Bachelor of Science Admission Requirements

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Pre-Nursing Requirements | Nursing Major Admission Requirements
Wisconsin CareGiver Information

Admission to the Pre-Nursing Program (PRN)

Individuals may be considered for admission as pre-nursing students in the Fall, Spring and Summer sessions providing they enter as beginning freshmen or transfer students with more that 24 college credits. Admission to the pre-nursing classification is not a guarantee of later admission to the nursing program (NUR Classification).

Information for Prospective Freshman Students

High school students interested in a career in nursing should pursue a well-rounded and rigorous program with emphasis in mathematics, science, social studies, humanities, foreign languages, and communication skills (oral and written). Chemistry, biology, and advanced biology are strongly recommended. Admission to the university is competitive and selective. There are minimum course requirements for application; however, most students admitted have completed a significantly larger number of courses in all areas.

To apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a freshman, you must submit an application form and high school transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions any time after September 15th, and before February 1st for the Fall in which you want to begin. If applying for Spring Semester, the application deadline is October 1st. Office of Undergraduate Admission contact information is provided above.

UW-Madison Minimum Admission Requirements:		Strongly Recommended Requirements to Prepare for Nursing at UW-Madison:
COURSE	UNIT	COURSE	UNIT
English	4	English	4+
Algebra	1	Algebra	1
Plane Geometry	1	Plane Geometry	1
Advanced Algebra, OR Algebra/Trigonometry, OR Pre-Calculus	1	Algebra/Trigonometry, OR Pre-Calculus Advanced Math OR Calculus	2+
Social Studies	3	Social Studies	4+
Foreign Language	2	Foreign Language (4 of the same language)	4
Science	3	Biology	1
		Chemistry	1
		Physics	1
		Advanced Biology AND/OR Advanced Chemistry	1-2
Electives (e.g. English, Communication Arts, Mathematics, History, Social Studies, Computer Science, Natural Science, OR Statistics)	2	Electives (should include at least one speech course)	2-3

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Information for Prospective Pre-Nursing Students with College Credits:

Students not yet eligible to apply to the nursing major but have at least 24 college credits, may be admitted as a prenursing (PRN) student. This classification does not guarantee later acceptance to the nursing program. Students wishing to enter UW-Madison in the PRN classification must apply by February 1st for summer and fall sessions and October 1st for spring admission. Students submit an application form, high school transcripts, and all college transcripts to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by February 1st for summer and fall admission and October 1st for spring semester admission. The Office of Undergraduate Admission contact information is provided above.

Admission to the Nursing Major (NUR)

Admission to the nursing program is limited and, therefore, competitive. Resources limit the number of students who can be enrolled in the program. Applicants must meet minimum eligibility requirements; however, obtaining or exceeding minimum criteria does not guarantee admission. In recent years, the number of qualified program applicants has exceeded the number who can be admitted to the program.

Students have the opportunity to complete the nursing component of the program at either the UW-Madison campus or the Western Campus for Nursing, located at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Admission to the nursing major is only available for fall semester. All applicants seeking admission to the nursing major must complete an online nursing application. The application deadline is February 1, 2009. This is in addition to the required application to UW-Madison for non UW-Madison students (Please Note: Non UW-Madison students will not be able to access the application to the nursing major until their application to the university has been received and the applicant has been issued and has activated their University of Wisconsin-Madison NetID.).  Transcripts must be submitted to the School of Nursing Undergraduate Admissions Office (K6/146 - Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53792-2455) by February 1.

Academic Requirements

(1) Complete a minimum of 54 semester degree credits of previous college work by the end of the spring semester with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75

(2) Complete the following prerequisites with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (Please note: at least four of the seven prerequisites must be completed by the end of Fall semester 2008 and ALL seven prerequisites must be completed by the end of Spring semester 2009):

Personal Statement Requirement

Submission Requirements: Your personal statement must be submitted at the same time you complete the online application. You will not be allowed to submit your statement at a later time. 

Personal Statement Criteria: Admission to the School of Nursing is determined by a holistic review of each applicant’s qualifications. For this reason, applicants must include a typed personal statement. Your statement gives you the opportunity to tell us what makes you uniquely qualified to be admitted to the UW-Madison School of Nursing. The personal statement is divided into four questions which are stated below:

1. There are many characteristics that contribute to making a great nurse. Nursing is not only a caring, service oriented profession but it also requires one to have the capacity to complete an intellectually rigorous course of study, conduct complex clinical assessments, and make important decisions. Please share with us what has contributed to preparing you to succeed in your nursing career by describing: a) a meaningful experience and, b) a unique personal quality or characteristic.

2. One of the goals of our undergraduate program is to prepare nursing leaders. Please tell us a) what others, such as co-workers, peers, family, or friends would say about your leadership abilities, and b) how you would describe your leadership style.

3. Although we all change as we learn and are exposed to new experiences, we would appreciate it if you would tell us what you currently imagine will be the focus of your professional nursing career.

4. Please include anything else about yourself you feel would be important for us to consider as we review your application for admission.

It is not necessary to rewrite each question in your response. Simply list the questions numerically and include your response to each question.

For example

1. Your response

2. Your response

Save your statement as a word processing file. Include your name at the top of each page.

Formatting Guidelines: Your personal statement should not exceed two pages, double spaced. Use one inch margins and Times New Roman font 12 point. Include your name on both pages and submit with your application.

The statement must be submitted with the online application.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Nursing Application Process

Link to on-line NURSING PROGRAM APPLICATION

Application Deadline Dates

The deadline date to apply for all pre-nursing applicants for Fall or Summer is February 1st and October 1st for Spring term.

Admission to the professional nursing program is available only in the Fall Semester. The deadline for applying is February 1.

College transfer students must submit an application form and all high school and college records to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and those applicants applying directly to the nursing program must also complete the on-line nursing application and submit a copy of all college transcripts to the School of Nursing Undergraduate Admissions Office (K6/146 - Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53792-2455) by February 1st.

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Wisconsin CareGiver Information

UW-Madison nursing students must be in compliance with the Wisconsin Caregiver law. Admission does not guarantee students will be eligible to earn a nursing degree if a criminal offense identified in the required background check prevents participation in clinical placements. The school cannot guarantee eligibility for licensure by the State of Wisconsin or other licensing entity/authority if certain types of criminal offenses are identified.  See the Department of Health and Family Services web site at www.dhfs.state.wi.us for more information regarding WI Act 27.

Financial Aid

Scholarships and/or other forms of financial assistance for undergraduate students at the UW-Madison School of Nursing is available from three sources: The Office of Student Financial Services, scholarships from outside resources, and the School of Nursing. These are described below.

Office of Student Financial Services

The Office of Student Financial Services assists students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and whose personal and family resources are insufficient to cover the costs of college. Awards through this office include loans (including Nursing Student Loans), grants, and work-study assistance. The office also provides small short-term loans for emergency situations and financial counseling to help students manage their money. Students who are parents may apply for the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program (CCTAP). For more information, check out the Office of Student Financial Services web page: http://www.finaid.wisc.edu or contact their office, UW-Madison, 432 N. Murray Street, Madison, WI 53706, (608) 262-3060.

International students with financial needs should contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, 115 Science Hall, Madison, WI 53706, (608) 262-2044.

Scholarships from Outside Organizations

Numerous organizations outside the School of Nursing offer scholarships to nursing students. Nursing associations, hospitals, ROTC and the U.S. Department of Public Health are four examples. Public libraries and high school guidance departments are likely sources of information about these options. In addition, the National League for Nursing (NLN) sells a book, NLN Scholarships and Loans for Nursing Education. (A reference copy of the book NLN Scholarships and Loans for Nursing Education is available in room K6/168 at the School of Nursing.) When information is received by the School of Nursing regarding scholarship opportunities it is publicized on the School of Nurisng web site: http://www.son.wisc.edu/students/index.html and made available in the Student Communication Room, K6/162 at the School of Nursing.

School of Nursing Scholarships

Prospective Students who are in the process of applying for admission to the nursing major and students already admitted to or enrolled in the nursing major are eligible to compete for School of Nursing Scholarships. New and prospective prenursing students are eligible to compete for the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities scholarship. In order to receive School of Nursing scholarships, students must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

For more information about scholarships contact:

Academic Programs
UW-Madison School of Nursing
600 Highland Avenue, K6/146
Madison, WI 53792-2455
(608) 263-5202

If you would prefer to email Gina Florek, Student Services Program Manager, rflorek@wisc.edu just click on the email address and send a message.

Scholarship Application Deadline

Applications should be complete by MARCH 1st and submitted to Academic Programs, K6/146.

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