Welcome!

We are very excited that you are considering joining the Bobcat Nursing family. We strive to make our application process as easy as possible. Please read the information below, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to an advisor. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

 Great Falls Whitecoat Ceremony

 Accelerated BSN nursing students are placed into campus cohort groups in August of each year and advance through three accelerated semesters (fall, spring, and summer) of nursing courses together before graduation the following August. All accelerated BSN applicants must have received a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing prior to the beginning of classes in August. For any questions on timeline, please contact an advisor.

For students planning on applying for Fall 2024 ABSN placement the priority deadline is 3/1/2024. Please watch a recording of the information session for more details. 

Timeline

Fall 2024

The Priority Deadline for the Fall 2024 ABSN program is March 1, 2024. We accept applications (and may still have available slots) up until July 15, 2024.

Placement decisions for students who submitted prior to the Priority Deadline will go out via email on April 15. 

Fall 2025

The Priority Deadline for the Fall 2025 ABSN program is January 5, 2025. We accept applications (and may still have available slots) up until July 15, 2025.  

Requirements for Application

 

  A calculated GPA of 3.0 or higher in required prerequisite courses.

  1. Be on track to complete all prerequisites prior to placement start date, with a grade of C- or better (prerequisites must have been completed within the last 15 years). No more than 2 repeats total across the required prerequisite courses. A grade of “W” counts as a repeat. If you are interested in appealing, please contact an advisor.
  2. At least 3 of the 5 required natural science courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better to apply to the nursing program. Those courses are: BIOH 201**, BIOH 211, BIOM 250, CHMY 121 and CHMY 123. 
          **BIOH 201 (Anatomy and Physiology I) MUST be one of the three completed science courses in order to apply.
  3. All students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing prior to the beginning of the program in August.
  4. Campus cohort placements will be based on your campus ranking in the application. If you are not offered your 1st campus choice, you may decline your guaranteed placement and request placement on the wait list for the desired campus. If you are not offered initial placement, you may also request a spot on the waitlist. If you are not placed from the waitlist, you may re-apply during the next application period. 
  5. Students who have been previously enrolled in, but have not completed, another nursing program will provide a letter of good standing from the institution’s nursing director in the NursingCAS application process.  The letter must address the student’s standing in the program at the time of exit and eligibility for readmission or reinstatement. 

Application Process

 

There are two required steps to the application process for placement into nursing courses. 

1) NursingCAS:

  • To apply to the ABSN Program at MSU you must use the NursingCAS portal, the nursing profession’s online application service: NURSING CAS portal


2) Clinical Compliance Tracking: The College of Nursing utilizes Complio (American Databank), an accredited member of the Professional Background Screeners Association (PBSA). All applicants must order and complete an Application Package from Complio, which includes a background check and urine drug screen, prior to the application deadline. *Only Complio background check and urine drug screen reports are acceptable, no other organizations results will be utilized.

  • If accepted into the program you will be given information on completing the rest of the Clinical Compliance Tracking needed prior to the start of the program. 

This requires creating an account and submitting documents through the clinical compliance tracking portal. 

    • e-learning **
    • Immunization **
    • CPR - must be American Heart Association (AHA) BLS for Healthcare Providers **
    • Proof of Health Insurance **

**These items must be completed prior to the start of the program, Aug 1 (fall). 

 

*On November 3, 2020, Montana voters passed Initiative 190 and Constitutional Amendment 118, which allows for limited recreational use of marijuana for adults age 21 and older. However, use or possession of marijuana remains a federal crime.  Per the Montana Board of Regents, the possession or use of marijuana on campus property and in MUS programs is prohibited. The MSU Code of Student Conduct described this policy in more detail including that all forms of marijuana are prohibited including tinctures, edibles and topicals. Students who use or possess marijuana on campus are subject to discipline.

 In addition, as a nursing student -- and when you become a nurse -- you are obligated to meet the clinical compliance requirements of a clinical agency. These requirements include a negative urine drug test when you apply to nursing school and annually while in the program.  Per CON policy, applicants or current students with a positive urine drug test are not allowed in the program.  Applicants may re-apply in the next admission cycle with permission of the CON Scholastic Committee.  Current undergraduate or graduate nursing students may seek reinstatement through the CON Scholastic Committee.