Chair: Madler
Degree Type: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Admissions
The Division of Nursing accepts applications to the nursing program three times per year, between weeks 10 to 15 of each semester (fall, spring, and summer). Students typically apply to the nursing major during their second semester of study. Admission decisions are made after semester grades are posted at the conclusion of each semester. Accepted students will be placed into one of three options for program completion, no future semesters of summer study, one future semester of summer study, or two future semesters of summer study.
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 Nursing Academy students or students who traveled to Rome in Spring of Sophomore year. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
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 availability of program space.
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.
Acceptance Requirements:
- Applicant must meet all deadlines set by the University of Mary and be in good standing with prior institutions.
- Documentation of physical assessment, health history, current immunizations and criminal background checks must be submitted through www.castlebranch.com.
- Varicella [or proof of immunity with titer], MMR series [or proof of immunity with titer], Hepatitis B series [or proof of immunity with titer], Tetanus [must be within last 10 years]
- Completed online application including two completed recommendation and appraisal forms, and signed Certified Background Check disclosure form, signed Professional Behavior Contract, and signed Physical and Mental Requirements form.
- Earn a level of “Proficient” on the pre-admission ATI TEAS exam (not applicable for Accelerated 2nd degree students).
- Preference given to those with a 3.0 or higher GPA in at least 21 credits required for the nursing major which must include a minimum of 2 science courses and one math course.
- Grade of “C” or higher in nursing prerequisite courses and official transcript for transferred credits.
- Successful completion of all attempted prerequisite courses.
- Evidence of not more than one repeat in a single nursing prerequisite course or repeat of more than two unique nursing prerequisite courses in which a student received a less than a C- or a WF (includes all alternate course selections and approved substitutions). The highest earned grade will be considered. Students falling outside of this parameter will be considered on a case by case basis.
- Students may choose to repeat nursing prerequisite courses in which they received a grade of C or better in order to increase their GPA. The highest earned grade will be accepted. Note that repeats of previously passed courses may not be eligible for federal financial aid.
- Students who withdraw from courses due to nonacademic reasons may request consideration for admission.
Requirements Necessary to Begin Nursing Practice Courses (Semester 4):
- All nursing prerequisite courses must be successfully completed before beginning nursing practice coursework. Once admitted, students must earn a grade of C or higher in nursing courses and any remaining courses required for the nursing major to continue in nursing practice courses.
- Negative two-step TB Mantoux test or QuantiFERON blood TB test [or in the instance of a positive TB test result will be required to provide additional documentation]; flu vaccinations, and 12 panel drug screening. (Students are not able to appeal a positive result on a drug screen for non-prescription medications.)
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider (two-year certification) and must be maintained through completion of the program.
Transfer Admission:
In addition to above admission criteria, transfer students, who were enrolled in another nursing program previously and are applying to the University of Mary nursing program must write a letter to the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Progression Committee stating why they are leaving previous nursing program, why they chose University of Mary for continued pursuit of a nursing degree and provide strategies about how they intend to be successful in this program. Admission will be at the discretion of the Admission and Progression Committee.
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. 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. Accepted exams and other details are available in the Admissions section of this Catalog.
The proficiency exam 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 proficiency exam 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 exam 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 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 courses required for the major.
Once beginning nursing coursework, students must successfully pass each semester of nursing courses prior to enrolling in subsequent nursing semesters unless given special permission to progress by the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Progression Committee.
Students may only repeat one NUR course. Repeated classes will also include those from which a student has earned a WF. Permission to continue will be granted or denied based on the circumstance related to the failure and the availability of seats in subsequent courses.
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 (https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).
