UTMB School of Nursing offers an accelerated baccalaureate program for students who hold a degree in another field and wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The program is an intensive and rigorous program that is completed in three semesters. Upon completion of the BACC2 program, students will be prepared to sit for the state board exam administered in Austin to become a Registered Nurse. The program enrolls in the spring semester only. To be eligible to apply, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in their first degree and complete 60semester hours of prerequisite courses. Students are not permitted to work during their year of enrollment; however, financial assistance is available through loans, grants, and scholarships for students who apply.

Admission Requirements

All applicants to the Fall 2010 Baccalaureate pre-licensure programs (accelerated_ Bacc2 and Traditional –Generic) are required to take the ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute) TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) test and the test of Critical Thinking. The results of this assessment is included in the overall evaluation of your application for admission. These tests can be scheduled through the at an  ATI testing site:

PRIOR TO THE TEST:
Go to the ATI testing site at: www.atitesting.com. Register on the site so that you will be ready to begin testing once you arrive for the TEAS. Attached is information on how to register. Select a username and password you will remember. Be sure when you arrive at the testing center that you know these.

Every college-level educational program begins with a solid foundation in Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage. Your previous educational roles might have given you all the preparation you need. However, you might have just gotten by, or perhaps it’s been quite a while since you had to tackle those subjects in school.
ATI TEAS has four parts that ask you to answer multiple-choice questions covering the following:

• Reading – paragraph comprehension, passage comprehension, and inferences/conclusions (40 items, 50 minutes)
• Math – whole numbers, metric conversion, fractions, decimals, algebraic equations, percentages, and ratio/proportion (45 items, 56 minutes)
• Science –science reasoning, science knowledge, biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, basic physical principles, and general science (30 items, 38 minutes)
• English and Language Usage – punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, contextual words, and spelling (55 items, 65 minutes)

The Critical Thinking test has 40 questions.

ATI also has a study manual available for purchase.

In addition to general University admission requirements, applicants for all BSN Tracks must satisfy the following, based on a 4.0 grading scale:

• Achieve an overall GPA of 3.0.
• Complete 60 hours of prerequisites with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 on required life and physical science prerequisites.
• Achieve a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses.
• Complete a minimum of two required life and physical science prerequisite courses prior to application submission (Chemistry, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology I or II, Nutrition, Science Elective)
• Submit an application for admission and application fee. Students must complete an application via the web on the Office of Enrollment Services web site.
• Arrange for an official transcript to be sent from each academic institution attended
• Complete the Basic Life Support Health Care Provider Course covering adult, infant, child and two man CPR. (Certification must be current through the duration of enrollment).
• A minimum of 40 of the 61 hours of prerequisites must be completed in order to apply for admission to the program. All 61 hours of prerequisites must be completed prior to beginning the Accelerated Baccalaureate program.
• BS/BA degree must be from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher education. Applicants who have completed their education at schools outside of the U.S. must submit their transcripts for a course-by-course descriptive evaluation through one of the preferred organizations (a list of the preferred organizations is available in the Office of Enrollment Services). An official copy of foreign transcripts are required to be sent directly to Enrollment Services from the academic institution. Electronic transcripts sent directly from the academic institution are considered official and should be sent to Enrollment Services.
• Undergo and pass a criminal background check. For more information please see the security screening information page located on this site.
• Complete a CPR course for health care providers covering infant, child, adult and two man CPR.  Please visit the American Heart Association's web page to locate a course in your geographical area.

Completed applications and all transcripts should be sent directly to:

Office of Enrollment Services

University Admissions – 1.212 Ashbel Smith Building
The University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX 77555-1305
(409) 772-1215

Immunizations Requirements

Evidence of immunizations required by UTMB must be submitted to Student Wellness for verification and processing, including documentation for COMPLETED three dose series of Hepatitis B vaccines and a positive Hepatitis B antibody titer. All immunization requirements must be met to proceed in a clinical course. Students who are not in compliance with the above policy will not be permitted to participate in clinical activities.

Clinical Facilities

The students’ experiences in clinical practice areas are designed to prepare them to function effectively in the current health care system. A large variety of clinical facilities are used, including the inpatient, ambulatory and home care services provided by UTMB at Galveston. In addition, other hospitals, long-term care, rehabilitation, and other community-based agencies in the Houston-Galveston area are used to provide students with opportunities to build a strong foundation in clinical practice.

Graduation Requirements

Eligibility for graduation:

• Completion of the curriculum within 6 years from the date of first enrollment with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all 60 semester hours of required courses in the School of Nursing and cumulative overall GPA of 2.0 for all work undertaken at UTMB.
• Completion of a minimum of 30 of the final 35 upper-division hours in residence at the School of Nursing and an official transcript of any courses taken outside the UTMB School of Nursing.
• Successful completion of all NURS 4100 requirements (see NCLEX-RN© preparation policy).

For more information regarding graduation activities please visit the Commencement home page.

Texas Core Curriculum Requirements

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires that all students successfully complete the Texas Core Curriculum requirements prior to graduation. Consequently, students receiving a baccalaureate degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing must successfully complete the Texas Core Curriculum requirements prior to graduation.

To view a list of the Texas Core Curriculum requirements or obtain additional information please visit the following:
http://statecore.its.txstate.edu or http://www.utmb.edu/enrollmentservices/prospect/admissions/corecurriculumpolicy.htm