3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree

Academic Eligibility

To initiate the admission process, a prospective student needs to complete an application indicating a preferred location and starting session date. Prospective students may also indicate a secondary location preference if desired. Not all locations are available for new student enrollment every session. 

Determining Academic Eligibility is the role of the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee. The Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee reviews applicants using a holistic evaluation system that considers several factors which may include previous coursework, CGPA and ACT, SAT, or HESI Admission Assessment (A2) scores. Additional factors important to student success in nursing school may also be considered. An applicant's most recent educational experience shall be considered by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee. 

The thresholds listed below are intended as a guide to determining academic eligibility but do not guarantee acceptance. Applicants who fall below these thresholds may still be successful in the nursing program. It is the responsibility of the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee to select candidates for academic eligibility and document rationale. Once a decision of academic eligibility has been made, no additional documentation will adjust admission or progression requirements.

• Proof of graduation with a minimum CGPA of 2.4 on a 4.0 scale from a Chamberlain recognized High School or an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education¹. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES-approved evaluating agency or Chamberlain's Internal Global Transcript Evaluation Services. 
• Meet One of the following criteria:
  • A custom score of 75 or higher on the HESI A2. The custom score is calculated by using a subset of all four exam scores: or
  • A composite score of 18 or higher on the ACT or a total score of 970 or higher on the SAT.  Chamberlain University utilizes ACT and SAT superscores in their admission determination²

Note: For full acceptance, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

• Initiate and clear the drug, background and fingerprint screenings within 120 days of the session start date or
• Sign a self-attestation and disclosure indicating their ability to clear all screenings
  • If fully accepted with the self-attestation and disclosure, students must receive approved screening clearance from Chamberlain University by the end of their second semester or prior to attending a clinical learning experience, whichever occurs first.

Applicants from states that offer an approved high school equivalency may also be eligible for admission. To be considered by the Admission Committee, the applicant must have a minimum GED^® test score of 551 if taken between 2002-2013 or a minimum score of 600 if taken after 2013. Applicants from states that offer an approved high school equivalency test such as the ETS High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) or California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) in lieu of the GED tests may gain admission by presenting documentation for having met state requirements for the equivalency of a high school diploma.

Florida Locations Only: Re-admitted students who have completed over 75 percent of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program, at a campus other than their intended Florida campus, will not be permitted to request admission to any Chamberlain University Florida campus. Students will remain assigned to their home/primary location and follow the process to complete nursing courses at an alternate campus. Degrees will be conferred at the home/primary Chamberlain campus. NCLEX^® applications to test will require use of the degree conferral campus school code.

Pending space availability, applicants deemed academically eligible may be eligible to enroll as a new student at any Chamberlain pre-licensure location and for up to two sessions immediately following the session for which the decision was rendered. The applicant will not need to submit a new application unless their application has expired. If an applicant requests a change to their preferred location or session, additional deadlines may be imposed to reserve enrollment at the new location or in the future session.

¹

Applicants for the Tysons Corner campus must provide a high school/equivalency transcript documenting proof of graduation.   

²

ACT/SAT scores are valid for one year from the student’s graduation date and will be reviewed for academic eligibility by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee within that one-year timeframe.

GED^® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education and may not be used without permission.

HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Testing

All applicants for pre-licensure programs who will be reviewed for academic eligibility by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee more than one year after high school graduation are required to complete the HESI A2 at a Chamberlain location, at an approved location, or via an approved remote proctoring vendor prior to being deemed academically eligible and should schedule and test within 3 to 5 days of the initial application date.¹ All applicants taking the HESI A2 through Chamberlain are required to have a Chamberlain student ID number and present it at time of testing. Applicants must present one form of valid government-issued photo ID (i.e., driver’s license, passport, military ID, etc.) on the day of the exam. Applicants are permitted two attempts of the HESI A2. Accessing the HESI A2, regardless of completion status, is considered an attempt. Applicants testing via remote proctoring must complete the HESI A2 attempt within two business days of accessing the exam. Applicants must complete all four required academic exams per attempt. If any of the four academic exams result in a zero, the incomplete exam will count as an attempt. Applicants who are not accepted or do not start within six consecutive sessions of their original intended start date will be required to retake the HESI A2. HESI A2 results are valid for one year from the completed test date and will be reviewed for academic eligibility by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee within that one-year timeframe. Applicants denied academic eligibility by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee may request one additional attempt within the one year of test validity for consideration in a future start.  

Military applicants who intend to enroll at Chamberlain as part of a commissioning or military scholarship program are not required to re-take the HESI A2 if they start class within nine consecutive sessions of submitting their application for admission. Former students applying for re-admission who previously completed the HESI A2 during the admission process are not required to re-test.

¹

Availability varies by campus location. Applicants to the BSN online option may not test at a Chamberlain campus location, even if the campus is nearby.

Clinical Clearance Progression Requirements

All applicants deemed academically eligible by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee must initiate drug, background and fingerprint screenings and clear all screenings within 120 days of the session start date. Applicants who enroll in the original session applied for may be granted full acceptance by signing a self-attestation and disclosure indicating their ability to clear all screenings within 120 days of the session start date. If fully accepted with the self-attestation and disclosure, students must receive approved screening clearance from Chamberlain University by the end of their second semester¹ or prior to attending a clinical learning experience, whichever occurs first. If the drug, background and fingerprint screenings are not satisfactorily cleared by the deadline, students will receive a hold on their account preventing progression into any session that requires a clinical learning experience with an external partner. If an applicant or student receives screening results that cannot be cleared by Chamberlain prior to the deadlines noted above, the applicant or student will be dropped from all future enrollment until the screening results can be cleared.  If an applicant deemed academically eligible by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee requests a new preferred location and/or delays enrollment into a future session, the applicant may be required to clear all screenings prior to enrollment in that location or future session.   

¹

Re-admit students that had not previously satisfied their screening requirements will be required to satisfy the missing requirement prior to registration of their readmitted term.  

Criminal Records

Chamberlain is dedicated to both enrollment and student processes that focus on empowering students for successful outcomes and preparing graduates for careers in the nursing profession. Part of this objective is our rigorous admission requirements that ensure students meet requirements for eligibility aligned with State Boards of Nursing; are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN^®); and meet requirements established by our clinical affiliates and employers. The safety of our students, staff, clinical affiliates and the patients they serve is our top priority. Chamberlain is committed to providing an educational environment for nursing that is focused on quality, professionalism and competent and compassionate patient care.

Some state professional standards prohibit issuing a registered nursing license to individuals with a criminal background. In addition, healthcare facilities routinely refuse to allow such persons into clinical training programs. Some healthcare facilities may also require FBI-level fingerprinting as a condition of clinical placement. Chamberlain reserves the right to deny admission to any student who has a criminal record. Chamberlain recommends that prospective students contact any county in which a criminal offense may have occurred to ensure their background is clear. Background or fingerprint checks that produce any criminal offenses, including charges or convictions, may make individuals ineligible for admission. Applicants will automatically be ineligible for admission if they have an offense that falls under certain categories, that are listed below. All other offenses will be reviewed on a case by case basis to determine the applicant’s eligibility.

Exclusion Categories: Applicants may be ineligible for admission if they have offense conviction that falls under certain categories. Those categories include the following, but are not limited to:

• Alcohol or Drug related
• Assault/Battery
• Fraud
• Theft
• Disorderly Conduct

Military to BSN Option

To be eligible for the Military to BSN option¹, the applicant must be deemed academically eligible by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee in addition to meeting the following criteria:

1. Be a veteran of the United States military (honorably discharged and provide a DD form 214 “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty” showing proof of healthcare specialist rating) or
2. Be serving in active duty status with the United States military and provide proof of healthcare specialist rating or
3. Be classified with a healthcare specialist rating (i.e., Navy HM, AF 4N0X1, Army 68W) while serving in the military
4. Submit proof of a minimum of 2 years or equivalent experience as a healthcare specialist or comparable role within the past 3 years
5. Complete and receive transfer credit for:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   BIOS-251	Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab	2
   BIOS-252	Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab	2
   BIOS-255	Anatomy and Physiology III with Lab	2
   BIOS-256	Anatomy and Physiology IV with Lab	2
   CHEM-120	Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry with Lab	4
   BIOS-242	Fundamentals of Microbiology with Lab	4
   PSYC-110N	Psychology	3

    

   ¹

   Availability varies by campus location.

Denied Applicants

Applicants denied academic eligibility by the Chamberlain University BSN Admission Committee are denied for all locations and for the specific session for which the decision was rendered plus the next two consecutive sessions, unless there is new academic information or the application expires.  Applicants reapplying for admission after one year or the sixth consecutive session, will be required to pay the application fee as well as take the HESI Admission Assessment (A2).