Nursing Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

1. Acceptance to Spalding University. Traditional undergraduate and transfer applicants, apply here. (Admission to Spalding University does not guarantee you admission to the nursing program. You must also apply to the School of Nursing.)
2. A completed application for admission to the Spalding University School of Nursing.
3. Completion of an American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Course.
4. Completion of NURS 301; or completion of CNA course (within the last two years); or be listed on the Nurse Aide Registry. Licensure is not required. The CNA requirement is waived for LPNs or Certified Medical Assistants or Persons with recent experience as a nursing assistant.
5. A completed TEAS (Reading, Math, English & Science) Entrance Exam at most two (2) years prior to application to the School of Nursing. Students have unlimited number of attempts to achieve a minimum required score of 60% on each section. Register for the TEAS exam here.
6. A student’s GPA will be taken into account when determining their eligibility
   1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Science courses must have been completed within the last ten (10) years from the date of program start.
      • BIO 251 – Anatomy & Physiology 1 and BIO 253 – Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab
      • BIO 252 – Anatomy & Physiology 2 and BIO 254 – Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lab
      • BIO 256 – Microbiology and BIO257 – Microbiology Lab
      • BIO 301 – Pathophysiology
      • CHEM 106 – Chemistry for the Allied Health Services
   2. If the cumulative pre-requisite science core GPA is between 2.5 and 2.74, a student may be considered for admission if the following criteria are met:
      • Cumulative GPA of 3.0
      • Additional pre-requisite courses are completed with a grade of “C” or higher.
   3. A student is not eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program if they earn two (2) or more unsatisfactory final course grades in the same course or any combination of the science courses (as listed above). Exception: Students may drop two (2) unsatisfactory final course grades in the science core courses (listed above), if the course(s) were completed 5 or more years prior to the program start date.
7. Satisfactory completion of all required criminal background and immunization documents, including a mandatory drug test.
8. Attend a mandatory BSN Program Orientation. The dates will be provided at the time of admission.
9. The program reserves the right to request additional information or a personal interview.
10. All prerequisite courses, including labs, must be completed prior to official acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Transfer Students: Transfer students from other nursing programs are accepted on a case-by-case evaluation by the BSN faculty. Students with only one (1) withdrawal or failure in a nursing course may be considered. Students dismissed from another nursing program or ineligible for re-admission to an academic program in which they were previously enrolled are not eligible for admission to the Spalding School of Nursing for a period of five (5) years.

Conditional Admission: Upon conditional admission, the following additional requirements must be completed by the required deadline: CastleBranch account activation and uploading of required immunizations, certifications, and screenings. All conditionally admitted students must also meet all requirements of the conditional admission with required grades earned and successful completion of all general education and pre-requisites courses including labs.

Admission Requirements

1. Acceptance to Spalding University. Accelerated BSN student applicants, apply here. (Admission to Spalding University does not guarantee you admission to the nursing program. You must also apply to the School of Nursing.)
2. A completed application for admission to the Spalding University School of Nursing.
3. Completion of an American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Course.
4. Completion of NURS 301; or completion of CNA course (within the last two years); or be listed on the Nurse Aide Registry. Licensure is not required. The CNA requirement is waived for LPNs or Certified Medical Assistants or Persons with recent experience as a nursing assistant. 
5. A completed TEAS (Reading, Math, English & Science) Entrance Exam at most two (2) years prior to application to the School of Nursing. Students have unlimited number of attempts to achieve a minimum required score of 60% on each section. Register for the TEAS exam here.
6. A student’s GPA will be taken into account when determining their eligibility
   1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Please note, science courses must have been completed within the last ten (10) years from the date of program start.
      • BIO 251 – Anatomy & Physiology 1 and BIO 253 – Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab
      • BIO 252 – Anatomy & Physiology 2 and BIO 254 – Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lab
      • BIO 256 – Microbiology and BIO257 – Microbiology Lab
      • BIO 301 – Pathophysiology
      • CHEM 106 – Chemistry for the Allied Health Services
   2. If the cumulative pre-requisite science core GPA is between 2.5 and 2.74, a student may be considered for admission if the following criteria are met:
      • Cumulative GPA of 3.0
      • Additional pre-requisite courses are completed with a grade of “C” or higher.
   3. A student is not eligible for admission to the Second Degree/Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program if they earn two (2) or more unsatisfactory final course grades in the same course or any combination of the science courses (as listed above). Exception: Students may drop two (2) unsatisfactory final course grades in the science core courses (listed above), if the course(s) were completed 5 or more years prior to the program start date; students must still complete the five required core science courses with a final course grade of C or higher.
7. Satisfactory completion of all required criminal background and immunization documents, including a mandatory drug test. 
8. Attend a mandatory BSN Program Orientation. The dates will be provided at the time of admission.
9. The program reserves the right to request additional information or a personal interview.
10. All prerequisite courses, including labs, must be completed prior to official acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Transfer Students: Transfer students from other nursing programs are accepted on a case-by-case evaluation by the BSN faculty. Students with only one (1) withdrawal or failure in a nursing course may be considered. Students dismissed from another nursing program or ineligible for re-admission to an academic program in which they were previously enrolled are not eligible for admission to the Spalding School of Nursing for a period of five (5) years.

Conditional Admission: Upon conditional admission, the following additional requirements must be completed by the required deadline: CastleBranch account activation and uploading of required immunizations, certifications, and screenings. All conditionally admitted students must also meet all requirements of the conditional admission with required grades earned and successful completion of all general education and pre-requisites courses including labs.

Admission Requirements

1. Admission to Spalding University.
2. An active, unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse (licensure is required to be maintained throughout the program.)
3. An associate’s degree or diploma in nursing. (All general education requirements are considered to be met if an appropriate associate’s degree has been earned.)

Transfer Credits

We accept up to 90 credit hours to meet nursing and general education requirements.  You can transfer up to 60 credit hours for an earned associate’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university to meet general education requirements and up to 30 credit for an active nursing license.

Application Deadline

The MSN program accepts the application on a rolling basis, so you can apply at any time. Qualified applicants will be admitted first come, first served until capacity.

MSN-FNP applicants are encouraged to complete the application and all supplemental items by April 27. Classes start at the beginning of May each year.

The on-campus (hybrid) program has different deadlines and start dates from the online MSN-FNP program. Use the program link to check for upcoming start dates and deadlines.

The requirements outlined below are applicable to all MSN specialty tracks (FNP, PMHNP, Nurse Educator and Nursing and Healthcare Leadership).

Admission Requirements

1. Baccalaureate degree in Nursing (BSN) from a regionally accredited college or university. Non BSN degree applicants are considered for the RN to MSN and RN to MSN Bridge courses of study.
2. Completion of the Spalding University Online application and submission of all required documents including provision of official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate courses.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Because all MSN programs of study require precepted practice hours, the applicant must hold an unencumbered, current nursing license in the state in which they will perform practice hours (or a Compact license to include the state in which they will perform practice hours).
5. Two letters of recommendation. One recommendation is preferred from a current or recent employer. The second recommendation is preferred from a current and/or recent academic faculty member who can speak to the applicant’s ability to successfully complete academic work.
6. A typed essay of the proposed student’s professional goals and how graduate study will support these goals (minimum of 500 words and maximum of 2 typed pages).
7. Health records are required to include: TB skin test/Chest x-ray, Hepatitis vaccination series, immunization records at a minimum. Other records may be requested to meet current health situations.
8. Evidence of health insurance must be maintained (NP program specific) and evidence of personal malpractice insurance is preferred.
9. An in-person or virtual interview with graduate faculty as appropriate to each specialty track.
10. Any identified deficiencies in undergraduate coursework must be completed before students are eligible for full admission to the program. Every student situation is different and extenuating or mitigating circumstances may be considered for provisional acceptance into the program if recommended by the MSN faculty and approved by the Chair of the School of Nursing.
11. All admissions into the MSN program are recommended by the MSN faculty and approved by the Director of Graduate Programs for the School of Nursing.

Transfer Credits

For the MSN-FNP program, you are allowed to transfer up to 6 credit hours if faculty deem that the credits earned match the course description(s) of Spalding University courses.

Application Deadline

We accept applications on a rolling basis. Apply at any time. Classes begin every eight weeks with multiple start dates throughout the year.

Admission Requirements

1. A completed online application for the Spalding University Doctor of Nursing Practice program
2. A master’s degree in nursing or equivalent (i.e. Master of Public Health) from an accredited program
3. A cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale)
4. A current unencumbered RN license or privilege to practice in the state where practicum hours will be earned
5. A current resume or curriculum vitae
6. Provision of official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study
7. Two letters of reference from professional resources from your current or previous employment or academic facility
8. Documentation of clinical hours accrued during attainment of MSN (or equivalent) degree (see the Post-Baccalaureate Verification of Clinical Hours Form)
9. Submission of an essay documenting both your short term and long term career goals and how the attainment of a Doctor of Nursing Practice will support the vision for your professional future (500 word limit)
10. A telephone or personal interview may be requested