Pre-Nursing Curriculum Requirements (59 hours)

University Requirement

• GSTD 1002 - Freshman Seminar

Nursing Science Core Courses (NSCCs)

A minimum 2.85 GPA is required in Nursing Science Core Courses (NSCCs). GPA for admission to the department will be calculated based on NSCCs completed at the time of application.

• BIOL 2063 - Anatomy and Physiology I and 
  BIOL 2061 - Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
    
• BIOL 2073 - Anatomy and Physiology II and 
  BIOL 2071 - Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
    
• BIOL 3613 - Microbiology for Nursing and Allied Health and 
  BIOL 3611 - Microbiology for Nursing and Allied Health Lab
    
• MATH 1001 - Math for Allied Health
• NURS 2003 - Introduction to Professional Nursing

Additional Nursing Curriculum Support Courses

• ENGL 1113 - Composition I
• ENGL 1123 - Composition II
• PSYC 2003 - General Psychology
• PHIL 2403 - Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics
• 3-hour foreign language course (
  SPAN 1073 - Spanish for Health Professions
    is recommended)  

Other Requirements

• PSYC 3223 - Developmental Psychology

BSN Program Admissions Criteria

To be considered for admission into the BSN degree program the student must:

1. Be admitted to SAU with regular or conditional admission status and maintain a 2.00 GPA at SAU.
2. Transfer students currently enrolled in other universities at the time of application will be considered for admission into the nursing program if the following documents are on file in the SAU Office of Admissions: completed SAU application form; valid ACT or SAT scores (if available); completed high school transcript or GED scores; college transcripts through the previous semester; and required immunization records. International students must contact the International Student Services Office. Admission to the University does not mean automatic admission to the Department of Nursing.
3. Recognize that priority ranking will be given to SAU students and any student who have successfully completed all non-nursing support courses for the degree (pre-licensure track only).
4. Have a minimum 2.85 GPA* in Nursing Science Core Courses (NSCCs) (pre-licensure track only).
5. The GPA for admission to the department will be calculated based on NSCCs completed at the time of admission (pre-licensure track only).
6. NSCCs and courses applying towards the BSN degree must be completed with a C or better. Students with Ds or Fs in these courses will not be admitted (Pre-licensure track only).
7. GPA will be calculated to include all NSCC courses ever taken. Admission is denied for the applicant with more than three attempts at obtaining a passing grade in a NSCC course (pre-licensure track only).
8. Complete a HESI standardized preadmission examination administered through the Office of Testing. This exam is for diagnostic purposes and must be taken at SAU. HESI Admission Assessment (HESI A2) pre-admission examination scores must be 75% or greater. The reported score does not round up to 75%. There is a maximum of three (3) attempts per calendar year to this preadmission exam.
9. Have proof of the following infectious disease immunizations and screenings or serological evidence of immunity:
   • Influenza vaccine during current flu season
   • Rubeola (Measles)
   • Mumps, Rubella (MMR) - 2 vaccine doses or positive titer.
   • Tetanus, Diphtheria, (Tdap) within the past 10 years
   • Initial Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) must be 2 step; subsequent year(s) is/are 1 step TST; or clear chest X-ray
   • Varicella vaccine or positive titer or medically documented history of disease 
   • Hepatitis-B - 2-,3-, or 4-dose series OR positive titer
     • 2-dose series only applies when 2 doses of Heplisav-B* are used at least 4 weeks apart
     • 3-dose series Engerix-B, PreHevbrio*, or Recombivax HB at 0, 1, 6 months [minimum intervals: dose 1 to dose 2: 4 weeks / dose 2 to dose 3: 8 weeks / dose 1 to dose 3: 16 weeks]
     • 3-dose series HepA-HepB (Twinrix at 0, 1, 6 months [minimum intervals: dose 1 to dose 2: 4 weeks / dose 2 to dose 3: 5 months])
     • 4-dose series HepA-HepB (Twinrix) accelerated schedule of 3 doses at 0, 7, and 21-30 days, followed by a booster dose at 12 months
   • COVID-19 vaccination card or exemption document
10. To comply with mandates from clinical agencies utilized by the SAU Department of Nursing, students enrolled in all nursing programs are required at the time of conditional acceptance or acceptance into the program and yearly thereafter to have a criminal background checks, driving history record check, child maltreatment check, and urine drug screening in order to remain enrolled in any nursing course. All screenings are conducted at the expense of the individual student. More information and pricing are available on the nursing website at www.saumag.edu/nursing.
11. Dependent upon clinical site availability to the nursing program, understand travel will be required to clinical sites in Southwest Arkansas, Central Arkansas, or East Texas (Pre-licensure only).
12. Realize if an injury occurs in the clinical setting, the student is responsible for all applicable cost related to the injury. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain health insurance.
13. Submit a completed Department of Nursing BSN Program application according to the deadlines posted on the nursing website.
14. Applications to the BSN Program may be obtained, completed, and submitted electronically during the open application cycle via the Department of Nursing website at web.saumag.edu/nursing/bsn-program-application. Please attach an electronic copy of the following:
    1. Completed BSN Program application 
    2. Unofficial college transcripts 
    3. HESI Admission Assessment (HESI A2) with critical thinking pre-admission examination
    4. Other pertinent information that may be needed for consideration regarding admission to the BSN Program.

Any exceptions to these requirements must be approved by the Nursing Department Chair and Dean of the College of Science and Engineering.

A particularly strong GPA or HESI A2 score may, at the discretion of the Department Chair, compensate for a deficiency in another area.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Southern Arkansas University and the Department of Nursing do not require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or report their COVID-19 vaccination status. However, clinical agencies may request information regarding COVID-19 vaccination status for any student and/or faculty assigned to the agency. Additionally, some clinical agencies are requiring students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to complete clinical rotations at their agency. Clinical agencies that require COVID-19 vaccinations will be noted prior to the start of the semester, although agencies may change their policies at any time during the semester. Students who choose or are assigned to clinical agencies that require COVID-19 vaccinations are required to submit vaccine documentation to the Department of Nursing. All students who have received the COVID-19 vaccine or an exemption/waiver must submit documentation to the Department of Nursing. 

Southern Arkansas University and the Department of Nursing cannot guarantee a student’s placement and acceptance at a chosen or assigned clinical agency. Please note that refusal to comply with all of the vaccination requirements may limit site placement and could impede progression through your program of study.