Bachelor of Science Pre-Licensure - Nursing - Montana Tech
Bachelor of Science Pre-Licensure - Nursing - Montana Tech

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Pre-Licensure/Four-Year

Nursing professor monitoring students in St. James Simulation Lab at Montana Tech

Montana Tech is one of only two publicly funded nursing programs in Montana to offer a pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The Montana Tech BSN is also the first four-year program approved by Montana in the last 78 years.

This page outlines the requirements for application to the Montana Tech BSN program. Students may also reference:

Minimum Requirements

Students must meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for the program. Acceptance is competitive and based on:

  • A selective grade point average (GPA) calculated from required prerequisite course grades;
  • A standardized Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), which includes a $65 fee. Review materials are available at atitesting.com.

Selection will be made based on 60-percent GPA and 40-percent TEAS score. The minimum selective GPA for application to the nursing program is 3.0 (out of a 4.0 scale). Minimum acceptable TEAS score is 70 percent.

The selection process will take place twice yearly with a fall application available in April and a spring application available in November. Specific dates are announced at the beginning of each semester at our Pre-Nursing Orientation.

Non-Nursing & Nursing Prerequisite Courses

Students must receive a grade of C+ or higher in all nursing courses (courses beginning with NRSG). Students must also receive a grade of C or higher in all other nursing prerequisite courses below as a pre-nursing student prior to formal application to the Nursing Program.

Students who retake a course should be aware that Montana Tech’s policy states the last grade received is the grade that will be used when calculating GPA. Any pre-requisite course can only be repeated one time.

  • BIOH 201/202 *Human Anatomy & Physiology I -w/lab
  • BIOH 211/212 *Human Anatomy & Physiology II -w/lab
  • WRIT 121 ^Introduction to Technical Writing
  • CHMY 121 *Intro to General Chemistry
  • CHMY 122 *Intro to General Chemistry Lab
  • Math 121 *College Algebra
  • NUTR 258 *Fundamentals of Nutrition
  • PSYX 100 Intro to Psychology
  • NRSG 107 ^^Perspectives in Professional Nursing
  • SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology
  • PSYX 230 *Developmental Psychology
  • BIOM 250/251 *Microbiology for Health Sciences Lecture-w/lab
  • STAT 216 or 131 Introduction to Statistics or Biostatistics
  • HCI 316 Healthcare Ethics
  • HUMN XXX Humanities
  • WRIT 201 *College Writing II

*Indicates prerequisite courses included in GPA calculation.

^WRIT 121 College Writing will also be accepted.

^^NRSG 100 will also be accepted, however an additional college credit will be required.

Immunizations

If a student does not wish to be immunized due to a religious belief, they must provide the clinical facility with a written explanation, including the specific religion they practice, the reason(s) the religion does not permit immunizations, and supporting documents to establish their membership in an established religion which holds a bona fide religious belief opposing immunization. The clinical facility will evaluate any such request upon receipt of the above mentioned information.

Cost

Completion of a degree in nursing is costly. In addition to tuition and fees, nursing students should be aware that required nursing textbooks/reference materials are expensive and many courses require several texts. The student should also plan for a number of out-of-pocket expenses related to clinical supplies and course/program requirements. Once accepted into the nursing program BSN, students are assessed a program fee each semester ($650.00 per semester).

Background Check & Clinical Requirements

Clinical practice is a mandatory part of Montana Tech of the University of Montana Nursing Programs. To ensure the safety and well-being of all patients, many employing institutions in healthcare have increasingly stringent requirements and background checks as conditions for providing patient care by students.

Therefore, once a student is accepted into the nursing program, it is required that they complete an annual background check through Verified Credentials by August 1st, following admission to the clinical portion of the program. The involved clinical affiliate receives and reviews the background check to determine if each student may complete clinical hours within the agency. Since clinical practice in actual (not simulated) health care settings is a mandatory component of Montana Tech’s nursing curriculum, students who are denied access to a clinical affiliate are generally unable to meet course and curriculum objectives and therefore are unable to progress through the program.

Application Process

In addition to signing, dating and turning in the BSN Fact Sheet, students must complete the following requirements for acceptance into the BSN Program.

  • Submission of Montana Tech BSN Application
  • Completion of the required prerequisite courses listed above.
  • Minimum selective GPA of 3.0 in BIOH 201/202, BIOH 211/212, WRIT 121, MATH 121, NUTR 258, PSYX 100, SOCI 101, CHMY 121, CHMY 122, PSYX 230, NRSG 107, BIOM 250/251, STAT 216, HCI 316, HUMN XXX, WRIT 322(W).
  • General Education courses must be completed within the last 10 years, unless a previous Bachelor’s degree has been awarded.
  • Science courses must be completed within the last 5 years.
  • Students must have proof of Tdap within the last 10 years. (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis).
  • Proof of measles, mumps, rubella and or immunity.
  • Proof of Varicella vaccination or immunity (two doses four weeks apart, or a positive titer).
  • Proof of annual (fall) Influenza vaccination.
  • Evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination (series of three shots) or seroimmunity (demonstrated with a positive titer). It is important to note that you need to allow at least 7 ½ months to complete the series.
  • Current evidence of freedom from tuberculosis (TB skin test or chest x-ray) annually.
  • CPR-- evidence of current completion of an approved CPR course, must have adult and infant (American Heart Association Health Care Provider or American Red Cross Professional Rescuer).