2021-2022 Academic Catalog

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Nursing Program Admission and Progression

Options for Admission to the Nursing Major

Students seeking admission to Carroll’s Nursing major have four options for entry, depending on their status: 1) Direct Entry, 2) Pre-Nursing Admission, 3) Transfer Admission, and 4) Accelerated Nursing track for post-baccalaureate students.

Direct Entry into the Traditional Track

Students are accepted into the major with acceptance into the college and no additional application process is required. Nursing majors enroll in the pre-licensure BSN curriculum beginning the first college semester. Direct entry students must meet all the progression criteria to maintain their placement in the nursing major. (See criteria for Progression in the Nursing Major)

Students who wish to be considered for direct entry into the nursing major must meet the following criteria:

  1. Minimum 3.30 GPA
  2. Minimum, composite ACT score of 24 or new SAT score of 1190 (Math and Combined Reading and Writing)
  3. Completion or enrollment of two years of science (Biology and Chemistry recommended)
  4. Completion of mathematics through Intermediate Algebra (Algebra II)
  5. Submission and completion of application (receipt of all supporting credentials) by November 1, listing NURSING as the first major of interest

*Please note that not all candidates meeting the minimum eligibility criteria will be selected for the Direct Entry Option.

Pre-Nursing Admission into the Traditional Track

Students admitted into the pre-nursing licensure curriculum will have the opportunity to apply to the nursing major during their first year at Carroll. Pre-nursing students must be formally accepted to the nursing major in order to register for nursing courses. Applications for Admission to the nursing major are accepted in the spring semester each year for admission into the major the following fall semester. All students who currently have listed Pre-Nursing as their major will receive notification regarding the admission process via Carroll College email. Final decisions regarding admission to the nursing major will be made after grades from the spring semester are available. Spring grades are posted by the Friday after graduation and students will have until the following Friday to notify the nursing department and/or Registrar of any grade changes. Please note that if there are more applications than spaces available, a Priority Ranking System will be used (see below for details).

Students seeking admission into the nursing major must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be admitted to Carroll College as a degree-seeking student.
  2. Complete or be enrolled in the following pre-requisites with a “C-” or better at the time of application: BI 201, BI 202, CH 111, CORE 110 or ENWR 102, Oral Communication course (e.g. CO 101 or FR 101 or SP 101), PSY 105, PSY 203.
  3. BI 201, BI 202, CH 111, CH 112, and BI 214 (or the equivalent of these courses) must have been completed within 5 years of admission to the nursing program at Carroll College. Any of these courses, taken prior to the five-year limit, may be analyzed by the nursing department for possible use depending on individual circumstances.
  4. All required science classes and labs must be face-to-face (online courses will not be accepted). The nursing department may grant an exception on a case-by-case basis for CH 112, which does not require a lab.
  5. Have an overall college career Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale. (This includes all attempted credits at an accredited college or university.)
  6. Repeat or withdraw from no more than two (2) courses considered pre-requisite to nursing or nursing courses taken either at Carroll or other institutions.
  7. Complete all required course work, to include independent study or “incompletes”, by established deadlines.
  8. Complete criminal background check as instructed by the Department of Nursing, to be paid by the student. Students with background checks that reveal a record will be evaluated individually to determine whether they will be admitted to the nursing major. Alcohol and drug violations may interfere with Montana Board of Nursing approval to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.
  9. Provide documentation of freedom from communicable tuberculosis and immunity to hepatitis B, and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).
  10. Students with an academic integrity violation on file at Carroll College will be evaluated individually to determine whether they will be admitted to the nursing major.

Please note: meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the nursing program.

The Carroll College Department of Nursing has a primary responsibility to the education of future professional nurses—a responsibility seriously recognized by the Admissions Committee, charged with selection of those candidates who best demonstrate the academic achievement, emotional maturity, integrity, and motivation necessary for consideration for admission.

The Department of Nursing reserves the right to accept for admission into the major the number of students for whom a quality educational program can be provided and in order to fulfill the accreditation guidelines mandated by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. If there are more applications than spaces available, the Department will use a Priority Ranking System based on the following criteria to select students for admission. Criteria will be applied after spring grades become available.

  1. Successful completion of items 1-9 above.
  2. Overall college career Grade Point Average (this includes all attempted credits at an accredited college or university).
  3. Selected GPA from the following Carroll courses: BI 201, BI 202, CH 111, CORE 110 or ENWR 102, Oral Communication course (e.g. CO 101 or FR 101 or SP 101), PSY 105, PSY 203. A course from another institution must be accepted at Carroll as an equivalent course to be calculated in this selected GPA.
  4. Completion of Core or nursing prerequisites without need for repeating courses (no D’s or F’s) or withdrawals.
  5. Current enrollment and the number of credits completed at Carroll College. Students who have completed 24 or more Carroll credits by the end of the spring semester will be ranked higher on this criteria than students who have completed at least 12 Carroll credits.
  6. No academic integrity violation on file in the Registrar’s Office at Carroll College.
  7. A standardized exam to measure aptitude for nursing success, to be paid by the student, may also be required.
  8. Interviews by the Department of Nursing faculty may be required.

Transfer Admission into the Traditional Track

Carroll College may accept a select number of external transfer students into the nursing program. Interested transfer students should contact the Office of Admission for current requirements and to apply to the college and nursing major. Accepted students will enroll in classes beginning in the fall semester following their acceptance into the college and nursing major, completing a bachelor’s degree in 3 years.

Accelerated Nursing Track for Post-baccalaureate Students

The accelerated nursing track is a second pathway to obtain a baccalaureate degree in 15 months. It is designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree and want to complete additional coursework required to become a licensed Registered Nurse. Applicants to the accelerated nursing track must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university prior to their enrollment in the program. 

The following admission requirements must be met to apply to the accelerated nursing track: 

  1. Complete or be enrolled in the following prerequisites (or their equivalent) with a “C -” or better at the time of application. *All required science classes and labs must be face-to-face (online courses will not be accepted). The nursing department may grant an exception on a case-by-case basis for Organic & Biochemistry, which does not require a lab.
    • Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs*
    • Essentials of Chemistry + lab*
    • Organic & Biochemistry*
    • Microbiology with lab*
    • Intro to Sociology
    • College Composition
    • Basic Communication
    • Statistics
    • General Psychology
    • Developmental Psychology
  2. May be completed upon application or taken concurrently with the accelerated nursing classes. Note: For the theology or philosophy classes, one must be an ethical reasoning course.
    • One theology class
    • One philosophy class
  3. Other requirements:
    • Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
    • Have an overall college career Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale (This includes all attempted credits at an accredited college or university).

Progression in the Nursing Major

To progress in the nursing major, the student must:

  1. Have a grade of “C-” or better in all required nursing classes and the following co-requisites: BI 214, CH 112, MA 207, PHIL 205 or PHIL 208 (or other Ethical Reasoning course), SO 101. All nursing courses must be taken at Carroll College unless the nursing department grants an exception. Direct Entry nursing students must also have a “C-“ or better in all nursing prerequisites (BI 201, BI 202, CH 111, CORE 110 or ENWR 102, Oral Communication course - e.g. CO 101/FR 101/SP 101, PSY 105, PSY 203) to maintain their placement in the nursing major.
  2. All required science classes and labs must be face-to-face (online courses will not be accepted). The nursing department may grant an exception on a case-by-case basis for CH 112, which does not require a lab.
  3. Maintain a minimum cumulative Carroll GPA of 2.75 at the end of each semester after admission into the nursing major.
  4. Pass/Fail grades may be acceptable for courses not co-requisite to nursing courses as long as the student is within the parameters of the guidelines of the Academic Policies as stated in the Carroll College Catalog currently in effect.
  5. In the event of a college academic integrity violation, the student’s ability to progress in the nursing major will be determined on an individual basis.
  6. Students who receive any legal action that would appear on a criminal background check, such as a misdemeanor or felony charge or conviction, must immediately inform the chair of the Nursing Department, and will be evaluated individually to determine whether they will be allowed to progress in the nursing major.
  7. Students must demonstrate the academic achievement, emotional maturity, integrity, and motivation necessary for progression in the nursing major.

If the student does not meet the above progression criteria, they are not eligible to continue in the nursing major. If a student does not pass required nursing course(s), they must demonstrate competency in the failed course(s) with a grade of "C-" or better prior to taking any other nursing courses.

Policy related to Student Withdrawal and Re-application/Re-entry to the Nursing Major is found in the Department of Nursing Student Handbook.

The Carroll College Department of Nursing reserves the right to make changes in these admission and progression criteria.