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BSN Admissions

The College offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with two (2) tracks, an accelerated BSN (ABSN) and traditional BSN (TBSN). The ABSN track is for second degree students and is designed to be completed in one (1) calendar year on a full-time basis. The TBSN track is for transfer students and is designed to be completed in four (4) semesters on a full-time basis.

The College utilizes the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) for Nursing Students for admission. This test measures basic essential skills in the academic content area domains of reading, math, science, and English and language usage. It is designed to provide an assessment of a student’s overall academic preparedness for nursing related content. To register for the ATI TEAS® for Nursing Students, go to www.atitesting.com. The test must be taken within 24 months of the student’s anticipated start date.

ABSN Track

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university are eligible to apply for admission using NursingCas. For questions related to NursingCAS, please contact NursingCAS support directly by phone at 617-612-2880 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern or by email at NursingCasSupport.

Applications will be open September 1 through December 31. Admission decisions are made beginning November 1 and will continue on a rolling basis until the class is filled.

Requirements for admission to the ABSN track include

  1. 3.0 cumulative college GPA, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level
  4. Non-nursing Bachelor’s degree

Or

  1. 2.8 cumulative college GPA with a B- or better in Anatomy & Physiology, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level
  4. Non-nursing Bachelor’s degree

ABSN Track - Applicants with Nursing Credits

Applicants who have nursing credit from another college or university must follow the admission process for Transfer Students and submit a letter from the previous nursing program’s administrator (Dean, Chair, or Director) that indicates the student is “in good standing” and eligible to return, or explains why the student is not eligible to return.

If an applicant was not successful they should focus their essay on why they were not successful and what changes they have made.

TBSN Track - Early Admission

High school students may apply for Early Admission.

Requirements for early admission to the TBSN track include

  1. American College Testing (ACT) Composite score of > 22, and
  2. 3.0 High School Grade Point Average (GPA)

Or

  1. American College Testing (ACT) Composite score of 21, and
  2. 3.2 High School Grade Point Average (GPA)

To enroll in the BSN program, Early Admission students must have:

  1. 3.0 cumulative college GPA, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level
  4. Application made to Nursing CAS

Or

  1. 2.8 cumulative college GPA with a B- or better in Anatomy & Physiology, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level
  4. Application made to Nursing CAS

TBSN Track - Transfer Students

Transfer students may apply using NursingCas. For questions related to NursingCAS, please contact NursingCAS support directly by phone at 617-612-2880 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern or by email at NursingCasSupport.

Applications will be open September 1 through February 1. Admission decisions are made beginning November 1 and will continue on a rolling basis until the class is filled.

Requirements for admission to the TBSN track include

  1. 3.0 cumulative college GPA, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level

Or

  1. 2.8 cumulative college GPA with a B- or better in Anatomy & Physiology, and
  2. Completion of pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better
  3. ATI TEAS® minimum score of Proficient Academic Preparedness Level

TBSN Track – Applicants with Nursing Credits

Applicants who have nursing credit from another college or university must follow the admission process for Transfer Students and submit a letter from the previous nursing program’s administrator (Dean, Chair, or Director) that indicates the student is “in good standing” and eligible to return, or explains why the student is not eligible to return.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

Upon admission, students must complete a criminal background check and drug screen. The College reserves the right to revoke admission based on an adverse criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The databases included in the criminal background check include:

  • Missouri Highway Patrol Criminal Background Check (included in the MO FCSR check)
  • Kansas Criminal Background Check (included in KBI search)
  • Other State Criminal Background Check (included in OmniSearch Plus for 7 years)
  • Kansas Department of Health and Environment (included in Global Screen)
  • Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (included in Global Screen)
  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Employee Disqualification List (included in MO FCSR check)
  • Missouri Department of Mental Health Disqualification Registry Report (included in MO FCSR check)
  • Office of the Inspector General (included in Healthcare Sanctions Registry)
  • General Services Administration/Excluded Parties List System (included in Healthcare Sanctions Registry)
  • Missouri Sex Offender Registry (included in MO FCSR check)
  • Kansas Bureau of Investigation Registered Sex Offenders List (included in Multi-State Sex Offender Registry)
  • Other State or National Sex Offender List (included in Multi-State Sex Offender Registry)
  • Name, Social Security Number and Address Verification (included in OmniSearch Plus for 7 years)
  • United States Treasury — SDN and Blocked Persons List Website (included in Global Search)

The drugs included in the drug screen include:

  • Amphetamines
  • Barbiturates
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Cocaine Metabolites
  • Marijuana Metabolites*
  • Methadone
  • MDA (SASS)
  • MDA (Ecstasy)
  • Opiates
  • Phencyclidine
  • Propoxyphene
  • Methaqualone
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxymorphone

*A positive drug screen for marijuana will be considered a failed drug screen, even if the marijuana is being used for medical purposes.

Transfer Credits

The College accepts transfer credits* under the following guidelines:

  1. Grade of B or better for MSN program; grade of C or better for BSN program
  2. Pass/fail credit accepted if pass is defined (B or better for MSN program; C or better for BSN program) in the institution’s academic catalog or other official documentation
  3. Practicum, cooperative education, field experience, internships, etc., are not accepted
  4. Correspondence work is accepted only under special circumstances, and with prior approval of Provost
  5. Credits earned at colleges outside of the United Students are required to obtain a course by course evaluation by an outside agency such as Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES)

*A maximum of nine (9) hours of graduate credit completed at another institution within the last five (5) years may be accepted as fulfilling the requirements of the MSN tracks

Transfer institutions must be accredited by one of the following higher education accreditors:

  1. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges
  2. Higher Learning Commission
  3. Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  4. New England Commission on Higher Education
  5. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  6. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  7. Western Association for Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission

If the evaluated course meets credit hour requirements and is substantially similar, the course may be accepted as a substitution. If similarity of a course is unable to be determined by the course title and description alone, a syllabus will be required for review. If substantial similarity is unable to be a determined from the review of the syllabus, the College will use publicly available online transfer credit tools to determine similarity.

If a course has been previously evaluated, the course substitution is stored in a transfer credit database and credit is assigned based upon those prior decisions. Courses that have not been previously evaluated, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The College will award transfer credit in the following ways for courses completed at institutions not operating on a semester calendar:

  • Credit from schools operating on a quarter calendar will be awarded at a 0.67 (two-thirds) conversion
  • Credit from schools operating on a trimester calendar will be awarded at a 0.83 conversion.

For institutional accreditation reasons, the College is required to have on file official transcripts from all institutions of higher education a degree-seeking student has attended, whether or not the credit is applied to their RCoN degree program. The College reserves the right to reject course work from unaccredited institutions as determined by the Registrar’s Office. Such course work is not accepted for transfer or satisfaction of degree requirements at the College. Undergraduate nursing courses are not accepted for transfer except as a completed degree.

Credit for Nontraditional Work

College Level Examinations: Students who wish to take Subject Level Examinations in various areas of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) may submit official score reports to the Director of Admission. Contact the Educational Testing Service to request an official report of your test score. A score of 50 is considered the minimum qualifying score for college credit. The College will accept up to a maximum of 30 credit hours from CLEP exams.

Advanced Placement Tests: Students who received a score of 3 or above on an Advanced Placement Test administered by the College Entrance Examination board can receive college credit. Official score reports must be submitted to the Director of Admission.

International Baccalaureate Credit: Students who completed the International Baccalaureate program are eligible to receive college credit for the courses completed. A score of 5-7 on the higher-level examinations will result in the granting of college credit. Official score reports must be submitted to the Director of Admission.

Change from ABSN to TBSN Track

BSN students in good standing wishing to change from the ABSN track to the TBSN track must do the following:

  1. Request the Change of Track form from the Registrar’s Office, and
  2. Submit form to the Director of Admissions.

Once the form has been submitted, the Director of Admission will notify the Associate Dean. The request to make the change is based on available space in the track as well as the student’s ability to be successful. The ability to switch tracks is not guaranteed. Changing from the TBSN track to the ABSN track is not allowed. Changing from the TBSN track to the ABSN track is not allowed.

Readmission Following Dismissal

Dismissal from the College is a serious action. Therefore, a student who has been dismissed should not expect to be readmitted. A student who is dismissed may choose to apply for readmission to the track and program they were enrolled.

The following must be submitted:

  1. Application for Readmission – to the Director of Admission. Applications for summer or fall readmission are due by April 15; applications for a spring readmission is due October 15th.
  2. Letter to Associate Dean describing
    • actions that have been taken to warrant consideration for readmission,
    • evidence to support probability of future academic success, and
    • plan for achieving future academic success.
  3. Two letters of support for readmission from College faculty. If necessary, students may substitute one (1) nursing faculty letter with a letter of support from a faculty at another institution of higher education.

The Associate Dean will make the decision regarding readmission. If readmitted, course registration will be decided by the Associate Dean on a space available basis. Any failure in a future nursing course will result in immediate dismissal from the program without possibility of readmission.