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Overview of Bachelor's of Science In Nursing (BSN) Options for Adult Students (Dix Scholars)

We are happy to learn of your interest in the nursing options at Simmons. This page introduces you to program highlights and requirements.

On This Page

• Quick Facts
• Deadlines
• Applicants Seeking a First Bachelor's Degree
• Sequence Options
• Prerequisites
• Transfer Credit Evaluation
• Application Requirements
• Testing Requirements
• Admission Contacts
• Apply!

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Application Deadlines

Entrance Date	Application Deadline
Fall	July 1
Spring	Dec 1
Summer	April 1

Important Note

Space in our nursing program options are filled typically months before published application deadlines for Dix Scholars. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to carefully review the information contained on this page, not only to better understand the application process but also to help develop an application strategy.

Students have the option to enroll at Simmons (part-time or full-time) in order to take all or some of their prerequisites in the semester(s) prior to the nursing sequence to which they have been admitted. Students interested in taking prerequisite courses at Simmons are strongly encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible; such applications will be reviewed for admission to nursing on an individual, rolling (and space available) basis. We are currently accepting applications from students wishing to take prerequisites at Simmons with the intent to begin nursing courses in the summer or fall.

Students taking prerequisites elsewhere are strongly encouraged to complete their application, which includes submitting all required credentials, no later than January 1, in order to be included in the "priority" nursing admission committee review that takes place at the end of January.

Spaces for a particular nursing program start date may be full by the time of the published application deadline.* Please note the priority deadline for the 18 month, 2 and 3 year programs is January 1st. If a student is accepted we will assess space in the corresponding nursing program. Should space be full at that time, we will offer such students a place (and ranking) on our wait list.

* Nursing sequences tend to fill months ahead of the published deadline date and we expect a similar situation to occur for next year.

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Applicants Seeking a First Bachelor's Degree

Sequence: Students with some or no prior college experience may apply for the nursing program that begins in September each year. Admitted students can elect to follow a two or three year sequence of nursing courses and clinical. Each sequence consists of 56 credits, and both sequences begin at the same time and with the same courses; therefore, students do not need to choose between the two or three year option during the application process. First-degree applicants should schedule a meeting after they have taken a TEAS test or otherwise have test score information they can share with their admission counselor.

Prerequisites: Students must satisfy requirements for biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, and anatomy and physiology (A&P I) no later than July 1st prior to the September of their nursing sequence start. (See the prerequisites section below for complete details.) Note, students can—and often—apply with few or none of their prerequisites completed. Admitted students, however, cannot proceed into their nursing sequence unless each of these four prerequisites has been satisfied.

Application Requirements: For students who have NOT completed a bachelor's degree, Simmons requires an official high school transcript (or GED). In addition, all applicants seeking a first bachelor's degree must submit standardized test scores from the SAT, ACT, or TEAS.

College credits: Students can apply for a nursing program with no prior college work or with few or many college credits. Note that to earn a Simmons bachelor's degree, students must complete 128 credits, 56 of which are from the nursing sequence itself. This means that even though a student may have completed all prerequisites, they may be ineligible to begin the nursing sequence the same year they apply because they simply lack enough "non-nursing" credits to ensure they will have a total of 128 credits upon completion of the nursing sequence.

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Nursing Sequence Options:

The 18-Month Nursing Option (for second bachelor's degree only):

The 18 month accelerated program begins every year in July. This option is reserved for women seeking a second bachelor's degree only, and because of the accelerated nature of the program, students entering this track must have completed all prerequisites prior to July 1. Successful candidates typically have an undergraduate college GPA of at least 3.0 and have not retaken any nursing prerequisite course. Note that students seeking a second bachelor's degree must also satisfy general requirements for earning a bachelor's degree from Simmons (see section on Transfer Credit Evaluation below). The published application deadline is April 1.

View the 18-Month Course Sequence Schedule

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The Two or Three Year Options:

Both of these options begin in September. The three-year track is the most flexible and is the only sequence considered to be part-time. To be eligible to begin either sequence, you must complete prerequisites 1-4 listed below. You may choose to fulfill more than the first four prerequisites. You will have simply lightened the course load normally required over the first two terms. Please note that if you are applying to Simmons for your first bachelor's degree, you will be required to submit official SAT, ACT, or TEAS test scores as part of your application. The published application deadline is July 1st.

View the Two Year Course Sequence Schedule

View the Three Year Course Sequence Schedule

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Prerequisite Courses:

Prerequisite courses represent a key component of the admission process for Simmons nursing programs. Applicants provide information regarding where they plan to take or where they have already taken prerequisite courses. Note: You can apply to a nursing program at Simmons having completed all, some, or none of the prerequisite courses.

*The General biology requirement may be waived when a student has confirmed approval to transfer in their completed microbiology, A&P 1 and 2 prerequisites.

**The Simmons basic math competency graduation requirement must be fulfilled prior to registering for prerequisite chemistry (including combined inorganic/organic chemistry) classes at Simmons. Please visit Competency Exam page for details about this graduation requirement.

Fulfilling Prerequisites at Simmons: Students are encouraged to consider taking prerequisite courses at Simmons and may do so in fall, spring, and/or summer terms. Students may take prerequisites at Simmons as a degree or non-degree student. Degree students apply, using a single Dix Scholars application, to take prerequisite or non-nursing coursework at Simmons and to continue directly into a specific nursing option (18-month, 2 year or 3 year). If accepted, such students will be guaranteed a space in the nursing option to which they have been accepted, provided they successfully complete their prerequisites at Simmons. For example, a student is accepted to begin attending Simmons in the fall, takes prerequisite courses in the fall and spring semesters and then begins her 2-year nursing program the following fall. Such students are also eligible for financial aid provided they take a minimum of two classes per semester. Non-degree students take prerequisites at Simmons on a per-course basis and therefore are not eligible for financial aid.

Guidelines & Policies

• Prerequisite courses must be taken at an accredited institution.
• A grade of C+ or higher is necessary to satisfy each prerequisite (note that successful applicants typically have a 3.33 GPA or higher in prerequisite courses not taken at Simmons).
• Prerequisite science courses must include a lab.
• Prerequisites must have been completed within the past ten years.
• Retake policy: Candidates for the nursing program will not be considered if they have exceeded the following prerequisite retake guidelines: attempted a single course more than two times or retaken more than two prerequisite courses once.
• Special note to students seeking to transfer from another nursing program to Simmons: In order to be considered for admission to a nursing program at Simmons, students must be in good academic standing in their current program. In addition, they must not have taken (or need to take) any nursing course more than once.
• Simmons prerequisite courses are offered throughout the year, but which courses are offered may differ by semester. Therefore, it is important to check the course schedule on the Simmons website (aarc.simmons.edu). Generally, the schedule is posted ten weeks prior to the start of the new semester. Note that the summer schedule includes courses for the two summer sessions.
• Please consult the Simmons Nursing Prerequisite Guidelines page when determining if prerequisite courses you have taken or plan to take elsewhere will satisfy the nursing prerequisite criteria at Simmons.

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Transfer Credit Evaluation:

A transfer credit evaluation (TCE) can help you better understand which of your previously taken courses will transfer into Simmons as well as which courses will fulfill Simmons's nursing pre-requisites. Please note that all admitted or waitlisted applicants will receive a transfer credit evaluation by email after acceptance.

During the application process, students may request a preliminary transfer credit evaluation. IMPORTANT: In order to conduct a preliminary TCE, the Office of Undergraduate Admission must receive official transcripts from ALL of the post-secondary institutions you have attended.

Requesting a preliminary transfer credit evaluation:

1. Request that ALL official college transcripts be sent to YOU from the institutions you attended.
2. Send ALL official college transcripts to the Simmons College Office of Undergraduate Admission in one large envelope with a written request for a preliminary transfer credit evaluation.
3. Please allow several weeks for the evaluation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding requesting a preliminary transfer credit evaluation, please contact your admission counselor.

The TCE enables us to know what prerequisites you have satisfied with prior coursework and also what all-college graduation requirements you have already fulfilled. The TCE alerts you to prerequisites that you will need to complete by the July 1st prior to either the July (for the 18 month) or September (for the 2/3 year) nursing program start. Note that the Simmons faculty makes final decisions regarding acceptability of prerequisite courses taken elsewhere.

A TCE also assesses the number of credits you have already taken which will transfer toward your Simmons bachelor's degree and alerts you to coursework you will need to complete to fulfill the Modes of Inquiry or other graduation requirements to earn a Simmons diploma. Typically the following coursework will be accepted for credit toward graduation: courses taken at an accredited college or university, and courses that carry three credits or more, in which you have earned a C or better. Simmons College allows student to transfer in up to 80 credits in this manner. (Note that a grade of C+ or better is required of courses to satisfy the nursing department's prerequisite policy.)

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Application Requirements

Typically, admitted students have a college GPA of at least 2.8 and a science GPA exceeding 3.0. Students must earn at least a C+ on prerequisites. There are no exceptions to the prerequisite retake policy.

An application is considered complete when Simmons Office of Undergraduate Admission has received ALL of the following:

• Completed Application Form
• $55 Application Fee. Fee is waived if you apply online
• Personal statement: You may include with your application or submit separately via email to ugadm@simmons.edu
• Official transcripts from ALL institutions attended. Note that transcripts become the property of Simmons College.
• Two recommendations (academic recommendations preferred)
• Resume (recommended)
• For International Students:
  • For students who have taken coursework or received degrees from international institutions, Simmons requires an official copy of the translation/course evaluation report prepared by the Center for Educational Documentation
  • Students who are not native English speakers may also be required to submit scores from the TOEFL or IELTS.
• For first degree candidates:
  • Official score report for SAT/ACT or TEAS (for more information, please read the standardized test requirements below)
  • High school transcript (or official GED): This requirements is waived if the candidate has earned a Bachelor's degree

Application Tips:

• Begin process with an initial telephone conversation with your Simmons admission counselor. Students seeking a first bachelor's degree should take the SAT/ACT or TEAS before consulting with an admission counselor.
• Collect official transcripts (do not open the envelope in which they are mailed to you) and submit them to Simmons Undergraduate Admission as a group (in single, larger envelope).
• Attend a monthly Dix Scholars Information Session or Open House on campus. Information sessions introduce you to Simmons College, our dedication to our adult students, the application process, and include a detailed discussion of the prerequisites required for nursing. To register, please call 617-521-2051 or visit our events page.

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Standardized Test Requirements
(for first bachelor's degree only)

Applicants applying to the Nursing program who do not have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education need to submit standardized test scores.

The tests we accept are:

• SAT or ACT standardized test: If you have already taken the test, please arrange to have your official scores sent to Simmons College. Note that your score is considered "official" if we receive the test report directly from the testing service or if it is included on your high school transcript. Successful applicants typically have scores at least 500 on the math section of the SAT.
• TEAS: Simmons will accept scores from ATI's Test of Essential Academic Skills or TEAS. Successful applicants will typically have scores of at least 86% (with a math sub-score at least 84% and science sub-score, at least 82%). You may register online to take the TEAS at a testing location in your area.

Please note: We accept official scores from tests taken within the past 18 months and from a maximum of two different test dates.

If you have not already taken a standardized test, we suggest you make plans to take the test at least six to twelve months prior to the published application deadline. Often, spaces in our nursing programs are filled well before the published application deadline.

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Your Dix Scholars Admission Contacts

Thank you for your interest in Simmons and our Nursing Program!

Start Your Application! Go to the Apply page

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Note: The Program shall insure accuracy, consistency, and integrity of the information about the program in its publications. Information about the program includes but is not limited to: program approval, accreditation status, and transferability of credits to other educational institutions.

Last revised 5/22/12

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