Nursing – Accelerated

Nurses provide and direct others in the provision of nursing care to patients in acute care settings and a variety of other healthcare agencies. Nurses work closely with physicians and other members of the healthcare team.

The Accelerated Track is a one year program for LPNs and Certified Paramedics. All courses in this program are offered in a hybrid delivery–all coursework and exams are completed online with clinical hours coordinated with a preceptor to allow for a flexible schedule. Only three days are required on campus each semester.

The Accelerated Track coordinates with Arkansas Tech University, Capella University, Ouachita Baptist University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas Fayetteville, and the University of Central Arkansas so that graduates from our program can seamlessly complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

ABHES and ASBN Nursing Outcomes

Accelerated Track

The Accelerated Track is designed for students who hold an unencumbered LPN license or are Arkansas Certified Paramedics. Accelerated applicants must have completed a minimum of four of the nine required college courses to be eligible to enter the Accelerated Track. Applicants who have completed a majority or all of the required college courses are preferred.

Applicants who need to complete general education courses have the opportunity to complete those courses during the program of study. General education course(s) are offered through University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College.

Admission Requirements

Selection of students is based on a competitive review of the applicant’s entrance exam scores, GPA in required science courses, number of required college courses completed at the time of application and academic history in collegiate and nursing study.

Applicants must hold an unencumbered LPN license or be an Arkansas Certified Paramedic. Paramedics must also achieve a C or above on the HESI EMS-ADN Entrance Exam. Testing is available to the general public via UA-Little Rock Testing Services. Information and scheduling information can be found here.

Four college courses are required to begin the program of study. These courses must be completed or in-progress at the time of application.

• Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab and an additional required Science with Lab (8 credit hours)
• English Composition I (3 credit hours)
• College Algebra (3 credit hours)

All remaining courses are required to progress through the program of study and are listed below. These courses may be completed during the program but it is preferred that the courses are completed at the time of application.

• Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
• Chemistry with Laboratory (4 credit hours)
• Microbiology with Laboratory (4 credit hours)
• English Composition II (3 credit hours)
• Sociology (3 credit hours)
• Psychology (3 credit hours)

All college courses must be completed with a C or above. Applicants needing general education are referred to University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College. All applicants must also be a high school graduate / GED. Official transcripts are required from all attended institutions.

Applicants are reviewed in an admissions review cycle and are encouraged to complete files early in the review cycle. The BHCLR School of Nursing – Accelerated operates under a rolling admissions cycle and applicants are considered for admission as their files become complete. As a result, applications completed at or near the deadline are considered as space is available.

Application Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements for the Accelerated track. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Applicants are ranked based on overall academic history. It is the applicants responsibility to turn in all required items for the program application process. Any additional requirements will be listed on your MyBHCLR account.

• Completed online application
• Must be a high school graduate or have a GED and submit official high school or GED transcript.
• Must submit Official transcripts from ALL previously attended institutions.

Entrance Exam Requirements

• ATI TEAS exam scores must be no more than two (2) years old and ACT scores must be no more than ten (10) years old.
• ATI TEAS exams must be taken in an on-campus, proctored environment. Remotely proctored exams will not be considered.
• BHCLR “superscores” the ACT by using the highest subset from each exam to calculate the composite score.

January 2024 Entry and Forward:

• ATI TEAS – 60% minimum Composite and a 66% minimum Reading subset OR ACT – 19 minimum Composite and a 19 minimum Reading subset.

Required College Courses for the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing

The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) is a postsecondary education resource service that provides comparable course information to facilitate student transfer within Arkansas public colleges and universities. Where available, ACTS course numbers are included. See Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) transfer student information for more information.

Credit by Exam Information for BHCLR (CLEP, AP and PLA)