BSN Program Application Instructions

To be considered for admission into the Bachelor of Science Degree Nursing Program, a Nursing application must be completed and submitted by May 15th for Fall semester admission or August 1st for Spring semester admission. Please note that the Nursing application is only available to students accepted to the University. Items required for admission to UWA include the online nursing application, HESI A2 score, ACT score, and official transcripts from each school attended. Some LPN and second-degree applicants may be exempt from the ACT requirement. Please refer to the BSN Admission Requirements or contact nursing@uwa.edu for more information.  

Students who attend UWA and want to apply to the nursing program should use the following link: https://uwacentral.etrieve.cloud/#/form

Applicants who have not attended The University of West Alabama must complete the UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION for ADMISSION to the university.

Pre-licensure BSN Admission Criteria

Admission into the College of Nursing (CON) is highly competitive. The number of seats available may vary annually and is partially determined by the availability of clinical space. Meeting all eligibility requirements DOES NOT guarantee admission into the nursing program. Applicants must first be admitted to UWA and complete ALL general education (prerequisite) courses as described in the course catalog. Additionally, applicants for admission to the Pre-licensure BSN program must meet the following criteria:

  1. College of Nursing Application. Submit a completed College of Nursing application at https://uwacentral.etrieve.cloud/#/form by the published deadline. Only complete applications will be considered for admission.
  2. Cumulative GPA on all required nursing general education course criteria must be 2.75 or higher (incoming freshmen and transfers).
  3. HESI A2 (Health Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment) Entrance Exam Score of 80% or higher. HESI A2 cumulative score includes Reading Comprehension, Grammar, and Vocabulary modules. The HESI A2 exam may be taken two (2) times in one twelve-month period (January to December) to achieve a passing score. All scores expire in December. *If a student scores above 85% on the HESI 2, the exam will remain valid for two years from the date taken. If a student has an ACT Composite Score of 23 or higher, the HESI will be waived.
  4. ACT Composite Score. Submit a copy of the ACT composite to the CON. Students must have a minimum ACT Composite Score of 18. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with a minimum of one-year clinical experience who hold an unencumbered license and individuals with professional employment status for one year who have completed a BA, BS, or graduate degree are not required to submit an ACT score.

* After meeting all admission requirements, applicants will be rank-ordered using a point-based system for admission into the nursing program (see Admissions Scoring Tools, Appendix A). It should be noted that no points will be awarded if students earn a grade of “C” in a course or if a course is repeated.  Applicants may be admitted on a conditional basis pending official transcript receipt, grades, and order ranking.

Preferred Admission to the Pre-licensure BSN

The College of Nursing’s Pre-licensure BSN program consists of general education and nursing coursework. Students demonstrating outstanding academic achievement in general education at UWA may be considered for Preferred Admission. Acceptance through this pathway guarantees placement into nursing courses upon successful completion of required prerequisites during the first one to two years of study at UWA.

Preferred Admission to the Prelicensure BSN program requires the following conditions:

  1. An ACT composite score of 23 or higher
  2. A high school GPA of 3.5 or higher or a college transfer GPA of 3.0 or higher
  3. Complete at least two semesters of general education (prerequisite) coursework at UWA before entering the Prelicensure BSN program.
  4. Maintain a 2.75 cumulative GPA in all general education (prerequisite) coursework required for the BSN program.

*All of the above conditions must be met to be considered a Preferred Admission candidate.