GSW School of Nursing

Admission Eligibility

All students who wish to enter the School of Nursing LPN/BSN Program track must apply and be accepted at the upper division level. This generally occurs during the second year of full-time study at the University. Students are first enrolled at GSW as Pre-LPN Nursing Students. This allows the student to satisfy the Core curriculum requirements in the first two years of student as well as the required nursing courses necessary for admission into the LPN/BSN Program. Advisors for Pre-Nursing students are faculty of the SON; therefore giving the student a mentor who can help them successfully navigates their Model Program of Study.

Each transfer course will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Dean of Academic Services or the Registrar. The transcripts, SAT scores, and personal evaluations will be reviewed individually in order to access each student’s ability to integrate into GSW core courses AREA’s A through S. Once evaluated, the School of Nursing advisors will work with the students individually to provide seamless transition into the BSN program. Admission into GSW will not secure admission into the School of Nursing.

Admission Eligibility Requirements:

In order to meet eligibility requirements for full admission into the LPN-BSN program, applicants must have completed the following prerequisites:

• BIOL 2030 Anatomy and Physiology I (4 units) within the past 5 years*with a grade of C or better
• BIOL 2040 Anatomy and Physiology II (*4 units) within the past 5 years*with a grade of C or better
• BIOL 2050 Microbiology (4 units) within the past 5 years*with a grade of C or better.               
• PSYC 2130 Human Growth and Development (3 units)
• MATH 2204 Elementary Statistics (3 units)
• MATH 1101 Introduction to Math Modeling (3 units) or MATH 1111 College Algebra or MATH 1113 Pre-Calculus (3 units) with a grade of C or better
• NURS 2600 or NURS 3061 LPN-to RN
• NURS 2700 Clinical Therapeutics (Taken at GSW; must be taken within no more than two semesters preceding program admission)                            
• NURS 3005 Human Pathophysiology (Taken at GSW unless prior course substitution approved obtained)
• Completed all general education/core classes from Areas A, D, and F (Refer to LPN-BSN Nursing Curriculum Sheet)
• Lack no more than nine (9) hours of general education classes from Areas B, C, & E (Refer to LPN-BS in Nursing Curriculum Sheet)
• Earned an LPN Diploma from a program that is accredited in Georgia.
• Provide proof of LPN licensure in Georgia.
• Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8/4.0 or higher is required for consideration. The GPA is taken from the last 30 credit hours of required classes for the nursing major will be counted.
• ATI Test of Essential Skills (TEAS) Exam and have official scores submitted to the School of Nursing of Nursing via the Student Services Coordinator prior to the application deadline.
• Must not have been excluded from another nursing program for any reason, including but not limited to, academic misconduct, disruptive behavior, or program failure. A nursing course failure in another institution counts as a failure in this institution.

*Testing may be required if course taken was over 5 years ago. Remediation may be required.

• Program may require an interview. Applicants who qualify for an interview will be contacted by the program's admissions committee.

Opportunities for Credit

Once admitted into the School of Nursing, the student may be eligible to take content and/or clinical proficiency examinations and credit may be awarded for the following courses: Clinical Therapeutics (NURS 2700), and Nursing of Adults I (NURS 3100). A student who wishes to take the proficiency examinations should request a meeting with the BSN chair to discuss eligibility. After a review of the student’s education and background, the BSN chair will refer the student to the student services coordinator to schedule the proficiency eligibility examinations. The student will be given the examination date and the necessary preparation tools in order to be successful on the examinations. The student is responsible for the cost of the examinations, test materials, and preparation for the examination. The student will be given a maximum of thirty days to prepare for the examinations. The student must take the proficiency examinations the semester prior to starting into the nursing program. The student may elect not to take the proficiency examinations and may follow the generic BSN course of study.

The proficiency examinations will cover two courses. One examination will cover the content from Clinical Therapeutics (NURS 2700) and will be a clinical skill proficiency test. The second proficiency examination will cover content from Nursing of Adults I (NURS 3100) and consist of three components: 1) medical-surgical content, 2) clinical proficiency via simulation and 3) a dosage and calculation content requiring 100% correct. The student will receive credit for the separate courses based on their ability to be successful with each proficiency examination.

Transfer Students 

Transfer students will need to take a semester of pre-requisite courses at GSW prior to the semester they wish to start the nursing program (NURS 2600, NURS 2700, NURS 3005 must be taken at GSW prior to starting the Nursing program).Transfer students are encouraged to apply to GSW for an earlier semester, in order to complete those courses.

Admission Cycles for LPN-BSN:

There are two admission cycles for LPN-BSN students, fall and spring. Students anticipating qualifying for entrance in the fall semester must apply for admission to the program by the announced deadline, usually in January or February.  Students anticipating qualifying for entrance in the spring semester must apply for admission by the announced deadline, usually in late August or September. Students should contact the School of Nursing Student Services Coordinator for application instructions and deadlines, which will also be posted on the School of Nursing website.

Admission Review Consideration

It may not be possible to admit all students who meet the minimum requirements for admissions. If there are more qualified applicants than positions available in a program cohort, selection for admission will be based upon:

• Availability of space in clinical sites
• Availability of faculty resources
• Grade Point Average – Greater than the minimum of 2.8 (evaluate most recent 30 hours AND overall GPA)
• ATI Test of Essential Skills (TEAS) results 
• Grades in Science courses – minimum of B is preferred
• Patterns of withdrawal from courses/schools
• Grades of Ds and/or Fs
• Written communication ability
• Completion of nursing pre-requisites while maintaining the required GPA.

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How to apply to the LPN-BSN Program

For additional information refer to the frequently asked questions (FAQ) and the current GSW BULLETIN