Simmons College School of Nursing and Health Sciences

Must I have a degree in a science discipline to apply to the Direct Entry Nursing program?

No. You may hold a bachelor's degree in any academic area from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university We have had graduates and students in the program who majored in business, psychology, chemical engineering and theology to name a few. That's the beauty of the program-we welcome all backgrounds. However, the key is that you must have completed or are completing the prerequisite courses for admisssion.

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What are the admission requirements?

All applicants must hold a bachelor's degree (B.S. or B.A.) or nearing completion of such a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or a post-secondary institution abroad which is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country.The degree can be in any academic discipline other than nursing.

Additionally, applicants must have completed certain prerequisite courses within 10 years of the application deadline. No pass/fail or audit courses are acceptable. AP(Advanced Placement),IB(International Baccalaureate), or CLEP scores do not fulfil these requirements. Courses taken in high school,even if at a university which were used for the high school diploma are not acceptable.

Specific prerequisites can be found on the Prereq tab of the DE section of this web site.

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Can I take prerequisite courses at a community college?

Yes, as long as the communiy college is regionally accredited; courses were taken within 10 years of the application deadline and include labs. We require a course syllabus for all online courses ;these are considered on a case by case basis.

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What is the application deadline?

February 5,2014 for entry to the program which begins in September 2014.

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Is there a minimum G.P.A. requirement?

Yes, we require a 3.0 G.P.A. in both the accumulative(overall for all colleges attended) and the science prerequisites(statistics and developmental psycholgy are not included in the science prerequisite).

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Is the GRE required?

 No

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Is the TOEFL required if English is not my first language?

Yes, TOEFL is required if English is not your native language. Scores taken within 2 years prior to the application deadline are required. Student score reports are not acceptable. SNHS is unable to accept electronic scores at thsi time so the Educational Testing Service(ETS) must send official test scores to Simmons. Allow 4-6 weeks for such scores to arrive. Score requirements: paper-based: 570 computer-based: 230 internet-based: 88.

The TOEFL is waived if an applicant earned either a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university,or, a post-secondary institution abroad which has been recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country of English-speaking countries only.

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How long is the program?

The first 18 months of the program requires full-time enrollment. After this time, if you are successful in passing the R.N. licensure exam(we have a 100% first-time pass rate),you would continue to take advanced level courses as well as participate in clinical rotations.The length of time to complete the program depends on the number of courses taken each semester and availability and scheduling of clinical placements.

IMPORTANT: once you complete the first 18 months of coursework, and earn the R.N. title, if you leave the program , you will not be awarded a degree to practice. You will be awarded the M.S. upon completion of the entire DE program. You will not earn the B.S.N.

Since full-time enrollment in the second phase(after 18 months) is not guaranteed,international students requiring an F-1 visa to study in the U.S. are not eligible to apply to the DE program . U.S. immigration requires full-time enrollment to maintain F-1 visa status.

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When are courses offered?

Some courses are offered during the day while others are offered during the evening. This is why we strongly suggest that you do not plan to work during the first 18 months of the program.

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Can I concentrate in a speciality,say pediatrics?

The Simmons graduate program prepares students to become Family Nurse Practitioners(FNP). We only focus on this area as the current and future U.S. population is in great need of qualified nurses who can fill the gap in services/care provided by general practitioner doctors, for which there is a critical national shortage. This does not mean that you would not be able to work in a pediatric setting,since the FNP deals with care for infants to the elderly. Upon completion of the DE program and earning your M.S., you would take the FNP exam for certification.

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What do I do if I want to speak or meet with a current student,graduate or faculty member?

Please contact Annette.Coscia@simmons.edu who will have knowledge about availability for such meetings. PLEASE NOTE: we do not require an interview for the DE program as other nursing programs do. In fact,due to a shortage of faculty human resources, we cannot honor the many requests we receive. Such a visit would be for informational and not evaluative purposes. Thus, we strongly encourage you to carefully review the web site for information and attend one of our campus information sessions. If you do make an appointment with a faculty member and are going to be late or cannot attend, please notify the faculty member in advance. Since you are applying to a professional program, late or no shows for such appointments will be noted in an applicant's file.

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If I live out of state,can I complete my clinical rotations there?

 This will depend on whether we have agreements with particular facilities in your state.
 For information regarding clinicals,contact Jodi.DeLibertis@simmons.edu.

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How much does the program cost?

Please see the tuition and financial aid section of this web site for the current costs. Cost do increase each year and this is usually determined in March of each year for programs starting in the late summer and fall.

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