RN-to-BSN Online Degree
We accommodate the employed nurse. This educational opportunity is a flexible and affordable option for Registered Nurses who desire a bachelor’s degree. Specific "RN Only" online courses build upon the educational and professional experience of Registered Nurses with an associate’s degree.
Marketable Skills
- Communication: Nurses need to effectively communicate patient information to all members of the health care team. By doing so the patient will receive high quality care that is relevant, timely and error free. Nurses also develop communication skills to coordinate care for patient discharge needs to community agencies.
- Critical thinking: Nurses develop critical thinking skills to monitor the health care status of their patients on an ongoing basis. This skill is also necessary to also develop clinical judgement. These are two of the most important skills that nurses need to effectively function in an often-fast paced health care environment.
- Listening: Nurses develop sharp listening skills to gain information from patients and their families to formulate a proper plan of care. Nurses also use their listening skills when communicating with all members of the health care team.
Application Process
- An active, unencumbered licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the United States
- Application and acceptance by UTEP Office of Admissions & Recruitment (See UTEP Undergraduate Catalog).
- Minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 for full acceptance.
- Completion of all University Core Curriculum courses and/or Elective course before beginning RN-to-BSN professional courses (See RN-to-BSN Option Degree Plan)
- 9 hours of University Core Curriculum courses and/or Elective courses must be completed at UTEP
Admission Process
- Apply to UTEP using the ApplyTexas application.
- Submit verification of active, unencumbered license to practice professional nursing.
- Upon full admission and licensure verification, students will be officially notified of admission status by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
Mentorships
As this program is tailored to working licensed nurses- the UTEP RN-BSN program has a mentorship requirement as part of the student’s practicum experience courses.
- Students will be selecting a mentor within their place of employment that will mentor them through the practicum assignments.
- This requirement will require the students to meet with their mentor once a week and work together to create a project pertaining to their assignment/course.
- With this requirement, there are many steps that are required to ensure that the student is prepared and cleared for the mentorship.
Graduation Requirements
- A candidate must successfully complete the prescribed curriculum and must meet all other requirements of the University and the College of Nursing.
- Eligible undergraduate degree candidates must submit a graduation application to the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs.
- The College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs will review all graduation applications and conduct a final degree audit for each applicant. All graduation applications will be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
- Graduation fees may be paid through Pete’s Payment Options or Student Business Services in the Mike Loya Academic Services Building.
- A late fee will be assessed if the student submits the graduation application after the official submission deadline.
Student Employment
The UTEP College of Nursing Undergraduate program is very rigorous and time-consuming. Students are strongly encouraged to carefully evaluate their personal and employment commitments to maximize their potential for success.
The College of Nursing assumes no responsibility for students' activities outside of the nursing curriculum. Students are personally responsible and liable for any activities conducted while employed. Student liability insurance provided by the University only covers students engaged in approved nursing curricular activities. Individuals who illegally practice nursing may jeopardize their future as licensed professionals.
Students employed in a healthcare agency have the responsibility, personally and professionally, to engage in only those activities that fall within the job description. Further, students have a responsibility to refuse to participate in activities that he or she has not been legally licensed to perform.
Nursing Student Organization
All enrolled students are eligible for membership in the Nursing Student Organization, an affiliate of the Texas Nursing Students' Association and the National Student Nurses’ Association. The UTEP Chapter has goals consistent with those of the National Student Nurses' Association. Its purpose is to aid in the development of the individual student, the profession of Nursing and the delivery of health care.
Academic Progress
Rigorous study is required to succeed in the Nursing Program. Multiple hours of preparation are required beyond the classroom periods and clinical experiences. Students must be willing to accept this as a condition of succeeding in the program.
A Nursing student must meet or exceed the following minimum requirements for each course in the Nursing curriculum in order to pass that course:
1. Didactic courses without a clinical/lab component or Didactic courses with a mentorship component
a. Students must maintain a minimum average of 75% for the didactic evaluation of the course. Achieving less than a minimum average of 75.0% in the didactic portion of the course results in course failure. There is no rounding of grades and fractional points will be dropped.
b. Additional assignments (Mentorship activities and projects) grades/points are factored into the overall course grade only if the student has passed a course's exams and/or quizzes with the minimum of 75.0%.
2. The grading scale is:
100 - 90 = A
89 - 80 = B
79 - 75 = C
74 - 60 = D
< 60 = F
Course Repeat Policy
Repeating a Nursing course because of failure or withdrawal is not automatic. The student must request permission from the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in order to repeat a course. (Please refer to current SON undergraduate student handbook).
Progression
Students must successfully complete all prerequisite courses to progress through the curriculum sequence. Repeating a course disrupts the normal timeline of progression. Successful completion of a failed course does not guarantee automatic progression into succeeding courses. Students who vary from the normal timeline are placed in subsequent courses on a space-available basis each semester.
Nursing Course Withdrawal and Repeat Policy
Nursing courses may only be attempted twice. A withdrawal from a nursing course that results in a "W" counts as an attempt. Students are not encouraged to withdraw from nursing courses as this impedes progression in the completion of the degree plan, but if a student chooses to withdraw from a course, this should be in writing (Refer to “Progression Policy” in current Undergraduate Student Handbook).
Dismissal from the Nursing Program
A student is academically dismissed from the Nursing Program after failing two nursing courses or after two unsuccessful attempts of the same nursing course. There is no appeal process for dismissals. A formal letter of academic dismissal will be sent to the student by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (refer to the Progression Policy in the Traditional BSN UG Handbook).
Safe and Effective Nursing Practice Policy
All nursing students must perform within the limits of safe practice. A faculty member can remove a student from a clinical site if the student's nursing practice is deemed unsafe as defined in the Safe Practice Policy of the College of Nursing, of which a copy is posted on the College of Nursing website and Undergraduate Student Handbook. A violation of the Safe Practice Policy may result in a Faculty Drop from the course with an F (regardless of grade point average at the time).
Undergraduate Student Remediation
Remediation will be available to students currently enrolled in the Undergraduate Nursing Program with identified challenges that may impede their success in a clinical or didactic course. Remediation may be recommended or required, depending on the identified need. (Refer to “Undergraduate Student Remediation Policy” in current SON undergraduate student handbook.
Student Grievances Related to Grades
A student may challenge his/her grade as determined by a member of the faculty of the University during or within one year after the end of any credit course, qualifying or comprehensive examination, for which the student has been enrolled. A challenge to a grade may be pursued only on the basis of: malice, bias, arbitrary or capricious grade determination, or impermissible discrimination. A challenge will not be pursued on the basis of the standards employed in setting grades, so long as those standards are employed impartially.
The student must attempt to resolve grievances concerning grades through the following steps: Submit a written account of the event/situation that describes the actions taken or omitted and provide substantiating data that describes the basis for the grievance to the following persons:
Students must attempt to resolve issues relating to grades using the following sequence in the chain of command:
1. First: the faculty member or Course Manager who issued the grade
2. Second: the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
3. Third: the Dean of College of Nursing.
If a student is not satisfied with the outcome after using the chain of command, the student may consult with and/or file a grievance complaint with the Chairperson of the University Student Grievance Committee.
Degree Plan
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Core Curriculum | ||
| Complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. | 42 | |
| Program Courses (All courses require a grade of C or better) | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| NURS 4402 | RN to BSN Role Transition | 4 |
| NURS 4303 | Nursing Informatics & Technolo | 3 |
| NURS 4414 | Evidence Based Research | 4 |
| NURS 4502 | Nursing Leadership & Managemen | 5 |
| NURS 4503 | Nursing in the Community | 5 |
| Electives | ||
| Select nine additional hours of courses | 10 | |
| Pre-Professional Courses (All courses require a grade of C or better) | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| NURS 2303 | Intro to Nursing Practice | CR |
| NURS 2407 | Pharmacology for Nursing | CR |
| NURS 2502 | Pathophysiology | CR |
| BIOL 2313 & BIOL 2113 | Human Anat/Physiology II and Human Anat/Physio Lab II | CR |
| BIOL 1305 & BIOL 1107 | General Biology and Topics in Study of Life I | CR |
| BIOL 2311 & BIOL 2111 | Human Anat/Physiology I and Human Anat/Physio Lab I | CR |
| MICR 2330 | Microorganisms and Disease | CR |
| HSCI 2302 | Fundamentals of Nutrition | CR |
| Chemistry: | ||
| Select one of the following: | CR | |
| Intro to General Chemistry and Intro General Chemistry Lab | ||
| General Chemistry and Laboratory for CHEM 1305 | ||
| Mathematics: | ||
| Select one of the following: | CR | |
| Math for Social Sciences I | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Precalculus | ||
| Professional Courses | ||
| NURS 3401 | Health Assessment | CR |
| NURS 3604 | Fundamentals of Nurs Practice | CR |
| NURS 4608 | Nurs Care of Child & Child Fam | CR |
| NURS 3709 | Adult Health Nursing I | CR |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Core Curriculum (A program may recommend specific courses. All courses require a C or better.)
I. Communication (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. | ||
| Select six hours of the following: | 6 | |
| For students whose secondary education was in English: | ||
| Written and Oral Communication | ||
| Writing About Literature | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition I | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition 2 | ||
| Rhetoric, Composition & Comm | ||
| For students whose secondary education was not in English: | ||
| Expos Engl Compos-Spkr Esl | ||
| Res & Crit Writng Spkr Esl | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 6 | |
II. American History (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Social Responsibility, and Personal Responsibility. | ||
| HIST 1301 | History of U.S. to 1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1302 | History of U.S. Since 1865 | 3 |
| TOTAL HOURS | 6 | |
III. Language, Philosophy & Culture (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Social Responsibility, and Personal Responsibility. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro-African Amer Studies | ||
| Latina/o Presence in the U.S. | ||
| English Literature | ||
| English Literature | ||
| Intro to American Fiction | ||
| Intro to American Drama | ||
| Intro to American Poetry | ||
| Making of the "Other" Americas | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History Since 1500 | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Introduct to Religious Studies | ||
| Seeing & Naming: Conversations | ||
| Introduction to Womens Studies | ||
| Global Feminisms | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 3 | |
IV. Mathematics (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships. Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and Empirical & Quantitative Skills. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Trigonometry and Conics | ||
| Math in the Modern World | ||
| Math for Social Sciences I | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Precalculus | ||
| Math for Social Sciences II | ||
| Statistical Literacy | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 3 | |
V. Life & Physical Sciences (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method. Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on experiences. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Empirical & Quantitative Skills, and Teamwork. | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Astronomy Lab I | ||
| Elem Astronomy-Solar System | ||
| Elem Astr Stars & Galaxies | ||
| Introductory Biology Lab | ||
| Human Biology Laboratory | ||
| Topics in Study of Life I | ||
| Organismal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| General Biology | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab I | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab II | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology I | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology II | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1305 | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1306 | ||
| Intro General Chemistry Lab | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochem Lab | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| Intro to General Chemistry | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochemistry | ||
| Environmental Sci. Lab | ||
| Non-major Lab for ESCI 1301 | ||
| Intro to Environmental Sci | ||
| Laboratory for GEOG 1306 | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1313 | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1314 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sci - Lab | ||
| Laboratory for Geology 1212 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sciences | ||
| Principles of Earth Science | ||
| The Blue Planet | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology | ||
| Intro to Historical Geol | ||
| Fundamentals of Nutrition | ||
| Wellness Dynamics | ||
| Microorganisms and Disease | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for PHYS 2320 | ||
| Laboratory for PHYS 2321 | ||
| Introductory Mechanics | ||
| Introductory Electromagnetism | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 6 | |
VI. Political Science (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Social Responsibility and Personal Responsibility. | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| POLS 2310 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLS 2311 | American Gover & Politics | 3 |
| TOTAL HOURS | 6 | |
VII. Social & Behavioral Sciences (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human. Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Empirical & Quantitative Skills, and Social Responsibility. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro-Phys Anth/Archeolog | ||
| Intro-Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Intro to Linguistics | ||
| Asian American Studies | ||
| Econ for Engrs & Scientists | ||
| Intro to Chicano Studies | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Mass Media and Society | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Ed Psychology | ||
| Action Research in Classrooms | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Leadership in Action | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Lang. Inside & Out: Sel Topics | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 3 | |
VIII. Creative Arts
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination. Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art. Course objectives for this component are: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Teamwork, and Social Responsibility. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art Appreciation | ||
| History of Art I | ||
| History of Art II | ||
| Chicana/o Fine Arts Appreciat | ||
| Introduction to Dance | ||
| Intro-Art of Motion Pict. | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz to Rock | ||
| Music, Culture, and Society | ||
| Introduction to Theatre | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 3 | |
IX. Component Area Option (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| a. A minimum of 3 SCH must meet the definition and corresponding Core Objectives specified in one of the foundational component areas. b. As an option for up to 3 semester credit hours of the Component Area Option, an institution may select course(s) that: (i) Meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas; and (ii) Include(s) a minimum of three Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and one of the remaining Core Objectives of the institution's choice. | ||
| Intro to Global Business | ||
| COMM 1301 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| Business/Profession Comm | ||
| Intro-Computational Thinking | ||
| Computer Programming Sci/Engr | ||
| Eng Innovation and Leadership | ||
| Engineering Design Experience | ||
| Applied Engineering Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Leadership | ||
| Inquiry in Math & Science | ||
| Comm. Var. Across the Lifespan | ||
| Seminar/Critical Inquiry | ||
| TOTAL HOURS | 6 | |