Admission Policies

5.1 Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the RN to BSN in Nursing degree program a student must satisfy the following requirements:

Have a minimum of 60 SH of transferable credit from accredited colleges or universities (waived for diploma nurses)
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above
Hold current state licensure as an RN
Be working or volunteering as an RN at least 10 hours per week
Complete the background clearances through Castle Branch by the end of the second course, Transitions in Professional Nursing.

5.2 Admission Process

Submit the following items:

Online application (no application fee)
Official transcripts from all accredited colleges or universities that you have attended
Letter of recommendation
Reservation deposit of $100.00 *(Waved for those entering directly from community colleges)
Submit background clearances through Castle Branch specific to applicant’s state. To be completed by the Transitions in Professional Nursing course.

A grade will be attached to the completion of opening the account in Effective Communication
A grade will be attached to the completion of submission of all clearances in the Transitions in Professional Nursing course

5.3 Admission Status

After EMU receives the application form and assessment of credit earning, students will be given an evaluation of all educational transcripts submitted and an assessment of the credit earning possibilities. When the admission requirements are satisfied, students will receive a letter of admission to the program. Admission status will be in one of the following categories: unconditional admission, conditional admission or guest admission. Unconditional admission indicates that the student has met all of the admission requirements.

5.3.1 The Guest Student

A student granted guest admission may attend class pending official verification of the required admission documents. Guest students cannot attend classes beyond course one without a change to unconditional admission.

5.3.2 The Conditional Student

The student granted conditional admission is one who has minimal entry deficiencies but has submitted an acceptable specific educational plan for removing those deficiencies by the end of semester one. The Admissions Committee will review the educational plan and judge it acceptable or not acceptable. The RN-BSN Academic Advisor will monitor conditional students and change their conditional status to unconditional admission when the plan has been completed.

5.3.2.1 Conditional Admission Due to Writing Deficiencies

Method for following the students with Conditional Admission due to writing deficiencies:

The admissions counselor will make a list of all the conditional admissions who need a writing tutor. He/she should designate English language learners or writing assistance. This list should be sent to the academic advisor and the program assistant.

The academic advisor will then make a note to advise the student about tutoring needs and send a list to both the writing tutor and the instructor of Effective Communication.
The tutor will contact the student stating his/her availability to tutor and ask the student to send a list of assignment due dates for the Effective Communication course. The tutor should always copy the instructor of Effective Communication when communicating with the student so the instructor knows that the student is using the tutor.
At the end of the seven week course of Effective Communication, the tutor will send an evaluation to the advisor stating whether the student needs to continue with a tutor.

5.4 Withdrawal and Readmission

5.4.1 Withdrawal Policy

To withdraw enrollment from the program, the student sends an email confirming his/her desire to withdraw from the program. The academic advisor will send a withdrawal form to the student. The form must be signed by the student and returned to the advisor. Withdrawal from the program may jeopardize financial aid for the rest of the academic year because of federal and state government regulations. Students should consult with the financial assistance office about their particular situation before withdrawing from the program.

Students will earn academic credit for courses completed up to the point of their withdrawal. Grades will be based upon the work completed for each course attended. If a student withdraws before attending half of the class sessions in a course, no grade will be given. If a student withdraws from a course after attending more than half the class sessions but not the final session of that course, a grade of “W” will be assigned. If the final session is attended, a final grade must be assigned.

If a student misses two classes in a 5-week course or three classes in a 7 or 8-week course and is unresponsive to communication from the instructor, RN-BSN Director or advisor, he or she may be administratively withdrawn. Students may also be administratively withdrawn for failure to meet academic standards or financial obligations to EMU.

5.4.2 Readmission Procedure

To re-enter the program, a student must re-apply by filling in the readmission application form and submitting a letter explaining how circumstances have changed since the student withdrew. The application for re-entry will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The academic advisor will assist the student in discerning which cohort to join and where in the sequence of courses is best to join the cohort. Depending on the time frame of absence from the program, the student may be required to do an EMU online orientation and an RN-BSN orientation.

5.4.2.1 Tuition for Readmitted Students

The student is charged at the rate current at the point of readmission. In addition, the student will be charged for any course retaken for credit.

5.5 Administering the Admission Policy

The RN-BSN in Nursing Admissions Committee is responsible for administering the admission policies. Committee members are appointed annually by the provost and include representatives from the nursing department, the director of RN-BSN in Nursing and the Academic Coordinator. When the application of a student is complete, the Admissions Counselor presents the student profile to the Admissions Committee via email. The Admission Committee reviews the profile for each student within one week and gives one of the following response: approved, conditional (with specific conditions) or not approved (with reasons).

The RN-BSN in Nursing Admissions Committee will conduct a full review of their admissions policies every two years (beginning in the fall of 2017).