All BSN applicants are required to submit to the Registrar the following materials:

• A completed application for admission
• Application fee: $30.00 (non-refundable). Pay online after you are in the system (allow 2 business days after you submit your application for processing). Applicants may choose to pay via check or money order payable in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank in the U.S. to: Office of the Registrar, UTHSC-H, P.O. Box 20036
  Houston, Texas 77225
  Note: The application fee is not due by the deadline for your program.
• One official transcript sent directly to the Registrar's Office from each college or university you have attended. If you have attended any school within UTHSC at Houston it is not necessary to request transcripts.
• NET scores should be submitted for the Basic BSN program and the Accelerated BSN program prior to the application deadline date.
  Scores over 2 years old are not acceptable. Official scores should be sent by the testing agency to the Registrar’s Office.
• R.N.'s applying to the program must provide evidence of current Texas RN licensure.
• All transient, non-degree, and baccalaureate applicants must provide proof of satisfactory completion of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). Acceptable performance as set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on either the ACT, SAT or TAKS exams.
• A course-by-course descriptive evaluation from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) for international students who have completed part or all of their education outside the U.S. (see "Foreign Transcripts" below)
• One official copy of your TOEFL score if international applicant
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Baccalaureate education in nursing is based upon a study of the sciences and humanities/arts and provides a foundation for continuing personal, professional, and educational development. The curriculum is designed to allow the student the opportunity to become a competent, self-directed nursing generalist who is able to critically think and function in a variety of settings. The program requires full-time study and many of our students find it difficult to work while in the program. Classes are held during the weekdays, however there are occasionally clinicals offered in the evenings or on weekends as an option.

Generally, applicants to the upper division Bachelor of Science in Nursing program are considered on the basis of the following criteria:

• Completed application
• Grade point average in prerequisite course work
• Science grade point average
• Overall academic achievement
• TOEFL for applicants whose native language is not English and have not graduated from an English-speaking university
• Personal Interview
• Writing sample completed at the time of interview

During the interview process, the applicant may be evaluated on additional elements which may include: communication skills, experience in dealing with people, experience in health care, ability to articulate career goals, community service, and extra curricular activities.

Evaluation of the total information available to the Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee for each program leads to the final decision for acceptance into the program.

FOREIGN TRANSCRIPTS

The Baccalaureate Program of Nursing requires that all applicants who have completed part or all of their education at schools outside of the United States submit their transcripts for a course-by-course descriptive evaluation through the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., P.O. Box 92970, Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970. The Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. is an agency which specializes in the evaluation of foreign educational credentials. The use of this professional service will aid in both time and accuracy of the evaluation of your educational credentials. An official copy of foreign transcripts are required to be sent directly to the Registrar's Office. [Top]

Accelerated BSN program -If you have a bachelor's degree in another field and are considering changing career paths to nursing, we have two options for you. Our Accelerated BSN program may meet your needs if you are looking for a program that gets you into the workforce as quickly as possible. For those seeking a more traditional educational pace, the traditional BSN program can be completed in 21 months and students have the option of completing up to 10 hours of masters-level coursework during this time.

If you currently are a Registered Nurse with an associate degree or diploma, our RN-BSN/MSN program is for you. This program allows you to complete your BSN in 12 months while attending courses as little as once-a-week.

UT/UTMB Accelerated Second Degree Program - This is a 12-month accelerated program for qualified applicants with a prior 4-year degree. Applicants must have a prior 4-year degree and be completing the prerequisite courses for the BSN program. The program begins in early May. Applicants must be complete with all prerequisite coursework by May. The curriculum combines online courses, face-to-face courses and clinical experiences in a compressed format in order to cover all of the necessary materials. It requires intensive full-time study and students in this program cannot work while completing it. Admissions are highly competitive and include 2 separate "interviews." Applicants who are not accepted into this program will be considered for the traditional 21-month BSN program. - a separate application is not required.

This will be an intensive program of study with all of the theory courses offered online. There will also be clinical, labs and a weekly seminar each week on campus. Students will take 20 hours each of the three semesters. UTMB is offering half of the theory courses and UT Houston campus will offer half. There will be 15 students on the Houston campus and 15 on the Galveston campus the first year. [Top]

An RN-BSN/MSN student may substitute a maximum of six (6) semester hours of MSN level courses for the BSN degree requirements. A maximum of ten (10) credit hours (with grades earned of "B" or better) are transferable toward the MSN degree.

To take these specific graduate level courses, the applicant must submit a minimum score of fifty (50) on the Miller Analogy Test (or 400 on all tests after 10/1/2004) or a cumulative score of 1,000 total on the first two sections of the Graduate Record Exam.  

The approved courses are: N5501 Theoretical Foundations in Nursing, N5506 Statistics in Nursing, N6101 Clinical and Epidemiologic Research for Advanced Nursing Practice and N6151 Advanced Pathophysiology. Other master’s level courses may be taken with the permission of graduate faculty.

All students must have basic computer skills.  A computer is required for all students.  Students are advised not to purchase a computer before they are familiar with required specifications.

THE RN-BSN/MSN PROGRAM IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF ADMISSION TO THE MSN PROGRAM. [Top]

All applicants are required to submit to the Registrar the following materials:

• A completed application for admission
• Application fee: $30.00 (non-refundable). Pay online after you are in the system or send check or money order payable in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank in the U.S. to: Office of the Registrar, UTHSC-H, P.O. Box 20036
  Houston, Texas 77225
  Note: The application fee is not due by the deadline for your program.
• Official scores for the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test or the Millers Analogies Test. Note: GRE scores need to be sent directly from the Testing Center on data disks and may take up to 3 weeks for us to receive scores from ETS.
• One official copy of your transcript from each institution attended. If you have attended any school within the UTH-HSC it is not necessary to request a transcript
• Three references
• One official copy of your TOEFL score if international applicant,
• Evidence of current Texas Nursing Licensure,
• One Basic Statistics course required,
• A copy of your resume or vitae,
• A course by course evaluation of foreign credentials by the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., Box 92970, Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970. [Top]

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program is a practice doctorate that will prepare advanced practice nurses to be clinical scholars recognized for outstanding patient care and leadership in nursing practice and health care organizations. The program is a part time, post-masters program that will initially admit advanced practice nurses who are nurse practitioners.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program is designed to prepare faculty scholars and clinicians who will develop, test and implement innovations in health care delivery and will be prepared to teach the next generation of nurses in advanced practice.

Doctoral graduates of the program are expected to engage in any combination of three career options:

• faculty positions in schools or colleges of nursing
• directors and investigators in nursing-related research programs
• advanced practice roles in health care delivery

All applicants are required to submit to the Registrar the following materials:

• A completed application for admission
• Application fee: $30.00 (non-refundable). Pay online after you are in the system or send check or money order payable in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank in the U.S. to: Office of the Registrar, UTHSC-H, P.O. Box 20036
  Houston, Texas 77225
  Note: The application fee is not due by the deadline for your program.
• One official copy of your transcript sent directly to the Registrar's Office from each college or university attended. If you have attended any school within UTHSC at Houston it is not necessary to request transcripts.
• Eligibility for licensure to practice as a registered nurse in Texas. Evidence of national certification in a nursing specialty is desired but is not required for admission.
• Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score report from ETS within the last five years. (GRE institution number 6906) Information about the GRE can be obtained by contacting:
  

  Graduate Record Examinations
  Educational Testing Service
  P.O. Box 6000
  Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
  or by telephoning (609)771-7670
  NOTE: GRE scores need to be sent directly from the Testing Center on data disks and may take up to 4 weeks for us to receive scores from ETS.
  

• Applicants whose native language is not English and have not graduated from an English-speaking university must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score which can be no more than two years old. Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Information and application booklets for the TOEFL exam and ECE may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.
• Three letters of recommendation from university professors and employers (at least one possessing an earned doctoral degree).
• A professional Curriculum Vitae and a portfolio which documents practice expertise, scholarly activities, and publications.
• One copy each of no more than two publications or papers that you think best represent your scholarly work. Do not send a copy of your Master’s thesis. A copy of the thesis abstract or a manuscript based on your Master’s thesis research project may be submitted.
• A 500-word TYPED statement of area of practice interest, career goals, and reasons for desiring doctoral study. Submit directly to the Nursing Student Affairs Office, HMB 6.100 (see address above).

Applicants may be interviewed by faculty members to provide an opportunity to assess whether the program interfaces with the applicant's educational needs and career goals. The match of the applicant's interest and goals with faculty members' areas of research, scholarship, teaching, and practice expertise is also assessed. [Top]