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RN-BSN
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Start?
Most students find that the preliminary transcript review answers many of their initial questions. Of course, the review tends to raise other questions. This is a good thing! There is no "one way" for RNs to return to school. Faculty and staff in the RN-BSN Progression Program at The University of Iowa College of Nursing are essential guides in developing plans of study that will fit your schedule and clinical focus. You will find that other students can also provide help and encouragement.
When to Start?
Now may be the time.
You will find your own pace, of course. Many working adults find that they must limit their enrollment to a single course a semester. We can help you find courses that are flexible enough to fit even some of the busiest times of life.
The length of time it takes to complete the BSN will vary considerably from one student to another. If you have a frame of time within which you must complete the major, talk with the RN-BSN program staff or your faculty advisor about developing a plan of study to accommodate prerequisites and major courses in the shortest possible time.
Who Can Help?
Staff in the RN-BSN Program Office are your best early resource for information about program requirements and course offerings in the area. We are prepared to provide individual advising by phone and email since the program office maintains copies of advising worksheets and plans of study.
You will also find, especially once you get started with a few classes, that other students can provide essential support and encouragement. Stay on the lookout for RNs in classes you take at the community college or here at the UI. You may find it helpful to organize for carpooling or informal study groups. And sometimes it just helps to have people who know what you're going through or who are trudging along beside you.
What classes will I need to take?
Which class should I take first?
Is there a limit on community college transfer?
What happens if I exceed the limit?
How do I know when I've reached the limit for community college transfer?
Are there courses offered at my local community college that do not directly transfer to Iowa?
Are there requirements I can petition or challenge?
How many hours of elective credit will I need?
Do I need to make an appointment with an advisor?
When should I apply to The University of Iowa?
What is the expectation for grade point average for BSN students?
How do I find out about program revisions or course updates?
Am I eligible for scholarships and awards?
Would it be a good idea to visit the campus in Iowa City?
What classes will I need to take?
Nearly all RN students must take the courses required for the online nursing major . There are:
• five non-clinical or theory courses, and
• three practicum courses.
• a minimum of 5 semester hours (sh) of nursing electives .
Most students must complete some additional supporting and prerequisite courses before they can begin the nursing major. Typically, RN students need prerequisites in composition II and statistics. Most will also need supporting courses. RN-BSN students take at least three courses which "support" the BSN, choosing from the biophysical sciences, the social sciences, or business/management content areas.
The BSN general education requirement for foreign language is satisfied by two years of the same foreign language in high school or two semesters of foreign language at the college level. Students who graduated from high school prior to 1991 are exempt from the foreign language requirement.
The BSN requires 128 sh of coursework and nearly all students find that they need two or three general education courses (for example, speech, literature, cultural anthropology, history, ethics...) plus anywhere from 1 to 9 sh of general electives , depending on the number of hours earned from transfer work.
Which class should I take first?
If you've been away from the school routine for a few years, it's sometimes a good idea to enroll in a course that helps you to get back into that routine. For some people, that's a class with a regular meeting time, perhaps offered locally at a community college or a supporting course or nursing elective offered online through The University of Iowa.
Others need the flexibility of a Guided Independent Study (GIS) course, where you can set your own pace. Finding time to do the reading and assignments for a GIS course, without the guidance and structure of an on-site instructor, is often part of the challenge. Carefully choosing the course for your first GIS enrollment can make a big difference in your success. Look for a course that matches your personal or professional interests and strengths.
We often recommend starting with a prerequisite supporting course. Focusing first on completing prerequisites is a good way to give yourself the option of starting the nursing major as soon as possible. Because general education and elective courses can be taken at any point prior to graduation, they can be fit in before, during, or after completion of the major courses.
In general, however, most students benefit from completing all prerequisite, supporting, and general education courses prior to beginning the nursing major. Taking those courses prior to beginning the major gives you the opportunity to develop writing and communications skills, library search skills, critical thinking skills, computer skills -- all important components for success in the major and beyond.
Is there a limit on community college transfer?
Yes. All three Regents universities in Iowa limit community college transfer to one-half of the hours required for a baccalaureate. Since the BSN is a 128 hour degree, students can therefore transfer up to 64 sh from a community college.
What happens if I exceed the limit?
Courses that are taken beyond the 64 sh allowed in transfer can certainly be used to satisfy specific BSN requirements and the grades earned do count as part of the cumulative grade point average. However, the credit hours do not count toward the 128 sh needed to graduate.
How do I know when I've reached the limit for community college transfer?
The preliminary review of all transcripts usually provides an accurate count of accrued community college credit. We are happy to update the review and re-count the accrued hours as you make progress toward degree. Simply provide copies of updated transcripts, including courses recently completed, and request an update of community college transfer. At the preliminary stage, official transcripts are usually not needed. Sometimes grade reports that are sent to the student provide all that is needed for an update (catalog course number, name of the course, hours earned, and grade earned).
Are there courses offered at my local community college that do not directly transfer toward the BSN?
The vocational-technical courses you completed as part of your associate degree in nursing do not directly transfer. In fact, it is rare that courses identified by the community college registrar as "vocational-technical" will transfer directly to the BSN. If you are unsure about the transferability of a course, it is wise to check with the RN-BSN Program Office before registering. We are happy to check on the transferability of specific courses.
Are there requirements I can petition or challenge?
Yes. Some RN-BSN students have been successful in petitioning rhetoric, either the composition or speech components or both. Not all challenge exams carry academic credit. It may be helpful to talk with the RN-BSN Program Office about petitioning or challenging a requirement.
How many hours of elective credit will I need?
The number of electives needed will vary depending on the amount earned in transfer. This question can be answered fairly accurately with the preliminary review of transcripts.
For example, RN-BSN students have earned at least 32 sh of lower-division college credit with the associate degree or diploma in nursing. Taking composition, speech, statistics, and three supporting courses at the local community college may earn the student another 18 sh of credit, up to a total of 50 sh of community college transfer.
There are three general education courses required for graduation. Students must take at least 3 sh in each of the three areas, for a minimum of 9 sh. Adding this 9 sh to our total of 50 brings the total hours earned toward degree to 59 sh.
Completing the required courses in the nursing major will result in an additional 30 sh of credit, for a total of 89 sh earned toward degree. All RN students are awarded a block of upper division nursing credit (32 sh), once they have been admitted to the College of Nursing and successfully complete the first clinical course in the major. This block of credit brings the total to 112 sh. So, in this example, the student may expect to need 7 sh of general elective credit.
Do I need to make an appointment with an advisor?
The RN-BSN Program Office is your best initial resource for information and planning. Once the preliminary review of transcripts has been done, we encourage you to develop a semester plan of study with staff in the RN-BSN Program Office or with the regional faculty coordinator. You should keep your copy as a guide, perhaps sharing a copy with family members and with your workplace supervisor. These plans are primarily for your use, but a copy is kept in your advising record as well so that we can easily work with you to revise the plan to fit changing schedules and goals.
Students are also strongly advised to take advantage of the assigned faculty advisor, once admitted to the College of Nursing to begin the nursing major. Students located outside the Iowa City area typically connect with the faculty coordinator very early in the process. Your faculty advisor is available to serve as a guide and mentor, particularly in developing educational goals beyond the BSN. Clinical faculty also maintain good working relationships with a wide variety of clinical agencies in the area and are excellent sounding boards for career planning.
When should I apply to The University of Iowa ?
Most students are admitted directly to the College of Nursing to enroll in the first nursing courses in the major, typically 96:190 Dimensions of Professional Nursing and 96:191 Health Assessment, offered Summer Sessions only for RN-BSN students. The deadline for filing an undergraduate application to the College of Nursing for a summer session is January 15, but students can apply any time up to a year ahead of that deadline. When the deadline for application passes, your admission file should show that you have completed or will soon be completing the last of your prerequisite and supporting courses. Providing complete information about past and present enrollments will help to assure that there are no delays in processing your application.
Occasionally, students need to be admitted earlier to The University of Iowa, typically for financial aid purposes. If you are eligible for any of the federal financial aid programs or if you are eligible for tuition assistance through the military, it may be to your advantage to file an application to the University of Iowa 's College of Liberal Arts as a prenursing (RN) student. RN-BSN students can be admitted any session to the College of Liberal Arts. The Liberal Arts application deadline for summer and fall sessions is May 15. The application deadline for spring session is November 15. Contact the RN-BSN Program Office well ahead of application deadlines to discuss your plans.
What is the expectation for grade point average for BSN students?
In order to be considered for admission to the College of Nursing , students must present a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 . Because The University of Iowa uses a cumulative gpa for admission purposes, you need to be aware that the cumulative grade point average is made up of all college-level work. Therefore, any vocational-technical courses you completed at a technical or community college do not directly transfer and do not count toward the cumulative GPA.
The College of Nursing reviews the records of all applicants to the RN-BSN Progression Program on a competitive basis, once the deadline of January 15 has passed. The majority of RN-BSN students applying to the College of Nursing present grade points that are well over the minimum 2.5 GPA. Reviewers also look at the supporting GPA, which is made up of grades earned in prerequisite and supporting courses only.
We are happy to work with students who may be concerned about raising the overall gpa before applying. In fact, this is part of the preliminary review process. If advisors are aware of concerns early on, we can work with you to explore ways to identify and address content deficiencies or study skills problems. It may also be necessary to design a plan of study that addresses the problem of "old" grades earned in previous majors, but continuing to contribute to a low overall gpa.
How do I find out about program revisions or course updates?
It is a good idea to stay in touch with the RN-BSN Program Office on a semester or at least yearly basis. If you are enrolling in courses each semester, a photocopy of your grade reports will update the advising record on file for you and prompt a mailing regarding any updates.
Faculty and staff in the RN-BSN Program are part of an electronic discussion group called the RN listserve. Students admitted to the program are required to subscribe to this Listserve and find it a convenient and effective way to communicate and receive information. Although much of the discussion relates to classes and events in the nursing major, prospective RN-BSN students are welcome to subscribe and "listen in." Click here for instructions about subscribing or email kathy-keasler@uiowa.edu and ask to be added.
Contact the RN-BSN Program Office (nursing-rn-bsn@uiowa.edu) at any time with questions or concerns.
Am I eligible for scholarships and awards?
Once admitted, students can be considered for scholarships and awards administered by the College of Nursing . Also, there may be clubs and professional organizations in your community that provide scholarships directly to individuals. Such scholarships may be applied to University of Iowa tuition.
The University of Iowa 's Center for Credit Programs Office also offers scholarships to non-admitted students taking online or Guided Independent Study courses. Check their website for information about these scholarships. http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/ccp/stuserv/ss_scholarships.htm
Tuition reimbursement for RN-BSN students is sometimes available from your employer. If this is a benefit you are eligible for, please note that we are happy to assist you in providing verification of registration to your employer. If official verification is required, we can direct you to the Office of the Registrar for official university verification.
Would it be a good idea to visit the campus in Iowa City ?
As a prospective student, you may or may not be familiar with the UI campus. We enjoy welcoming students to the Iowa City campus and especially hope you will visit the Nursing Building . Although many of our students do not live and work in the Iowa City area, if you find that you will be in Iowa City for personal or professional reasons and will have time to stop by the Nursing Building, we hope you'll do so. In fact, give us a call and we'll give you the Grand Tour!! You are always welcome.
There are a number of occasions when you are especially invited to visit the Iowa City campus. Each spring semester, members of the student nursing organization, along with the honorary nursing society Sigma Theta Tau, plan and present a special event called Progressive Nursing Day. A nationally recognized nursing leader is always invited as a keynote speaker and there are panels and discussion opportunities to complement the speaker's theme. There is also a recruiting and academic fair as part of the day. This is a great time to meet nursing students and faculty and to participate in a nursing continuing education event all at the same time.
Many RN-BSN students are recognized for academic achievement while they are in the College of Nursing . The College of Nursing is pleased to sponsor one of the oldest chapters of Sigma Theta Tau in the country and each year invites highly qualified students to join this prestigious honor society. The induction ceremony for Sigma Theta Tau is a very special day for honored students and their families.
Commencement is another special day that we would not want you to miss. This very special event is on campus each May for nursing graduates. Students who complete requirements in December have the opportunity to participate in a combined Liberal Arts/Nursing commencement held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The University of Iowa also confers degrees during the summer session.
We hope to welcome you soon to the College of Nursing , assist you in meeting the challenges that await you, and share your joy and sense of accomplishment as you meet your goal of a BSN!
