Nursing - Generic Option

Admission to the nursing program is conditional upon completion of all nursing prerequisite courses and meeting all admission requirements. Admission to the nursing program involves competition among all eligible candidates. Each candidate is evaluated by a process established in accordance with guidelines of the Admission and Progression Committee (APC). The School of Nursing reserves the right to select among all qualified candidates. Criteria and additional considerations can be waived or adjusted at the discretion of the APC. Students are admitted in March for fall semester of the nursing program and in October for spring semester.

Evidence of good moral character as determined by the Missouri State Board of Nursing in the Nurse Practice Act (February 2010) and by the American Nurses' Association Code of Ethics for Nurses (2008).

1. All nursing prerequisites must be completed at the time of admission to the nursing program. Students admitted to the nursing program fall 2023 and later must have all general education courses completed at the time of admission to the nursing program.
2. A minimum of a 2.75 cumulative grade point average is required at the time of application.
3. Minimum grade of C in all nursing prerequisites and nursing courses. A student receiving a grade lower than C in any nursing prerequisite may repeat that course only one time.
4. A student receiving more than one D or F in a course or courses with a nursing prefix will not be eligible for admission into the program. If the course was taken at UCM, it must be repeated at UCM.
5. Students will not be permitted to withdraw more than one time from a nursing prerequisite course or a nursing course without permission of the School of Nursing.
6. Science prerequisites, as identified in NURSING B.S. Degree, must be evaluated if taken over 10 years prior to requested admission.
7. Completion of the designated nursing admission examination to be considered for admission to the nursing program. Information about the designated nursing admission examination may be obtained from the Office of Testing Services (Humphreys 216). It is the student’s responsibility to make sure the test results are on file in the School of Nursing.
8. The nursing application and instructions are online and a $30 application fee applies. January 1 is the deadline for fall admission to the nursing program and July 1 is the deadline for spring admission.
9. Academic history with patterns and trends indicating potential for academic success (e.g., successful completion of a full-time semester).
10. It is the student’s responsibility to request ALL official transcripts from other universities and colleges be submitted to Undergraduate Admissions to be posted as part of the student's official transcript by December 31 for fall admission and June 30 for spring admission.
11. Speech and Hearing Exam will be obtained from the School of Human Services, Martin Building, Room 34.  Contact the School of Human Services by phone at 660-543-4993 to schedule your appointment. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure the test results are on file in the School of Nursing.
    
    

Additional considerations given to the following:

• The functional abilities required to be successful in the nursing program, with reasonable accommodation.
• Eligibility for licensure. Completion of the program does not guarantee eligibility to take licensure examination.  Refer to the Nurse Practice Act in the state in which you anticipate licensure. In Missouri refer to Sections 335.046 and 335.066 (http:.//pr.mo.gov/boards/nursing/npa.pdf).
• Pursuant to 8 U.S.C.A. §1621, the Board of Nursing is prohibited from granting professional licensure to a non-eligible, non-citizen of the United States. An individual who is a qualified alien, a nonimmigrant or an alien paroled into the US as documented by the US may be eligible for licensure. However, individuals who may have permission from the US to be here for a specific duration or purpose may not be eligible for professional licensure pursuant to federal law. (http://pr.mo.gov/boards/nursing/CITIZENSHIP-LAWFUL-PRESENCE.pdf)
• Number of credit hours taken at the University of Central Missouri.
  Students will be categorized in two classifications for consideration for admission to the nursing program:
           * students who have taken all nursing prerequisite courses at Central; and
           * students who have transferred credit for one or more nursing prerequisite course(s) from another institution.

Nursing prerequisite courses are CHEM 1104, BIOL 3401, BIOL 3402, BIOL 3610, PSY 1100, SOC 1800, NUTR 3340, NUR 1700, NUR 2200, NUR 2710, and NUR 3200.  Grade point averages are a determining factor in selection.

The following are criteria for direct admission:

1. Admitted to UCM as freshmen with ACT 24 or higher and a high school cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
2. Declared nursing as major.
3. Maintains a 3.50 cumulative grade point average at UCM at the time of application review.
4. Achieves a “mastery level score” (based on percentile) on the designated nursing admission examination.
5. Meets criteria published in the UCM undergraduate catalog and School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook as of the date of formal application.

• Direct admission is limited to 40 students per semester based on admission date to UCM.
• Students who are directly admitted have the same period of time to complete their degree program as other UCM students.
• Direct admission nursing students complete the nursing application by the set deadlines like all other nursing students.
• A direct admission nursing student may lose his/her place in the nursing program if he/she falls below the specified standards.
• Students must complete all nursing prerequisites successfully on their first attempt.

1. Criminal Background Check
2. Required Immunizations
3. Health Insurance
4. Family Care Safety Registry Background Check
5. Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers CPR through the American Heart Association (AHA)
6. Negative 14-panel Drug Screen

1. A student who receives a D or F in a nursing course will be suspended from the program and is required to seek retention in order to repeat the course. The retention process is initiated by the student with the instructor whose course was failed. Completion and filing of the “Request for Retention Form” is the responsibility of the student. If a student is not retained within a year, that student may be required to repeat all courses within the major.
2. Due to the short time between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester, students who are assigned failing grades in NUR 3306, NUR 3307, NUR 3410, NUR 3515, NUR 3516, NUR 3610, NUR 3611, NUR 4410, NUR 4411, NUR 4510, NUR 4511, NUR 4610, NUR 4611, NUR 4710, NUR 4711 and who wish to appeal their grades must do so within five days of the official posting of the grades. Failure to do so does not extinguish the right to appeal, but will prevent the student from continuing in the nursing program until the following fall semester IF the grade appeal is successful.
3. Students who withdraw from the nursing program must follow the Withdrawal Policy and compete with other students for retention in the program. Students may be retained only once into the nursing program based on the decision of the Admission and Progression Committee.
4. A student receiving more than one D or F in a course or courses with a nursing prefix will not be allowed to apply, reapply, or progress in the nursing program.
5. Requirements for retention in the program are all those set forth in this policy as well as those contained in the current Student Handbook for the School of Nursing.
6. Students must be successful in passing each course in a particular semester in the program to progress to the next semester.
7. If a student does not pass a theory course associated with a clinical practicum or vice versa, the student must repeat both courses.

Students within the program who withdraw from any nursing course are automatically suspended from the program and must follow the Retention Policy in order to be retained. Students who withdraw from a nursing course and do not follow the requirements of the School of Nursing Withdrawal Policy as stated below will not be considered for retention.

Students who withdraw from any nursing course must compete with other students for retention in the program. Students may be readmitted only once to the nursing program based on the decision of the Admissions and Progression Committee.

Students who have been attending meetings of a nursing course and wish to withdraw should:

Clinical/Practicum Courses       

1. Notify their instructor in writing of their desire to withdraw and their reason for this decision.
2. Meet with the chair.
3. Follow the University process for withdrawal.

Theory Courses

1. Notify their instructor in writing of their desire to withdraw and their reason for this decision.
2. Follow the university policy for withdrawal.

Students are not eligible to withdraw from a nursing clinical/practicum course when they have received a grade of D or F from the instructor. Students who receive a final grade of D or F from the instructor and withdraw from the course will have their erroneous "W" changed to the appropriate failing grade by the School of Nursing.

Students who have not attended classes in the semester they wish to withdraw may withdraw from nursing courses by following the University Withdrawal Policy.

Application deadline for a fall semester is January 1.

Application deadline for a spring semester is July 1.

Applicants to the nursing program are considered based on all the admission standards listed in the UCM Undergraduate Catalog. Patterns and trends in academic history that indicate potential for success and the applicant’s potential to meet standards to apply for licensure are also considered in the admission process.

All nursing program prerequisites courses must be taken prior to admission to the program (CHEM 1104, BIOL 3401, BIOL 3402, BIOL 3610, PSY 1100, SOC 1800, NUTR 3340, NUR 1700, NUR 2200, NUR 2710 and NUR 3200). You must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average.

Along with the nursing application, you will need to complete the following and submit to the School of Nursing office, Dockery 203:

• Speech and Hearing Exam – This is done in the School of Human Services, Martin Building, Room 34. Contact the School of Human Services by phone at 660-543-4993 to schedule your appointment.
  
  
• Designated Nursing Admission Exam – Information about this exam may be obtained from the Office of Testing Services, Humphreys 216. Contact the Office of Testing Services by phone at 660-543-4919 for dates, times, and location, or register on-line at ucmo.edu/offices/testing-services.

As a nursing major, the application can be found under the “Student Services” tab in your MyCentral. The application fee is $30.