UC Blue Ash College

Nursing Selective Admission Requirements

The Nursing program at the UC Blue Ash College admits students through a selective program admission process. Students who meet the minimum requirements are encouraged to apply to the Nursing program. Note the following:

  • Confirmed admission to the University of Cincinnati is required.
  • Students may apply to the program via selective program admission two times only.
  • Application to the Nursing program does not guarantee admission to the program.

Nursing, RN Technology Selective Program Admission Minimum Criteria

These are the minimum criteria that must be met to be considered for the program. If you do not meet these requirements, you should not submit a selective program admission application. By enrolling in pre-health professions, you are able to work towards these requirements at UC Blue Ash College, and apply once they are met. The pre-health professions advisor can assist with putting together a plan.

  1. Biology: One year of high school Biology with lab and a grade of C or higher completed within 6 years of application or a college biology course as indicated below is required.
    1. If high school Biology grade was C, but was taken longer than 6 years prior to application, the student must complete Biology for the Health Professions and Technical Programs I (BIOL1051C) with a grade of C or better.
    2. If high school Biology was not taken or if the student earned a grade below C, the student must complete Biology for Health Professions and Technical Programs I and II (BIOL1051C and BIOL1052C) with grades of C or better.
    3. College Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2001C) completed with grade of C or better within the 6 years prior to application will also meet this biology requirement.
  2. Chemistry: One year of high school chemistry with lab with a grade of C or better completed within 6 years of application or CHEM 1030 (General, Organic, and Biochemistry I) and CHEM 1030L (Gen/Org/Biochemistry Lab) with grades of C or better is required.
    1. If high school Chemistry grade was a C but was taken longer than 6 years prior to application, the student must complete General, Organic, and Biochemistry (CHEM 1030 and CHEM 1030L) with grade of C or better.
    2. If high school Chemistry was not taken or if the student earned a grade below C, the student must complete General, Organic, and Biochemistry (CHEM 1030 and CHEM 1030L) with grade of C or better.
  3. Math: Eligibility for college level math is required. Students may meet the math requirement via Math Placement Test (MPT) with a score of 320 or higher OR ALEKS score of 30 OR with a 22 or higher on the ACT Math sub-test OR an SAT math sub-score of 630 or higher.
  4. English: English Placement test: Eligible for English Composition (ENGL 1001). student must achieve a score of 5 OR ACT English score of 18 or higher OR an SAT writing score of 430 or higher.
  5. TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language)
    1. TOEFL
      1. Overall: 72 
      2. Speaking sub-score: 20
      3. Listening sub-score: 17 
    2. IELTS
      1. Overall: 6.0 
      2. Speaking sub-score: 6.5 
      3. Listening sub-score: 5.5 
    3. PTEOverall: 
      1. 50 (concords to 72 on the TOEFL)
      2. CEFR level B2 (easiest)=51-58
      3. CEFR level B2=59-75 
    1. Cambridge Assessment
      1. English 175 
      2. IELTS 6.0 = 169-175 
      3. IELTS 6.5= 176-184 
      4. CEFR level: B2=160-179 
    2. Duolingo English Test (DET)
      1. Overall: 95 
      2. Production sub-score: 112
      3. Conversation sub-score: 88
  6. Minimum GPA: Students must meet the requirement of (A) un-weighted high school GPA of 3.0 or (B) 2.8 GPA in college courses with a minimum of 12 credit hours. Note: The GPA of the most recent college attended will be the one used for selective admission.

Additional Requirements for Nursing, RN Technology

In addition to the minimum qualifications, there are some additional requirements that you must complete as a part of the application process for the Nursing, RN Technology program. Here are the additional requirements:

Reflective Essay

When completing the Selective Admission application, you will be asked to respond to the following two prompts in one essay of 300 words or less.

Essay Content

  • Briefly describe (3-5 sentences) why you have chosen to become a Registered Nurse.
  • Provide the top three characteristics that will make you successful as a nursing student and describe how they will help you become a good Registered Nurse.

Formatting Instructions

  • Essay must be in Times New Roman, size 12 font
  • Must be 300 words or less
  • Double-spaced with one inch margins on all sides, with the text aligned to the left only
  • The file name for the essay should include the following information: Last Name, First Name – Essay
  • Upload the essay as Word Documents where indicated on the online application.

Nursing HESI Admission Assessment Exam

Students who complete a selective admission application for the Nursing Program will be given access to a link to complete registration and payment for the HESI Admission Assessment Exam (HESI A2). The student is responsible for paying for, scheduling, and taking the admission exam during one of the provided testing dates. 

The test will cover English, Math, Science, and Critical Thinking. In addition, the student will take a learning profile assessment which will provide information on the students learning styles.

Not taking the admission test will result in an incomplete application for the Nursing Program and your application will be removed from consideration.

Preparation for the Test

HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review, 4th Edition, 2017 

ISBN: 978-0-323-35378-6

With content review and sample test questions, this study guide helps students prepare for the HESI Admission Assessment Exam.

NOTE: This may not be the newest addition as you prepare to test. We do recommend using the newest edition available. Additionally, Free resources may be found online. 

Overview of the Test

The test consist of 5 sections reqiring a testing time of 130 minutes.  Registration and payment for the test will occur during the selective admission application process.

English Language
Reading Comprehension: (60 Minutes) Provides reading scenarios in order to measure reading comprehension, identifying the main idea, finding meaning of words in context, passage comprehension, making logical inferrences, ect.

Math
Basic Math skills: (50 Minutes) Focuses on math skills needed for health care fields, including basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures, general math facts, ect.

Science
Anatomy and Physiology: (25 Minutes) Provides coverage of general terminolgy and anatomal structures and systems.

Learners Profile
Learning stylyes: (15 Minutes) Assess perferred learning style.

Critical Thinking
Critical thinking: (40 Minutes) Assesses the key skill of critical thinking.

Program Admission Selection Process:

The program admission committee will review the academic records, the reflective essay, and the admission test scores. Students who meet minimum qualifications by the first week of May will be considered for regular decision admission and will be notified of acceptance by the end of May. Students must return their acceptance letter by the date stated in their Admission letter to ensure a space in the class. Students who do not return the acceptance form by that date will be removed from the admission list.

Additional Requirements Upon Acceptance for All Nursing Students

  1. Attend the mandatory First Year Student Nursing Orientation session.
  2. Complete the Essential Functional Abilities for Nursing Students
  3. Complete critical requirements, which include background checks, and submit by the required due date. Not completing the critical requirements by the due date may result in losing a seat in the nursing program.
  4. Purchase a laptop to meet the Nursing Program requirement.

Health Documentation

Upon acceptance to the UCBA Nursing Program, students must meet a number of requirements in accordance with the policies of the program and the clinical sites in order to participate in the clinical experience. These include documentation of specific and current immunizations and vaccinations, American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification, and health insurance prior to the start of their clinical experience. Specific requirements may change throughout the student course of study based on agency requirements.

Final Steps

Following acceptance to the health programs, students must meet the following requirements:

  1. Purchase appropriate uniforms, supplies, and educational materials.
  2. Document current immunizations.
  3. Document Basic Life Support for health care provider CPR certification.
  4. Arrange for personal transportation to and from clinical sites.
  5. Undergo background checks and drug testing as required by the program or the clinical site.
  6. Meet any additional program specific requirements.

Resources

Contact Information

Walters Hall | Room 289
Phone: 513-558-9463
Email: nursing@ucblueash.edu

Nursing Advisor Contact Information:
Kevin Kingman
Muntz Hall 125
Preferred Method of Contact: Schedule via Starfish or by calling 513-558-9442.
E-Mail: kevin.kingman@uc.edu