Nursing Program FAQs

No, prerequisite courses are not required to be completed at the time of application. However, applicants must be enrolled in any unfinished prerequisites or have them in progress at the time of application to be considered eligible. Applicants are encouraged to have as many prerequisites completed as possible prior to the application deadline. Prior to starting junior-level (3000+) nursing coursework, all prerequisites must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.

For courses taken in Oklahoma, you can check the transfer equivalency using the OK Higher Ed Course Transfer Module.

If your courses aren’t listed or are from outside Oklahoma, please contact the pre-nursing advisor to check transfers.

You are required to complete all listed general education prerequisites (Speech, American History, American Federal Government, Two Humanities Courses, Global Study, Elective). These prerequisites are only waived if you have earned one of the following degrees from an Oklahoma college or university: associate in art, associate in science, or bachelor’s degree. An associate in applied science does not waive any requirements.

Please refer to the BSN Degree Sheet (RSU bulletin) for all classes accepted for the humanities, global study, and general education elective requirements. Your courses may meet different requirements at other colleges.

Certain biology prerequisites (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology) must be completed within the past 10 years (based on program start date). If your biology courses are outdated, contact the pre-nursing advisor to discuss your program eligibility. There is no time limit or expiration on the other prerequisite courses.

You are only required to submit high school transcripts if you need documentation of your ACT scores for the reading score requirement. The Office of Admissions may require a high school transcript when you apply for general admission to RSU.

If English is not your first language, you were born outside the United States (including naturalized U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and international applicants), or you were born in a U.S. territory where English is not the first language, you are required to demonstrate English language proficiency when applying to the BSN program in one of the following ways:

• Duolingo English Test score of 107
• TOEFL score of 85 (TOEFL iBT) with a speaking sub-score of 26
• High school transcript from one of the following countries: Anguilla; Antigua & Barbuda; Australia; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize (British Honduras); Bermuda; British Virgin Islands; Canada (except Quebec); Channel Islands; Dominica; Falkland Island; Grenada; Guam (U.S. Citizens); Guemsey; Guyana (not Ghana in Africa); Ireland; Jamaica; Jersey; Mauritius; Montserray; New Zealand; St. Kitts and Nevis (St. Christopher and Nevis); St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; South Africa; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland); U.S. Virgin Islands.

All applicants are required to submit a reading score to be eligible for the program, even if you have an associates degree or have completed developmental/remedial coursework in reading. This requirement is only waived if you have completed a bachelor’s degree. Reading scores will be accepted from the following exams: ACT, Accuplacer, Next-Gen, Nelson-Denny, or ATI TEAS. See the minimum required score for each exam under Admission Requirements.

No, CNA licensure is not required to be eligible for the BSN program. However, applicants are encouraged to explore and gain personal experience in the nursing field before applying.

You are required to take Intro to Nursing (NURS 2112) at RSU before starting the BSN program. It’s recommended that you are enrolled in the course when you submit your application. If you are a transfer student applying for fall admission, you will have the option of taking Intro to Nursing the summer semester prior, but we recommend taking it in the spring semester if possible.

Yes, you must submit an application for general admission to RSU before submitting an application for the BSN program. You will be asked for your RSU student ID number on the BSN program application.

You are eligible for the BSN program if you haven’t completed all prerequisite coursework. You must be currently enrolled in any courses you haven’t completed when you submit your application. All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring semester for fall program entrance, or at the end of the fall semester for spring program entrance. You are responsible for submitting updated transcripts if you are attending an institution other than RSU.

You will need to attach an unofficial transcript or copy of your transcript if you have attended or are currently enrolled at any college other than RSU.

If you have completed a previous degree, make sure the transcript you submit shows your degree as completed with the date it was conferred. If you will be completing a degree by the end of the semester in which you are applying, you must provide proof of intended graduation. If you are not an RSU student, you must provide a letter from your academic advisor confirming when you intend to graduate. Current RSU students may attach a copy of their graduation application.

As a courtesy, you may be contacted by email if you are missing documentation or other information. Please make sure your email is correct on your application.

You cannot make changes to your application once you submit it. If you need to make changes or submit extra documentation, please send changes or documents to the pre-nursing advisor or the records specialist.

All applicants are required to submit a reading score. Otherwise, there are no entrance exams required for Traditional BSN applicants.

Bridge applicants (LPNs or Paramedics) are required to take a standardized nursing placement exam, which can be scheduled with RSU Health Sciences once an application is submitted.

Recommendation letters, work experience, and shadow hours are not required. Any submitted letters or resumes will not be reviewed in the BSN admission process.

Criteria used for ranking BSN applicants.

Applicants are encouraged to focus on the following:

• Completion of prerequisites in a timely manner. Applicants are encouraged to have as many prerequisites completed as possible at the time of application.
• Higher academic performance in the following prerequisite courses: General Cellular Biology (Introductory Biology for majors), Human Anatomy, Chemistry, Statistics, Developmental Psychology, Nutrition, Intro. to Nursing, Introduction to Psychology, Composition I, Microbiology, and Physiology.
• Maintain a strong prerequisite GPA - cumulative GPA is not reviewed in the admission process.
• Consider completing an associates degree before applying.

If you have retaken courses, only your most recent grade will be considered in the admission process, even if your most recent grade is not your highest grade earned for that course. Any prerequisite with a grade of ‘P’ will be considered a grade of ‘C’ for ranking purposes and prerequisite GPA calculation - this includes ‘P’ grades earned from AP or CLEP credit.

The exact number of admission seats can vary each year, and the spring cohort will be slightly smaller than the fall cohort. The spring and fall cohorts total around 100 students admitted each year. Additionally, some applicants are placed on an alternate list and may be accepted into the program if a seat opens before the semester starts.

Previous applications to the BSN program are not considered in the admission process, and applicants are encouraged to apply for the next admission cycle if they aren’t accepted. Many applicants are stronger candidates the second time applying since they have finished more prerequisites and have a stronger prerequisite GPA.

After you submit your application, you should receive an email from [email protected] confirming your application has been received. You can also log back into Dynamic Forms and view your application status.

Letters will be mailed to every applicant, whether or not they have been accepted. Letters will typically be mailed in March for fall entrance and in August for spring entrance. Bridge applicants will be notified in October.