher education according to the guidelines in use by the UNCW Admissions Office..

Bachelor of Science in Clinical Research (CLR)

To be formally admitted to the Bachelor of Science with a major in clinical research program, a student must complete a program admissions application and meet all admission requirements. For more information about admission requirements and application deadlines, please contact the College of Health and Human Services Office of Student Success (910-962-3208 or chhs@uncw.edu).