The University of Arkansas at Monticello Homepage

All programs offered in the School of Nursing are approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. Upon graduation, the student is qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become a registered nurse.

Disclaimer

Care has been taken to ensure the information within the website of the School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas is accurate and complete. However, due to constraining events and/or circumstances which may necessitate change, the School of Nursing (SON) faculty reserve the right to amend information contained with this SON website when necessary.

Organizational Chart

School of Nursing Application

All undergraduate programs (AAS in Nursing and BSN) start in May.  The deadline to apply is March 1. To apply for the undergraduate nursing programs, call the nursing department for an application at 870-460-1069.    Applicants to the Graduation Program (MSN) should click on the "Graduate Degree Information" tab and complete the MSN Application link.

Admission Requirements

Prior to applying to the AAS in Nursing  or BSN pre-licensure program, applicants must take the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) with a score at or above the national reported mean. Information about the NEX is found on the NLN website.  Exam scores must be dated October 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026 for acceptance into the 2026 new cohort.  There is a seven day waiting period between repeat exam attempts. Exam scores are only viable for two years. 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree [pre-licensure]
A student must successfully complete all general education and nursing supportive requirements before entering the nursing sequence. All applicants are required to:
1. Meet all University admission requirements;
2. Have a UAM cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
3. Submit a letter of good standing from the dean/director from all Registered Nursing programs that the student has ever attended;
4.ACT or SAT total composite score according to the UAM Degree Pathways;
5. Completion of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) with a score at or above the national reported mean and;
6. Complete all general education and nursing supportive requirements with at least a “C” or better grade AND maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better in both sets of requirements.

RN-BSN Advanced Placement Program
RNs with an Associate Degree or nursing diploma from an accredited nursing school may apply for the RN to BSN Advanced Placement Program. RNs complete the same general education and supportive courses as students enrolled in the pre-licensure BSN program but have a specified program for completing theory and clinical nursing course requirements. The RN will receive credit for 33 semester hours to be held in escrow until successful completion of the program. All clinical experiences are preceptored at approved facilities. RNs may progress through the program using a 12-month accelerated option or a 24-month extended option. RN applicants may be required to provide demonstration of nursing skills competency through written and/or performance-based testing as defined by the Arkansas Nursing Education Progression Model. All applicants are required to:
1. Meet all University admission requirements;
2. Have a UAM cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
3. Complete all general education and supportive requirements with a grade of “C” or better AND maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better in both sets of requirements;
4. Submit a letter of recommendation from a current or most recent RN supervisor;
5. Have and maintain current unencumbered Arkansas RN license (or compact multi-state tag); and
6. Submit a letter of good standing from the dean/director from all Registered Nursing BSN programs ever attended.

NOTE: Applicants seeking admission to the nursing program through advanced placement should meet with the School of Nursing dean. Candidates for this degree must complete 30 hours of coursework at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

 

National Park College RN to BSN Program
National Park College (NPC) and UAM have partnered to bring the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to NPC.  All four years of the BSN degree are offered on the NPC campus. Students eligible for the program must earn an RN degree from NPC and then enroll in the RN to BSN program.
Admission Requirements:
1. Must complete requirements necessary for UAM general admission.
2. Earn the Associate of Science in Nursing degree at NPC with at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average in General Education courses, and at least a 2.00 cumulative grade points average in all nursing courses.
3. Hold a RN license from Arkansas or compact state prior to taking the first course in July.

 

LPN-RN Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing Degree
A student must be a licensed LPN to be eligible for the AAS in Nursing program. The student must successfully complete all general education and nursing supportive requirements before entering the nursing sequence. All applicants are required to:
1. Meet all University admission requirements;
2. Have a UAM cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher;
3. Complete all general education and supportive requirements with a grade of “C” or better AND maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better in each category of requirements;
4. Submit a letter of recommendation from the student’s current or most recent RN supervisor;
5. Have a current unencumbered Arkansas LPN license (or compact multi-state tag);
6. Submit a letter of good standing from the dean/director from all Registered Nursing programs that the student has ever attended;
7. ACT or SAT total composite score according to the UAM Degree Pathways or proof of 5,500 LPN practice hours in the past three years of application. Proof of LPN practice hours must come in the form of a letter from the applicant’s employer Human Resource department. The letter must be on employer letterhead with a contact name and phone number listed for verification.
8. Completion of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) with a score at or above the national reported mean.

 

Accelerate pre-licensure BSN track
The accelerated track allows incoming freshmen who earned 18 college credit hours of BSN degree general/supportive courses to accelerate their degree and finish in six semesters with two summer terms verses eight semesters with one summer term. Students eligible for the accelerated track must have an ACT composite score of 22 or equivocal SAT score, and completed (with a grade of C or better) or received Advanced Placement credit for Composition 1 and Composition 2. Students eligible for this track must enroll in Anatomy and Physiology I and II with the respected labs during the initial summer terms after high school graduation.

Ranking of Students for Admission
Students are ranked based on ACT or SAT scores, NLN NEX test scores, and GPAs. The  NEX test scores must be at the national average during the testing time frame. Applicant GPAs are calculated using only the general education and nursing supportive requirements completed at the time of application. Students must complete all outstanding coursework with a grade of “C” or better by the end of the Spring semester to be considered for admission. RN-BSN applicants are allowed nine credit hours of outstanding coursework, however, completion of all coursework prior to starting the nursing sequence is highly suggested.