University of Pikeville

Elliott School of Nursing
Karen Damron, Dean
(606) 218-5750
KarenDamron@upike.edu

 

Admission Criteria ADN Program

Admission to the ADN program is competitive and based on, but not limited to, ranking according to an objective ranking scale and other qualifying factors such as semester GPA, overall GPA, pattern of coursework and professional behaviors.

A new ADN class is admitted once a year in the fall semester with an application deadline of March 1. ADN readmission, LPN-RN, and transfer applicants who were in another nursing program are admitted to either fall or spring semester with an application deadline of March 1 or November 1, respectively.

The applicant is responsible to verify the university’s receipt, by the deadline date, of accurate records used in the admission selection process. The nursing admissions committee determines acceptance of applicants into the nursing program. Admission or readmission to the nursing program is not guaranteed to any applicant. All students accepted to the nursing program also must be accepted to the University of Pikeville.

In addition to completing and submitting the nursing application by March 2, applicants must take the KAPLAN Nursing School Entrance Exam, which is given at the University of Pikeville.  Dates and times for testing are listed in the ADN application packet. To register for the Kaplan Nursing Admission Test click the button below.

Kaplan Test RegistrationClick to download application packet
  1. Official admission to the University of Pikeville.
  2. High school graduate or the equivalent.
  3. ACT composite score of 19 or higher, or its equivalent. The highest subscores on a qualifying ACT (i.e., 19 or above) are used for nursing admission ranking. NOTE: A minimum ACT composite of 18 can be petitioned only for: (a) LPNs with a current license; (b) those with a bachelor’s degree; or (c) those that are 10 or more years post high school graduation and have at least 24 credit hours of college coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.0.  
  4. Completion of developmental courses with a “C” grade or better, per university policy for course placement.
  5. Meet the nursing MTH requirement with (choose one)
    A.    Minimum MTH subscore required by the university;
    B.     MTH 093 at the university with “C” grade or better; or
    C.    Transfer equivalent of MTH 105 Contemporary College Math or MTH 113 Precalculus Algebra.
  6. An overall average of “C” or better, represented by a college or university GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  7. Completion of the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam. One attempt is allowed. There is no set cut-off score, but scores will be weighted in the determination of applicant ranking. If program admission is not offered, the Kaplan Entrance Exam must be repeated for any subsequent admission attempts. Readmission students only retake an entrance exam if out of program for more than one year.
  8. A “C” grade or better in all required core courses for the ADN major. The grade on the second attempt, including a “W” grade, stands as the final grade.
  9. Science course grades must be within the last 10 years.
  10. Any exception will be determined by the nursing admissions committee.

ENG 111/114 – Composition I – 3 hours

ENG 112/115 – Composition II – 3 hours

BIO 171 – Anatomy & Physiology I w/lab – 4 hours

BIO 172 – Anatomy & Physiology II w/lab – 4 hours

PSY 110 – General Psychology – 3 hours

PSY 215 – Lifespan Development – 3 hours

ENG 111/114 – Composition I – 3 Hours

BIO 171 – Anatomy & Physiology I – 4 Hours

PSY 110 – General Psychology – 3 Hours

NUR 110 – Fundamentals of Nursing I – 8 Hours

 

ENG 112/115 – Composition II – 3 Hours

BIO 172 – Anatomy & Physiology II – 4 Hours

PSY 215 – Lifespan Development – 3 Hours

NUR 120 – Fundamentals of Nursing II – 4 Hours

NUR 125 – Family Nursing – 4 Hours

 

BIO 273 – Microbiology w/lab – 4 hours

NUR 200 – Pharmacology in Nursing – 2 hours

NUR 230 – Nursing Across the Lifespan I – 8 hours

REL 213/214 – Old/New Testament – 3 hours

NUR 240-Nursing Across the Lifespan II-8 hours

NUR 245-Mental Health Nursing-4 hours

NUR 246-Professional Transitions-2 hours

Elective-Restricted Elective
(Choose one: SOC 119, SOC 229, REL 230, SPN 111)-3 hours

Support Courses – 30 Hours

Nursing Courses – 40 Hours

Total Hours – 70 Hours


Admission Criteria-LPN to RN Program

LPN-to-RN applicants are considered for admission once a year to Semester III of the nursing program, with an application deadline of March 1.

  1. Meet the admission criteria for all nursing applicants – ADN.
  2. Meet the University of Pikeville requirements for transfer applicants and transfer credit.
  3. Current, unencumbered practical nurse license.
  4. Clinical experience as an LPN within the last three years.
  5. Grade of “C” or better in prerequisite Semester I and Semester II support courses. These courses include ENG 111, ENG 112, PSY 110, PSY 215, BIO 171 and BIO 172 allowing 20 hours of support course credit.
  6. Grade of “C” (76%) or better on required Nursing Challenge examinations, allowing 13 hours of nursing credit.
  7. Grade of “C” or better in NUR 130 received within the last two years, allowing three (3) hours of nursing credit.
  8. Completion of all LPN-to-RN admission criteria, allowing 16 hours of Nursing credit, a minimum of 20 hours of support course credit, and eligibility for advanced standing placement in Semester III of the nursing curriculum.
  9. Meet with the school of nursing administrator and/or the admissions committee for a personal interview and update on requirements.

Admission Criteria RN-BSN Program

Students will be accepted into the RN-BSN program at the University of Pikeville after completing an associate degree program or a diploma program with a major in nursing. For admission to the RN-BSN program, the student must meet the following:

  1. Official admission to the University of Pikeville including:
    a.) Official transcripts of high school and all college/university schools attended. b.) ACT or equivalent test scores.
  2. Submit a separate RN-BSN application to the School of Nursing. 
  3. Be a graduate of a state-approved pre-licensure program for registered nursing.
  4. Have earned at least a ‘C’ grade in all courses taken to satisfy the nursing major at the ADN or diploma level.
  5. Have a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
  6. Have earned at least 26 credit hours of the 52 credit hours of general education core requirements. These 26 hours should include the equivalent of the MTH 105 prerequisite to a college level statistics course.
  7. All general education core requirements for the major must be at least a ‘C’ grade.
  8. Have validation of a current, unrestricted, and unencumbered RN license in Kentucky or a compact state.
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