Admissions FAQs
General admissions
Is there an application fee?
There is no fee to apply to the School of Nursing. However, there are fees to apply to the University of Washington as a transfer, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student.
Are there any requirements to enroll as a pre-nursing major?
No, there are no application requirements for pre-nursing status at the UW. If you begin as a first-year student at the UW, you can declare Pre-Nursing as your status at any time, which will give you priority for taking certain nursing prerequisite courses. You will not apply to the BSN program until winter quarter of your sophomore year.
Do you offer an RN-BSN program?
No. However, both UW Bothell and UW Tacoma both offer RN-BSN completion programs.
Do you have an LPN-RN program?
No. LPN-RN programs are more commonly offered at community colleges.
Do you accept credits from the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)?
No, the University of Washington nor School of Nursing accept credits from the CLEP. The UW does, however, grant credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.
Visit https://admit.washington.edu/apply/transfer/exams-for-credit/ap/ for more information on the University’s guidelines for college-level work taken in high school.
My background check came back positive for a felony or misdemeanor. Does this mean I am ineligible to apply?
A positive conviction on an applicant’s background check does not automatically result in denial of admission to our programs. Positive background checks are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Applicants are welcome to submit statements regarding prior conviction history to give context and/or explain how they overcame the issues that caused the conviction.
Undergraduate applications
Does the UW School of Nursing require the TEAS exam?
No, we do not require applicants to complete the TEAS exam.
Do I have to complete ALL of the listed Natural Sciences prerequisites courses or only a few of them?
You must have a minimum of 3 Natural Sciences courses completed with a satisfactory grade when you apply to the BSN or ABSN program (see the specific program prerequisites for minimum grades allowed). ALL Natural Sciences courses must be completed with a satisfactory grade of by the time you enroll in the program.
What is the average GPA for successful BSN applicants? What if mine is low?
Accepted BSN applicant GPAs range from 2.4 to 4.0, but keep in mind that your GPA is only one of many factors in admissions decisions.
How much hands-on healthcare experience should I have in order to apply to the ABSN/BSN program?
Within 12 months of applying to the ABSN or BSN programs, applicants must have a minimum of 100 hours of hands-on healthcare experience in a three-month period. We are interested in seeing a level of intensity of experience as well as a level of commitment on the part of the applicant. We want your experience to be concentrated enough so you really have a chance to observe the breadth of the nursing role and get a realistic view of it. While 100 hours is the minimum requirement, many applicants have well over that amount when they apply.
What is considered appropriate hands-on healthcare experience?
The minimum 100 hours hands-on healthcare experience is to ensure that you have been exposed to the nursing profession and that you understand the role of the nurse in providing patient care. After your experience, you must be able to articulate to the admissions committee why you are a good fit for the nursing profession.
The best hands-on healthcare experience is where you work with and are supervised by registered nurses and includes patient contact/hands-on experience. A significant number of applicants complete Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and get jobs as CNAs before applying, but this is not required. You should work as closely with nurses as possible so you can make an informed decision about becoming a nurse. This gives you the opportunity to have your letter of recommendation written by a nurse, which is a huge asset to your application.
Overall, you must be able to thoughtfully reflect on your hands-on healthcare experience and show why you are a good candidate for our nursing program.
Should I apply to the Accelerated BSN program or regular BSN program?
Choosing between the Accelerated BSN program and regular BSN program is a personal decision. For some students, being able to earn their degree faster is worth the higher cost of the ABSN program. Other students prefer the pace and cost of the BSN program. There is no difference between the programs in terms of the courses you complete or the degree you earn.
How do I know what courses will transfer to the UW School of Nursing and fulfill the prerequisites?
Your first step is to check the University’s Course Equivalency Guide. You may take other courses besides the ones listed on the guide as long as they fulfill the requirement. The best way to determine if the course you want to take satisfies the requirement is to find the course description for that class and compare it to the description of the sample UW courses listed on the prerequisite worksheet. If the material covered and number of credit hours are roughly the same, the course should satisfy the requirement.
Do you offer distance learning for the ABSN or BSN programs?
No, we do not offer distance learning for our undergraduate programs.
Should I apply to the Accelerated BSN program or regular BSN program?
Choosing between the Accelerated BSN program and regular BSN program is a personal decision. For some students, being able to earn their degree faster is worth the higher cost of the ABSN program. Other students prefer the pace and cost of the BSN program. There is no difference between the programs in terms of the courses you complete or the degree you earn.
Do the ABSN/BSN applications include a proctored essay?
No, there is no longer a proctored essay as part of the ABSN or BSN applications. Undergraduate program applications still include an essay/personal statement section with specific prompts you will respond to.
Graduate applications
Do you require the GRE?
No, we do not require the GRE for any of our graduate programs.