pre nursing students

How to attend TAMU and become a Registered Nurse

ADN - Associate’s Degree in Nursing

BSN - Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing

MSN - Master’s of Science in Nursing

1. Stay at TAMU for 4 years, earn your Bachelor’s degree, any degree, while also taking prerequisite courses.

     - Apply to nursing school (junior year)

              A.) Generic 2 year track; Exit with a BSN and as an RN

              B.) Fast Track Program (shorter than 2 years); Requires a bachelor’s degree; Exit with a BSN and as an RN

_________________________   OR     __________________________

2. Stay at TAMU for approximately 2 years and complete your pre-requisite courses.

     - Apply to nursing school for 2 years (end of your 1st year); Exit with your BSN-RN.

A BSN is required to advance into an MSN program.  Most MSN programs require one year of acute care nursing employment before you begin the master’s degree.

There are ADN to BSN programs.  Please do not rule out an ADN program. It is a great start for a nursing career.

Application to nursing school is competitive. A pre-requisite grade point ratio above a 3.0 is necessary.

Steps to choosing a nursing school that is right for you:

Most nursing schools in Texas have a passage rate on the national boards (NCLEX) of at least an 80%, a couple are below as of 2008.  Most students pick a nursing school based on location alone.  Below are some steps that will help you to zero in on the schools that you would apply to.

At the school’s website:

1.   Look at the pre-reqs.  Can you complete them within the time frame you have for yourself?  Do they have any outlandish ones that you just don’t want to take?  Are they similar to the other schools you are looking at?  The pre-reqs alone can make you choose or not choose a school.

2.   Look at dates:

A)   Application deadlines.  Can you make them?  Is it too late?  At least be aware of them so you know when you need to start to apply.  An early application is always a good thing, always.

B)   Start dates of the programs.  Will you have graduated by then?  Will you be finished with your pre-reqs by then?  Is that when you want to start or do you want some time off of school?

3.   Look at the application itself, even if you are not applying at the moment.  The application will tell you if you need essays, letters of recommendation, if they have interviews, these are all things you need to know about a school to either rule it in or rule it out.  And, to prepare you for what applying is going to entail.

Applying to 3 or 4 nursing programs is about the norm for Aggies, you can add more to spread the wealth or less to zero in on a couple of select schools.

*OPSA Nursing School Handout