FAQs for New Students

• U of A
• Eleanor Mann School of Nursing
• Academic Programs
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• FAQs for New Students

Frequently Asked Questions

I have been admitted to the University of Arkansas as a pre-nursing student. Does this mean I am also admitted to the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing?

No. During the time students are working on their prerequisite courses for the nursing school, they are considered to be pre-nursing. Admission into the two years of professional coursework is competitive, much like medical or law school. Not every student admitted as pre-nursing will make it into the nursing school.

My major is something other than pre-nursing, but I have decided I want to be a nurse. What do I do?

A student wishing to change their major to pre-nursing and pursue our program should reach out to the academic advisor listed in their student profile or contact the college's Boyer Center for Student Services at bcss@uark.edu or 479-575-4203.

How does the application work?

Students apply to the program a semester in advance of when they plan to start. For example, a student wishing to start in spring 2024 will apply between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, 2023, and receive a decision by late January 2024. The application is available online during the application windows — Oct 1-15 for spring starts, Mar 1-15 for fall starts.

Once students have completed the application, they should submit final transcripts for any non-University of Arkansas coursework by Jan. 1 for a fall start or May 15 for a spring start to the Office of the Registrar. This includes all course credit awarded by schools other than the University of Arkansas. Students who took concurrent enrollment in high school should send the transcript of the college or university granting the credit, not their high school. AP, IB and CLEP credit or transfer credit already received by the University of Arkansas does not need to be resubmitted.

After the transcript deadline, the nursing school admissions committee reviews the following:

Primary Academic Factors — 50 percent of total score

• • GPA
  • Sciences
  • Honors
  • Prerequisites/Second Degree

Secondary Admission Factors — 50 percent of total score

• • Candidates will be evaluated with the Casper assessment tool. It is up to each student to be aware of the Casper testing dates and to sign up for a valid test date for their admissions cycle.

What happens if I am not admitted?

From the outset, we encourage students to have a backup plan. This might include having a second choice of nursing school and applying to both, having a minor to work on while you try to raise GPA or even having a full second major in mind. Many students not admitted on their first application do apply again.

The degree check sheet says "Any Chemistry with Lab." Which chemistry should I take?

The nursing program requires students to take either CHEM 1073/1071L Fundamentals of Chemistry or CHEM 1103/1101L University Chemistry I. These classes are geared to students in science-related fields and prepare students for upper-division biology and nursing courses that utilize a chemistry background. The nursing school will not accept CHEM 1053/1051L Chemistry in the Modern World. This course is designed for students not majoring in a science-related field and does not work as a prerequisite for BIOL 2013/2011L Microbiology or BIOL 2213/2211L Human Physiology.

What classes count for Social Sciences and Fine Arts/Humanities?

Please refer to the University Core List in the University Catalog for the required 9 hours of Social Sciences, 3 hours of Humanities and 3 hours of Fine Arts.

What are electives? Where can I find a list?

Electives are courses used to round out the 120 hours required for graduation and are generally not specified in our program, except for the suggestion of BIOL 1543/1541L, which is a prerequisite for Microbiology and Anatomy, and is encouraged for students taking those classes at the University of Arkansas. Otherwise, electives can be any other course the university offers. There is no master list. Some students pursue a foreign language, some students work on a minor, some take prerequisites for other schools, and some take classes that otherwise interest them. The choice of classes to fill these hours is up to you.