Admission Criteria

Students must have at least 30 semester hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 completed by the application deadline (June 7). The following courses must be completed with a “C” or higher prior to application deadline:

• ENG 1003 Composition I
• ENG 1013 Composition II
• MATH 1023 College Algebra
• *BIO 2203/2201 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab
• *BIO 2223/2221 Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab
• PSY 2013 Intro to Psychology
• HIST 2763 U.S. History to 1876 OR
• HIST 2773 U.S. History since 1876 OR
• POSC 2103 U.S. Government

Courses below may be substituted for the above science courses for application consideration:

• BIO 2103/2101 Microbiology for Nursing and Allied Health & Lab
• CHEM 1043/1041 Fundamental Concepts of Chemistry & Lab

English Proficiency requirements (see website for details)

Consideration will be given for Spanish proficiency.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

The College of Nursing and Health Professions requires a high level of proficiency in English so that all students will be able to fully meet academic and clinical objectives as well as meet criteria for professional licensure/certification.

International Students

Students from non-English speaking countries or for whom English is not a native language must take one of the following tests:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 83 on the preferred internet-based test (iBT), 570 on the paper-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of at least 6.5 and a spoken band score of 7.
• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) with a score of 56.

The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal non-immigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. In contrast, the term native born refers to people residing in the United States who were U.S. citizens in one of three categories: 1) born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) born in United States Insular areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; 3) born abroad to at least one U. S. citizen parent.

Exemption

You may be exempt for the English proficiency testing if you are foreign born but attended school in the United States since kindergarten. For the exemption you must provide official school records showing continuous enrollment in U. S. schools since kindergarten.

TOEFL Information

The TOEFL is available at the ASU Testing Center. When taking the exam off campus, the report code for ASU is 6011.

English as a Second Language Program

Students who do not meet the required English language proficiency may enroll in ASU’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the International Center for English. Potential students enrolled in the ESL program must maintain an average of 85 or higher in levels 0 through 4. In the final or 5th level of the ESL program an average of 90 or higher must be maintained. Upon completion of the ESL program, the potential student must take the internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Upon successfully meeting the proficiency requirement, potential students are eligible to apply to the BSN Program.

How to Apply 

To apply for the Traditional BSN program, candidates must follow the steps below:

• Apply for admission to Arkansas State University.
• Applicants must take the HESI A2 admission exam.   For the Fall 2021 admission, the HESI A2 admission exam will consist of 4 sections, Anatomy & Physiology, Reading Comprehension, Math and Vocabulary. Dates for Fall 2021 TBD.  If you are unable to test on the Jonesboro campus, the exam is offered through Prometric Testing Services for those applying for the traditional BSN only.  To schedule to test through Prometric, email Brenda Goodwin at bgoodwin@astate.edu  
• Submit the online BSN application by the June 7th deadline. 
• Applicants must submit all transfer coursework to the registrar's office by May 25th. DO NOT submit official transcripts to the School of Nursing.

Additional Admission Information

Documentation

Upon being admitted into the BSN program, students will be required to supply additional documentation including current CPR certification, Hepatitis B immunizations, TB skin test or chest x-ray, Tetanus and MMR. (These are NOT required for initial application)

Based on recent legislation in Arkansas, students admitted to professional programs that lead to licensure upon graduation are required to have a successful background check to complete formal admission. 

All documentation required by the School of Nursing must be kept current at all times during the course of your program.

Deadlines

All applications and transcripts must be received by June 7 to be considered for admission.

Limited Positions Available

Please note that class size is limited and that all applicants may not be accepted into the program. Applicants will be ranked for admission by cumulative GPA, and admission exam score.

Applying for RN Licensure

Upon completion of the BSN program, the student is eligible to apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse. A first time applicant for any licensure by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing will have a state and national criminal background check. Any offense identified in section §17-87-312 of the Nurse Practice Act may prohibit a graduate from obtaining a license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Arkansas.

Although an appeal may be possible, there are offenses that permanently disqualify an applicant from a license. A complete list of criminal acts that prevent licensure as a registered nurse can be found at the Arkansas State Board of Nursing website (www.arsbn.org) and on the nursing website. If students have any reason to believe that they may be ineligible to write the NCLEX-RN, they should discuss this matter with someone knowledgeable about nursing laws and/or contact the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN).

Nursing Readmission Exam Payment and Registration

Tor those seeking readmission to the BSN program the dates are listed below for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.  A minimum score of 75% must be made on the readmission exam to be successful.  If you do not score the 75% you may test one more time.  

2020 Testing Dates

Test Dates for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Readmission are listed below.  Please select one test date.  Reminder, if you are unsuccessful on your first attempt, you will have one more attempt.

Test dates for Fall 2021. TBD

Test dates for Spring 2021 Readmission.  Please email nrstesting@astate.edu for questions regarding readmission testing. 

BSN Pass Rates

• 2017- 91.1%
• 2018- 95.7%
• 2019 - 94%

Career opportunities include a variety of work settings such as hospitals, clinics, home health environments, schools, industries, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and public health units.