Frequently Asked Questions

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Is WKU Regionally Accredited? WIll you accept transfer courses?

WKU is regionally accredited by SACS-COC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges), which means that we can accept transfer courses, but only from other accredited universities.  National accreditation is not a substitute for Regional Accreditation and will not work if you need to transfer coursework to a regionally accredited university.  To learn more about this please review the following link. To see how a specific course taken at a regionally accredited universitywill transfer to WKU, please see the WKU Transfer Center website.

 Do WKU Nursing Programs have full Nursing Accreditation?

Yes,  in addition to having SACS-COC approval, all WKU nursing programs are  accredited by professional nursing organizations.  The BSN and Higher programs at WKU are accredited by AACN-CCNE. The ASN program is accredited by ACEN. In addition all WKU nursing programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

 What is the NCLEX Passrate for students graduating from the WKU Nursing Programs?

The NCLEX-RN passrates for any nursing program in Kentucky, can be found on the  KBN website 

Does WKU have an Associate Degree or a Baccalaureate Degree program?

WKU has several ways for you to advance your nursing career. If you are currently an LPN, you can become a Registered Nurse by entering the online LPN to ASN program.  If you are just getting started in nursing, then you should begin as a pre-nursing major (586P) to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Do I have to be a CNA (nurses Aide)?

No, WKU does not require you to become a CNA to join the nursing program. We teach the same information in our fundamentals nursing course, so while it is great if you have nurse aide training, it is not required.

How do I get a nursing adviser?

Pre-Nursing students at WKU are all assigned a pre-nursing adviser from one of the professional full time advisers in the Advising & Career Development Center (ACDC). You must change your major to pre-nursing (seeking admission 586P) on TopNet to trigger this event, and will be assigned an adviser. If you are not a WKU student, we cannot assign an adviser to you, but general questions will be answered by the program support staff. See the relevant program web page for information on the nursing program contact person. 

 Is an entrance exam required for admission?

You must complete the HESI Nursing Entrance Exam prior to applying to the program. This exam is required for students seeking admission into one or both of the WKU nursing programs. It evaluates general knowledge in areas of Anatomy and Physiology, Math, and Reading Comprehension to assess each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Scores on this exam will be a part of the admissions process.

How many people apply and are accepted into the BSN program each semester?

Nursing is one of the most popular majors at WKU. Currently, the BSN program is restricted to a maximum of 120 students per semester. While the number of applicants vary from year to year, we usually have between 150-175 people apply for the program each semester. Students are ranked by their GPA, science grades, completion of prerequisite courses and HESI entrance exam scores.

Does WKU have a Direct Nursing Admission Program. How do I qualify for this?

The WKU Guaranteed Nursing Admission (GNA) is a way for qualified students to reserve seats in the WKU BSN program. Because this program is designed to attract highly qualified students to WKU, it is only for first –time, full time college freshman and is not available for transfer students. Students seeking the GNA must have an ACT composite score of 23 or above and complete all college coursework at WKU.  Students granted the GNA must complete all pre-requisite courses and maintain a grade of B in Chem 109, Biol 131, Biol 231, Bio 207, NURS 102 and NURS 324 beginning in Spring 2018 and have an overall GPA of 3.0. You must also meet basic health, immunization and core standards for nursing. GNA students who maintain the above standards will be guaranteed admission to the WKU BSN program to start the nursing courses in either the fall or the spring semester their Junior year at WKU. Additional information is available on the BSN program web page.

 Do I have to get immunized? Drug Screened? Pass a Criminal Background Check?

Yes, once you start into the clinical setting you must meet all of the health and safety requirements of our clinical agency partners, including having all required vaccinations up to date. This also includes annual flu vaccination and TB testing.  As of 2021 our clincial agencies also require COVID vaccinations. You will also have to pass random drug screenings throughout the program and have a clean criminal background check. You will be fingerprinted and have another criminal background check when you apply for your nursing license after graduation.

Do I have to be a WKU student to apply?

Yes, all applicants must be officially accepted by WKU before being considered for admission to the Nursing program. Please contact the WKU Office of Admissions by phone 270-745-2511 or email for additional information/assistance.

What if English is not my first language?

A certain level of English proficiency is necessary for academic success in nursing as well as for patient safety. In addition to the University requirements, all applicants to the School of Nursing for whom English is not their native language (including international and/or U.S. residents) must meet additional requirements. Please review the relevant program web page for additional information.

If I am not accepted into the program, what can I do to improve my chances of getting in?

You may re-apply if you are not accepted into the program. Often students who are not successful on the first attempt are able to take additional classes, increase their GPA, and thus be successful when they re-apply. If your science grades are a C, you may consider re-taking the class to increase your grade, particularly if you feel you could improve it to an “A”. This will greatly improve your chances of admission.  Also, re-taking the HESI can greatly improve your chances as well.

How many classes can I re-take to improve my GPA?

WKU has a policy that limits the number of courses you can re-take. You may repeat a maximum of 6 classes or 18 hours (whichever comes first). So while you can repeat a course you must be careful not to use too many hours in the “retake” category. If you use all of the hours before you come into nursing, then if you need to repeat a nursing course you would be out of hours and would not be able to complete the program.

I want to transfer from another college to WKU. How can I find out which of my classes will transfer and what they will count towards?

Go to the WKU Transfer Center website and select the college you want to transfer from. Select the classes you have taken and it will tell you the WKU class it will transfer as.

I have a disability, can I still be a nurse?

Nursing students must be able to meet the core requirements as outlined by the Southern Regional Educational Board for Nursing (See Core Standards for details).  This includes the ability to see, hear, feel, and move about in the clinical setting in order to respond to patient needs.  Reasonable accommodation to assist you to meet these standards is allowed, but the accommodation (special stethoscopes or whatever) must enable you to meet the standards by yourself. You can not have a second person perform the required skill or assessment for you. You must also be able to perform in a wide range of settings, which may not allow for large physical devices. 

For those with learning disabilities, you should be aware that nursing is highly regulated and therefore accommodation for learning disabilities is also highly regulated. No accommodation will be provided unless the student meets the criteria for accommodation established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). This includes requests for additional time for testing. If you think you have a need for additional testing time, please see the WKU Nursing Student Handbook for details on the type of documentation you will need to obtain accommodation for learning disabilities once you enter the nursing program. Please note, obtaining additional testing time within the nursing program does not guarantee that you will be granted additional time on the NCLEX, you will have to apply for that at the time you are approved to take the licensure exam and approval will be granted by the NCSBN, not WKU.

I have more questions, who do I call or email?

If you do not have a prior college degree (BS or BA) and want to become a nurse, please contact our BSN entry Program at 270-745-3391 or email nursing@wku.edu

If you are an LPN and want to become an RN, please contact asnnursing@wku.edu or call 270-780-2506.

If  you already have a BS or BA and want to become a nurse, please contact Dr. Tonya Bragg-Underwood :tonya.bragg-underwood@wku.edu or call 270-745-4377.

If you already have a BSN and want to become an advanced practice nurse (APRN) or want to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, please contact our graduate program coordinator, Dr Tonya Bragg-Underwood at tonya.bragg-underwood@wku.edu or call 270-745-4377.