Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion FAQs
Questions about Application and Admission
Q. When is the application deadline?
December 1 is the application deadline for Summer quarter entry. All application materials should be submitted to the office of Graduate Admissions by that date: application (including the prerequisite status form), transcripts, GRE scores, resume, goals statement, and references.
Q. I won't have my prerequisites finished by the application deadline. Can I still apply?
You may apply to the program without having completed the prerequisites. If you are accepted, your acceptance will be provisional, meaning that you must complete the prerequisites before you can enroll in the program and before you start classes in the summer. Document your status regarding prerequisite completion using the form provided in the application packet. It is to your advantage to complete four or more of the prerequisites with a grade of B or better prior to application.
Q. What are the nursing prerequisites I need to take?
MATH 110 or above (Functions & Algebraic Methods or higher math) or equivalent (5 quarter credits): Functions including linear, quadratic, other polynomial, and exponential. Modeling applications and problem solving emphasized. Supporting topics include equations, inequalities, systems of equations, rational expressions, exponents and radicals. ***
PSYC 120 Introductory Psychology or equivalent (5 quarter credits): General introduction to the modes of inquiry of scientific psychology, including its nature, scope, and method; organic, environmental and personal factors that influence human experience and behavior. ***
BIOL 200 Anatomy & Physiology with lab I or equivalent (5 quarter credits) must be completed within 5 years prior to application: Major structural and functional systems of the human body. Cells, tissue, bone, muscle, and nervous system. Laboratory emphasis on microscopic and gross anatomy.
BIOL 210 Anatomy & Physiology with lab II equivalent (5 quarter credits) must be completed within 5 years prior to application: Major structural and functional systems of the human body. Digestive, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, urinary and reproductive systems. Physiologic interactions among systems. Laboratory emphasis on physiology.
BIOL 220 Microbiology with lab or equivalent (5 quarter credits) must be completed within 5 years prior to application: Introduction to microbiology, emphasizing health-related aspects.
PSYC 322 Growth & Development or equivalent (5 quarter credits): Life span development from infancy through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, old age, and death and dying. Cognitive, personality, social and emotional development. Optional field work placement in settings related to different age periods. ***
STAT XXX Statistics or equivalent (5 quarter credits) must be completed within 5 years prior to application: Introduction to the nature of measures, descriptive statistics, hypothesis-testing techniques, and critical reading of descriptive and inferential statistics.
Introductory General Chemistry or equivalent (1 year of high school chemistry or 1 quarter of college chemistry)
CHEM 101 (5 quarter credits): Survey of inorganic chemistry, treating the basic principles and descriptive material relevant to the health sciences.
***Taken within the last ten 10 years.
Sample course descriptions from Seattle University 2010-2011 Undergraduate Catalog are available at: http://catalog.seattleu.edu/
Q. Do I need to schedule an interview with faculty before December 1?
No. Your application will be screened by the admissions committee after January 1st. If you are selected, we will contact you to set up an interview to further assess your ability to be successful in the program.
Q. What is the timeline for application review and acceptance to the program?
Applications are reviewed in the first 2-3 weeks of January, and interviews may start in late January and then during the month of February. You will be notified of acceptance by March 1 at the latest.
Q. My undergraduate GPA was less than 3.0. Will you consider my application?
We will consider an applicant with an undergraduate GPA less than 3.0 who provides evidence of other achievements or abilities that might predict success in the program. A strong goals statement, high grades in the nursing prerequisites, strong GRE scores, or other evidence of academic ability may be considered.
Q. What are the minimum GRE scores you are looking for?
Your minimum combined score on the verbal and quantitative sections should be 1000 on the old GRE test and 297 on the new GRE test.
Q. What should I write in my letter of intent?
The application asks you to address your personal and professional goals. You should be clear about how your career goals fit with your selected program of study, and why you chose Seattle University’s Immersion program. Read over the materials you have received from the College and University and information available on our website (www.seattleu.edu). Relate your personal and professional goals to the University and College of Nursing mission. Use good language arts skills to demonstrate your writing ability.
Q. From whom should I get references?
Look at the forms provided for references. Your recommenders are asked to rate you on several personal and professional qualities. Choose recommenders who have first-hand knowledge of these qualities. A current or former professor who knows you well, and your employer provide a good balance, but more important than who they are is their ability to speak to the qualities that will make you successful in the program. Do not submit references from family members or friends, and limit the number of references to two. Be sure your recommenders use the Seattle University recommendation forms provided in the application packet. Applications not using these forms will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Q. Is clinical experience required for acceptance to the program?
Clinical experience is not required for admission to the immersion program. Students who have such experience may be more comfortable in their initial clinical nursing experiences, and you may choose to work in health care to attain this increased comfort level.
Q. I already have a graduate degree in another field. Do I still have to take the GRE?
Applicants holding a graduate degree from a U.S. accredited education program do not need to take the GRE. All other applicants, including those holding foreign medical or other professional degrees, need to have taken the GRE in the past 5 years.
Q. I am originally from another country, but I have lived in the U.S. for many years. I hold a bachelor's degree from an American university. Do I still need a TOEFL score?
If English is not the native language, English proficiency must be established through examination. Acceptable Tests Include:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) minimum 237/580 computer/paper
- IELT (International English Language Test) minimum 7.0
- Institutional MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) result of at least 83%
Policy #76-06 in Admissions establishes some reasons for exceptions. Admission coming from the culture language bridge program is not an option.
Q. What else can I do to make my application stand out from the others?
There are no tacit or unwritten criteria for admission. The best approach is to provide the strongest evidence you can of your potential for success in the program within the stated admission criteria. Learn as much as you can about the nursing profession, advanced practice nursing, and Seattle University so that you present yourself as a motivated, knowledgeable, and interested applicant.
Q. Can you tell me if my a course I took satisfies a specific pre-requisite before I apply?
Due to the high volume of requests, pre-screening of prerequisite courses is not available prior to application. The Registrar’s Office conducts official transcript reviews after a candidate has applied and if they are accepted for an interview. Please refer to the bulletin of information for course descriptions to see if the course description from the bulletin matches the content in a course taken elsewhere.
For courses taken at Washington State Community Colleges, please refer to the course transfer guides: http://www.seattleu.edu/registrar/TransferGuides.aspx.
For prerequisite courses taken at other schools, please refer to the SU Undergraduate Bulletin of Information for course content descriptions: http://catalog.seattleu.acalog.com/index.php?catoid=13 and the Transfer Course Equivalency Guide http://www.seattleu.edu/CourseEquivalencies/
Q. My prerequisites are older than the time limits listed above, do they really need to be within the specified timeframe?
Yes.
Q. Can I test out of any prerequisites?
Yes. You can take the CLEP test for the MATH 110 and PSYCH 120 courses. You must achieve a score of 50 or higher. Information on the tests can be found at www.collegeboard.com. Scores should be submitted directly to Graduate Admissions.
Questions about the Program
Q. Describe the APN Immersion program.
This is a full-time program of study leading to a master's degree in nursing (MSN). After the first four quarters, you will be eligible to sit for the registered nurse licensing exam (NCLEX-RN). Students complete remaining graduate core courses and their specialty courses over the next 5 (family, adult/gerontology, certified nurse-midwifery) or 8 quarters (psych). Graduates are eligible for national certification exams in their specialty.
Q. How many students do you plan to enroll each year?
We plan to enroll up to 50 students each year in the various specialties.
Q. Will I get a BSN at the end of the first four quarters?
No. A notation will be made on your transcript that you have satisfied the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission requirements for the NCLEX-RN. That notation, plus a letter from the College of Nursing, will allow you to sit for the RN licensing exam.
Q. Will I be able to work during the Immersion program?
You should not plan on working during the first year of the program. The credit load is high in most quarters, and success will require that your main focus be on school. Many students work part-time during the second year, often as registered nurses. All jobs need to have flexible working hours to accommodate clinical schedules, which vary from quarter to quarter.
Q. What is the NCLEX pass rate for students in the immersion program?
All of the 2002-2006 APNI students (100%) passed the NCLEX on their first try. They took the exam after completion of the first year of the program, an NCLEX review course (in some cases), and individual study. The 2007 cohort is just entering the exam phase.
Q. Will I really be prepared to practice as a nurse practitioner at the end of the program?
Yes, you will learn the essential knowledge and skills from the undergraduate curriculum, and you will study the entire graduate nursing curriculum in your chosen specialty. You will lack clinical experience as a registered nurse, but the goal of the program is to prepare nurse practitioners and nurse leaders, not registered nurses. Immersion graduates’ rates of employment are the same or better than those of our traditional students who enter with registered nurse experience.
Q. What is the job market like for nurse practitioners in the Seattle area?
New graduates do not always get their first-choice job upon program completion. However, most are in the position they want within one to two years of graduation. Nationwide, nurse practitioners are in high demand.
Q. My mother/friend/aunt/acquaintance is a nurse, and s/he says that I have to work as a registered nurse to be successful as a nurse practitioner. Is this true?
Nurses and other health care professionals often think that registered nurse experience is necessary prior to becoming an advanced practice nurse. However, we believe that experience in other fields is also valuable preparation for advanced nursing practice. Both immersion students and registered nurse graduate students will be prepared for entry-level practice as a nurse practitioner upon completion of the program. All MSN graduates need to seek a first job in a setting that provides mentoring and supervision for the new nurse practitioner. We also believe that the admissions process is rigorous enough to allow us to select the most highly qualified students. Typically, students in accelerated programs are very well prepared academically, are highly motivated, and are successful students and graduates. Finally, it's important to note that entry-level master's degree programs exist in many professional disciplines, including physical therapy and business administration. This is a trend that is well established in other fields, but has not been widely available in nursing until recently.
Q. How much will this program cost?
Tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year is $626 per credit, so the tuition cost is approximately $70, 112 - $71,990 for 112-115 credits. There are also nursing fees and technology fees. Books may cost nearly $2000 over the course of study. A personal digital assistant and software, as well as a notebook computer are recommended. The approximate total tuition and fees costs for the course of the program: $77,670 - $79,558.
Q. I'm not sure I can afford that. Is there financial aid, scholarship, or teaching assistantship money available?
You will be considered a graduate student for the entire length of the program, so you will be eligible for financial aid (i.e., loans) as a graduate student. We have several need- and merit-based scholarships for immersion students. In addition, we have scholarships available for people from ethnic minority groups that have been under-represented in nursing. Advanced Education Nurse Traineeships are also available. Additional information about scholarships is available on our website.
Q. Would I be better off to get a BSN, work for a while, and then get an MSN through part-time study?
The answer to this question depends on your individual circumstances. Factors you might consider include how certain you are that you want to be an advanced practice nurse (nurse practitioner) or nursing leader versus a registered nurse, whether you need to work while going to school, and the amount of time you feel you can invest in school. If you know you want to be a nurse practitioner or assume a leadership role in health care and believe that a BSN is an unnecessary diversion for you, the immersion program may be right for you. However, if you wish to practice as a registered nurse, or are unsure of your ultimate goal, getting a BSN may be the best initial step for you.
Today's reality is that entry to all nursing programs is competitive. The best strategy for many people may be to apply to both the BSN and the immersion programs. Once you know which program(s) you are admitted to, you can make the decision about which to pursue.