Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Northwest

• Minimum Cumulative GPA
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, calculated across all college-level coursework submitted for admission review. Applicants with a GPA below 2.7 will not be considered for admission regardless of other qualifications.
• HESI A2 Entrance Examination
  • Minimum composite score of 75% required. The highest score across eligible attempts will be used. HESI A2 scores must be within 3 years of the application date. Maximum of 2 attempts per calendar year (January 1 to December 31); 60-day waiting period required between attempts. Required sections: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary & General Knowledge, Grammar, Mathematics, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Chemistry.
• Prerequisite Coursework
  • All general studies (core and institutional requirements) in addition to the nursing prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the term you are applying. All nursing pre-requisite courses must be completed with C or better, prior to the first day of the application semester. Science courses must have been completed within the previous 10 years; older courses require re-completion. Nursing pre-requisite courses that must be complete with a C or above: BIOL 04-236 (Anatomy Allied Health), BIOL 04-238 (Physiology Allied Health), BIOL 04-102 (General Biology), BIOL 04-103 (General Biology lab), CHEM 24-112 (General Chemistry), CHEM 24-113 (General Chemistry Lab), HPER 22-541 (Human Pathophysiology), ENGL 10-111 (Composition I: Academic Literacies), PSYC 08-103 (General Psychology), PHIL 39-276 (Biomedical Ethics).
• English Proficiency
  • Students for whom English is not their primary language must meet the same general admission requirements as all other student.
• Application Deadline
  • August 15 for the spring semester; January 15 for the fall semester. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the specified deadline date.
• Upon Initial Acceptance, students will also need to:
  • Satisfactory criminal background check (required as a continued condition of admission).
  • Complete a urine drug screening (required as a continued condition of admission).
  • Register with the Family Care Safety Registry
  • Provide proof of immunizations. (required immunizations must be completed prior to clinical placement).
  • Complete CPR certification (BLS)
• Licensure Eligibility
  • Applicants must be aware that completion of the program does not guarantee eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-RN. See Missouri Nursing Practice Act §335.066, RSMo.

Admission criteria reflect the student's potential to complete the program and to meet the standards required to apply for licensure as a registered professional nurse, per 20 CSR 2200-2.090(1)(C)1–2 and §§335.046.1 and 335.066, RSMo. Admission to the program does not guarantee eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the Missouri Nursing Practice Act §335.066, RSMo, which identifies grounds for denial of licensure. Any applicant with a prior criminal history, disciplinary action on a professional license, or other circumstances that may affect licensure eligibility is strongly encouraged to contact the Missouri State Board of Nursing prior to applying to the program.

Students must be able to meet the technical standards for professional nursing practice, which include, but are not limited to: sufficient physical mobility and strength to perform patient care; adequate visual and auditory acuity to observe patients and respond to clinical cues; sufficient cognitive ability to learn, apply, and evaluate nursing knowledge; and the emotional and behavioral stability to function safely in clinical environments. Reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities will be provided consistent with institutional policy and applicable law. Applicants who have questions about accommodations should contact the Northwest Missouri State University Office of Accessibility prior to applying.

Meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission. When the number of qualified applicants exceeds available seats in a cohort, admission decisions will be made through a competitive review process. Qualified applicants will be ranked using a weighted selection formula applied consistently to all applicants in the pool.

The weighted selection criteria are:

In the event of a tie in weighted ranking scores, the following tiebreakers will be applied in order: (1) higher prerequisite science grades; (2) higher HESI A2 composite score; (3) earlier application submission date and time. All selection criteria and tiebreaker procedures are applied consistently and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law, consistent with 20 CSR 2200-2.090(1)(A).