Degree Types: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (default) or Bachelor of Arts in Nursing (alternative)
Admissions
Applications for the traditional nursing program are submitted when a student is enrolled in NUR 240 . The applicant will be provisionally accepted at the time of application as appropriate (see admission requirements). Formal admission occurs twice a year following the semester when a student has completed 24 credits of prerequisite courses.
Entry into the nursing major is competitive and class size is limited. Preferential consideration is given to applicants who have taken all prerequisite coursework at the University of Mary and have demonstrated participation in volunteer activities.
Enrollment in summer term NUR 242 - Nursing Fundamentals and NUR 248 - Health Assessment is reserved for students who declared Year-Round Campus as incoming freshmen, or students who traveled to Rome in Spring of Sophomore year. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
Students who are not admitted to the Division of Nursing for their chosen semester due to class size may apply again the following semester and will be given first consideration for admission to the program.
Once admitted to the nursing program, continuous progression is required. Students who step out for a semester or longer must seek permission for progression. Permission to continue will be granted or denied based on circumstance and space availability in the program.
Requirements for acceptance are:
- Completed Application form.
- Two completed recommendation and appraisal forms
- Earn a level of “Proficient” on the pre-admission ATI TEAS exam (not applicable for Accelerated 2nd degree students).
- Minimum of a 3.0 GPA in at least 24 prerequisite credits including UMary coursework and any prerequisite transfer courses.
- Prerequisite and nursing courses from the University of Mary or courses transferred to the University that were taken more than 5 years earlier will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Grade of “C” or higher in each of the below nursing prerequisite courses and official transcript for transferred credits.
- Students may repeat no more than two nursing prerequisite courses in which they receive a grade of less than C or grades of W, WP, or WF (includes all alternate course selections and approved substitutions). Students who withdraw due to nonacademic reasons may request consideration for admission. Students may choose to repeat nursing prerequisite courses in which they received a grade of C or better in order to increase their GPA.
- All pre-requisite courses must be successfully completed prior to advancing to Junior 1 Block.
- A student who has not successfully completed all attempted prerequisite courses cannot be accepted or progress in the Nursing Division.
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Health Care Professionals Certification© (two-year certification) is required prior to Junior 1 Block and must be maintained through completion of the program.
- Criminal background check.
- Signed disclosure form.
- Signed Professional Behavior contract
- Applicant must meet all deadlines set by the University of Mary and be in good standing with prior institutions. Transfer students coming from another nursing program must provide a letter from the administrator of their previous program stating whether they would be eligible to progress or return to that program.
Health Requirements:
- Documentation of physical assessment, health history, current immunizations, and Hepatitis B Series must accompany the application to the division.
- TB two-step testing, flu vaccine and 12 panel drug screening are required prior to Junior 1 Block and annually thereafter. (COVID testing and vaccine per affiliating agency requirements.)
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers Certification © (two-year certification) is required prior to Junior 1 Block and must be maintained through completion of the program.
An individual with a disability is considered for admission based on his/her ability to meet the curriculum requirements. No otherwise qualified person shall be, solely by reason of a disability, excluded from participation in the program (American Disabilities Act of 1990). Students must verify that they meet the Physical & Mental Requirements to Provide Safe Patient Care for Students, Faculty, and Preceptors.
Applicants are considered primarily on the basis of academic achievement as evidenced by a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 by admission. Preferential consideration is given to applicants who have taken all prerequisite coursework at the University of Mary and have demonstrated participation in volunteer activities. Entry into the nursing major is competitive and class size is limited.
Transfer Admission:
- Transfer students who had been admitted to another nursing program must provide a letter from the administrator of their previous program stating whether they would be eligible to progress or return to that program.
- Prerequisite courses and nursing courses transferred into the University of Mary that were taken more than 5 years earlier will be evaluated for appropriateness and currency of content on a case-by-case basis, and students may be asked to repeat certain courses.
International Students
Applicants from countries in which English is not the native language are required to prove a minimum level of English proficiency. The University of Mary will accept scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
The TOEFL or IELTS score may be waived for students from countries where English is the only official language (International Services has a list of countries adopted from AACRAO).
Official TOEFL or IELTS scores must be submitted along with the necessary application materials when students are applying for admission to the Division of Nursing prior to the application deadline (students may contact International Services to obtain a copy of official TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable).
Test Score Requirements
The Division of Nursing requires a minimum TOEFL score of an 80 on the Internet based test (IBT) (IELTS score of 6.5) or a 550 on the Paper Based Test (PBT). The Division of Nursing also requires TOEFL iBT Speaking subscale score of a 26 (IELTS of 8) or above and TOEFL iBT Writing subscale score of 24 (IELTS of 6.5) or above, and an iBT Reading subscale score of a 23 (IELTS of 6.5 or above.
All exams are valid for two years.
Official scores must be sent directly to:
Undergraduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504
Academic Transcript Evaluation
Applicants to the Accelerated Nursing Programs must submit certified copies of all academic records at the time of application to the Division of Nursing. Certified copies include transcripts or school certificates and subjects for which the applicant was enrolled or is presently enrolled. If the applicant has attended a university outside of the United States, the Division of Nursing requires the applicant to provide a course-by-course transcript evaluation. The evaluation must include transcript authenticity, GPA calculation, U.S. degree equivalency, and is sent directly from the evaluation service. Transcript evaluation must be performed by World Education Services (WES) or by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), or from an agency that is a current member of the National Associations of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Official transcripts must be sent directly to:
Undergraduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504
Official copies of the WES or ACCRAO transcripts can be obtained from International Services by the undergraduate student for Division of Nursing (major) application purposes.
Progression
Once admitted to the Nursing Division, students must earn a grade of C or higher in nursing courses and any remaining prerequisite courses.
Once beginning the Junior 1 Block (semester), students must successfully pass each Block of nursing courses prior to enrolling in subsequent nursing blocks.
Students may only repeat one NUR course. Repeated classes will also include those from which a student has withdrawn (W, WP, WF). Permission to continue will be granted or denied based on the circumstance related to the failure and space availability in the course.
Graduates of the nursing program are eligible to take the NCLEX RN exam to obtain licensure through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at the University of Mary is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).