Prospective Students

Traditional Option Admission Requirements and Application Process

Students seeking admission to the School of Nursing must first be admitted to the University by contacting the Office of Admissions.  Student should then call to make an appointment with an adviser in Academic Counseling and Advising (618-650-3701).  Admission to the University and submission of an application for a major in Nursing do not guarantee admission to the School of Nursing.  Note:  A prospective student may declare him/herself as a pre-nursing major during first semester as long as he/she is not enrolled in Academic Development classes.  Students are admitted to the School of Nursing at the beginning of their sophomore year for fall enrollment. To gain admission to SON's undergraduate program you must meet our undergraduate admission requirements.

• Admission to the University and submission of an application to the School of Nursing.
• Successful completion of prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.  Prerequisite courses may not be repeated more than once.  Students must have a minimum prerequisite grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (including transfer credit as well as credit earned at SIUE) and a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Completion of the Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) A2 examination with a Math, Reading Comprehension, Grammar and Vocabulary score at a 75% or higher.  (A reading or math score below 75% will require an education action plan that is developed with the Director of Admissions, Progression and Retention in the School of Nursing prior to admission).
• Completed application on file in the School of Nursing by the deadline.  An application is considered complete when the application, official transcripts of all college course work, HESI A2 test score and a record of current course enrollment are in the applicant’s file.  Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their materials are received (Box 1066, School of Nursing) by March 1.  All materials must be in the applicant’s file before the deadline in order for the applicant to be considered for admission.  Applicant files completed after those dates will be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• The application process is competitive.  The School of Nursing reserves the right to limit the size of its entering class, and therefore merely meeting or exceeding the stated minimum GPAs and HESI test scores does not ensure or guarantee admission.
• Successful completion of a drug screen and a criminal background check, as specified by the School of Nursing, to be performed after initial acceptance to the program.  These specifications are required by all clinical agencies.  Applicants with felony convictions will be ineligible for admission.

School Retention Requirements

Students must achieve a grade of 76 or above to pass a nursing course and progress to the next sequence of courses.  The grading scale for the School of Nursing, effective summer, 2005 is A = 93-100; B = 85 – 92; C – 76 – 84; D = 70 – 75 and F below 70.  Students will be excluded from all School of Nursing courses if they fail two Nursing courses.  After admission to the School, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50 to continue in the Nursing program.  A grade of “C” or higher is required in every Nursing course and every prerequisite course.  If a student fails to achieve a grade of “C” or higher in any Nursing course, s/he will not be allowed to progress into the next semester and will be required to repeat the course.  If a student receives a grade below a “C” in any prerequisite course s/he will be required to repeat the course and will not be considered for admission to the program.

All nursing majors are required to file reports of a physical examination and immunizations prior to the first semester of nursing courses.  Yearly tuberculin skin testing, flu vaccine and CPR certification is required.  The Student Handbook for Undergraduates and the RN/BS Student Handbook issues to students accepted into the School of Nursing contain full details.
           

Courses to be Completed Prior to Enrollment:

Prerequisite Course Requirements:

• English 101 and 102
• Interpersonal Communication (SPC 103)
• Introductory Social Science Requirements: Two of:  Anthropology 111, Economics 111, Geography 111, History 111, Political Science 111, Psychology 111 (required) or Sociology 111.
• Biophysical Science Requirements: Contemporary Biology (BIOL 111); Bacteriology (BIOL 250); Anatomy and Physiology 1 (BIOL 240a)
• Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry (CHEM 120a,b; 124a, b) are required.
• A grade of C or better must be earned in all prerequisite courses.  A prerequisite course may not be repeated more than once.

Additional General Education Requirements, which may be completed after admission by students without a baccalaureate degree include:

Introduction to Fine Arts and Humanities courses: PHIL 320 - Ethics or PHIL 321 - Ethics in Medicine, Statistics 107 (prior to senior status); PHIL 106 (at Sophomore level), one (1) Advanced Social Science, an interdisciplinary course and an international or cultural issue course.

               
Information for Transfer Students

• College Transfer Credit
• Traditional Option Program Articulation

Basic Option  Curriculum Guide

• Curriculum Guide  Option I
• Curriculum Guide Option II