Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
UAMS advertises a 12-month accelerated BSN for graduates of other disciplines, with Little Rock and Fayetteville locations.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences offers an accelerated route into nursing for applicants with a completed bachelor’s degree or higher in any field. The program requires 58 prerequisite credits before enrollment.
Students combine nursing coursework with supervised clinical learning. Applicants should select their intended campus and entry cohort when reviewing admissions and attendance requirements.
Accreditation
The UAMS baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants need:
- A bachelor’s degree or higher in any field, conferred before enrollment.
- A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and 2.5 prerequisite GPA.
- A C or better in required prerequisite courses.
- Completion of all 58 prerequisite credits before enrollment.
- Official academic records and the required application materials.
For repeated prerequisite courses, UAMS uses the last grade in the prerequisite GPA calculation. This rule should not be assumed to replace all prior grades in the cumulative GPA.
Applicants whose bachelor’s degree is conferred before enrollment are exempt from TEAS. The entrance-exam rules for applicants without that degree should not be applied to the second-degree ABSN population.
Eligible applicants may be invited to an interview and an emotional-intelligence assessment. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Application Timing
The BSN admissions page identifies January 15 as the priority deadline and March 1 as the regular deadline for fall 2027, with applications opening October 1. Applicants should use the instructions for their selected ABSN campus and cohort.
Prerequisite Courses — 58 Credits
- Biophysical sciences, 16 credits: chemistry, microbiology, and anatomy and physiology with laboratories.
- Social sciences, 12 credits: history or American government plus approved social-science coursework.
- Humanities and English, 15 credits: fine arts or humanities, English Composition I and II, and an approved communication or writing course.
- Additional coursework, 15 credits: algebra or quantitative literacy, introductory statistics, nutrition and electives.
Previous degree credits may satisfy these requirements. Any missing coursework must be completed before enrollment.
Curriculum
UAMS pairs nursing coursework with in-person clinical learning. Its concept-based curriculum moves from assessment and foundational skills to common, complex and multisystem health problems. Pharmacology, professional practice and clinical learning develop alongside these courses, with a final capstone integrating nursing knowledge and supervised patient care.
The 2026–27 academic catalog publishes a 62-credit accelerated nursing plan for Northwest Arkansas, separate from the 58 prerequisite credits required before enrollment. Together they total 120 degree credits. The table describes that catalog plan; students should obtain the schedule assigned to their selected campus and entry cohort.
Required Courses and Credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 31146 — Pathophysiologic Basis for Health Assessment | 6 | Health histories and physical examinations, including normal and abnormal findings and age and cultural differences. |
NURS 32901 — Professional Nursing I: Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice | 1 | Nursing responsibilities, safety, ethics, clinical judgment and therapeutic communication. |
NURS 33065 — Foundations of Nursing Practice | 5 | Basic patient needs, health promotion and safe nursing skills through simulation and clinical learning. |
NURS 33002 — Professional Nursing II: Health Care Systems and Quality Care | 2 | Healthcare delivery and teamwork to support patients, families and quality outcomes. |
NURS 33097 — Health and Illness Concepts I: Care of Clients with Common Health Problems | 7 | Adult acute and chronic medical-surgical and mental health problems, with clinical application. |
NURS 33072 — Basic Pharmacology I | 2 | Medication administration, dosage calculation and the ways drugs act in the body. |
NURS 33033 — Professional Nursing III: Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research | 3 | Using evidence in practice and understanding the nurse’s role in research. |
NURS 33105 — Health and Illness Concepts II: Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family | 5 | Perinatal and pediatric nursing, including care of children from birth through adolescence. |
NURS 33082 — Basic Pharmacology II | 2 | Medication management for complex, emergency and multisystem conditions across the lifespan. |
NURS 33137 — Health and Illness Concepts III: Care of Clients with Complex Health Problems | 7 | Clinical care of adults with complex medical-surgical and mental health needs. |
NURS 33043 — Professional Nursing IV: Leadership and Management of Care Concepts | 3 | Leadership and care management that support clinical outcomes and organizational goals. |
NURS 33144 — Health and Illness Concepts IV: Care of Vulnerable Populations | 4 | Community and public health nursing, including assessment of individuals, families and populations. |
NURS 33157 — Health and Illness Concepts V: Care of Clients with Multi-System Health Problems | 7 | Nursing care for adults with emergency or multisystem conditions. |
NURS 33168 — Capstone: Transition to Professional Practice | 8 | Integration of program concepts, clinical judgment, RN-precepted practice and NCLEX-RN preparation. |
Total: 62 nursing credits. The tuition figures below are campus-specific rates per credit, not a separately verified full-program total. The 58 prerequisite credits are not included in this nursing-course table.
Clinical Learning and the Final Capstone
The catalog plan assigns 43 theory credits and 19 clinical credits, corresponding to 645 theory contact hours and 855 clinical contact hours. The 1,500 combined contact hours include theory and should not be described as 1,500 clinical hours.
Foundations includes simulated learning and beginning clinical skills. Later courses apply nursing care to adult health, maternal-child care and community settings. The eight-credit capstone combines three theory credits and five clinical credits, bringing concept synthesis and RN-supervised immersion into one final course.
Clinical Experience
Clinical education develops alongside nursing coursework and culminates in an immersion experience in the published Northwest Arkansas plan. UAMS describes clinical experiences within the geographic area of the selected campus. Clinical attendance is an in-person commitment, and students need to account for travel to assigned sites.
Tuition and Costs
The 2026–27 tuition schedule for the Northwest Arkansas accelerated BSN lists:
- $370 per credit for Arkansas residents.
- The resident rate for students from Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas under the College of Nursing border-state policy.
- $645 per credit for other nonresidents.
These are tuition rates per credit, rather than full-program prices. The schedule identifies the Northwest Arkansas program specifically; applicants should use the tuition classification for their campus and cohort.
Fees Listed Separately
The College of Nursing fee schedule lists progression and testing charges, a $175 skills kit, liability coverage at $20 per semester and standardized-patient charges based on use.
Fall and spring university fees include student health ($145), technology ($130), university services ($500) and student activity ($25). The schedule states that these four charges do not apply in summer. Northwest Arkansas students are exempt from the listed transportation fee.
The application fee is $50 and the graduation fee is $75. A $150 enrollment deposit is credited toward tuition, so it should not be counted again as an additional tuition charge. Books, equipment, clinical compliance, travel, living costs and licensure are separate expenses; future rate changes can increase the total cost.
Other Nursing Programs
UAMS also offers traditional BSN and graduate nursing pathways. Their entry requirements, calendars and tuition classifications differ from the accelerated second-degree option.