Accelerated BSN Option

ABSN applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

1. General acceptance to Western Carolina University
   • Applicants should complete the University Transfer Application
2. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university
   • Registrar's Office will determine if the degree has sufficient general education coursework requirements to waive the required WCU liberal studies requirements
   • The degree may be in progress at the time of application but must be conferred before starting the ABSN program
3. A minimum of a 3.0 GPA for the last 60 hours of coursework taken
   • A Science GPA score will be taken for three of the five completed science prerequisites (if more than three science prerequisites are completed by the program application deadline, the three highest scores will be used to determine the science GPA)
4. Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
   • Official scores must be sent to WCU Nursing from Assessment Technology Institute (ATI). To learn more, visit the TEAS website
5. Completion of the ABSN program application through NursingCAS
6. Completion of Course Prerequisites (or approved equivalents, with a grade of ‘C’ or above):
   • Science Prerequisites (3 of 5 must be completed by application)
     1. Chemistry 132 – Introductory Chemistry with lab (4hr)
     2. Chemistry 133 – Survey Organic/Biochemistry with lab (4hr)
     3. Biology 291 – Human Anatomy & Physiology with lab (4hr)
     4. Biology 292 – Human Anatomy & Physiology with lab (4hr)
     5. Environmental Health 260/261 – Etiology of Infectious Disease with lab (3hr)
   • Nursing Prerequisites (should be taken summer before program starts at WCU)
     1. ND 338 – Normal & Therapeutic Nutrition (taken through WCU)
     2. NSG 101 – Introduction to Professional Nursing (must earn a B or higher/taken through WCU)
     3. NSG 346 – Pathophysiology for Nursing (may only be repeated once/taken through WCU)
   • Other Course Requirements 
     1. MATH 130 or higher - MATH 170 (Statistics) preferred
     2. Psychology 150 – General Psychology (3hr)

Note: Three of the five science prerequisites must be complete by the time of application and all must be complete by program matriculation. Nurisng prerequisites may be taken online through WCU the summer prior to the start of the program.

Transfer Credit:
To see what courses will transfer into the University to meet the prerequisite requirements you will need to complete the WCU Transfer Application. The application will require all official transcripts and official test scores (AP, CLEP, DANTES, etc.) to be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office for processing. You may also uilize the Credits Earned Elsewhere page to see how courses taken outside of Western Carolina University will transfer into WCU.

You can utilize the NCCC Course Equivalents document to assist you when signing up for prerequisites at a local community college.

Application:
The application is currently available through NursingCAS with applications due on January 15th. Review of applications will begin promptly after the deadline. Face-to-face interviews will take place during the month of February and final decisions will be made in March.

Scoring:
The School of Nursing uses a comprehensive application review for the ABSN Program. Admission selection criteria for eligible applications will be based on:

1. GPA of last 60 Credit Hours - 25%
2. Science GPA (best 3 of 5 sciences) - 25%
3. TEAS Admission Assessment Exam Score - 25%
4. Combined Interview, Resume, and Cover Letter - 25%

ABSN ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE

NC Promise Reduced Tuition Information

There are financial benefits that are possible due to this program change. Students will now be able to work part-time around their class and clinical schedules due to the 14-17 credit hour course load per semester. To learn more, contact the WCU Office of Financial Aid (finaid.wcu.edu) for more information.

Students can also apply for the CFNC Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) opportunity. The priority deadline for applying is April 1. For more information, visit cfnc.org/fels.
There are also a variety of scholarships that may be available to current students, awarded by the School of Nursing and external organizations. To learn more, visit the Nursing Scholarships website.

Information sessions are held monthly (February-November), from 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., at our Biltmore Park instructional site. The sessions are for students wanting more information about the program and admission requirements. Topics that will be covered include general information about the program, admission requirements, prerequisites/transfer equivalencies, preparing for the TEAS exam, etc. A reservation is required. You will receive directions and the room location upon confirmation of your reservation.

 Session Dates:
Thursday, September 26th, 2019
Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019
Monday, November 18th, 2019

Reserve a seat at an upcoming session

If dates are not showing available, all seats have been filled for that date. You can check back to see if someone has dropped their reservation.

*Please Note: Attending an information session is required prior to requesting an individual appointment. We also ask that you complete your WCU application for admission and provide all official trascripts to the University before you ask for evaluation of your coursework.