• Admission to Lamar University
• An Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS or ADN) degree or a Diploma in Nursing from an approved program.
• Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher (students with a GPA of 2.4 to 2.49 may be accepted on a conditional basis).

1. 1. Grades below a "C" in nursing or co-requisite courses will not be accepted.
   2. Transfer credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.

• Proof of current unencumbered license to practice professional nursing in the United States or approved United States territory.

Lamar University has been granted an exemption to offer online degree programs with the exception of a few states.

The R.N.-BSN Articulation Track requires all students to take seven upper level nursing courses (including one Capstone course) in addition to co-requisite and Lamar University core courses. The following is a list of our upper level courses.  

For a more detail list of the courses: RN-BSN Degree Plan

Students in the RN-BSN Articulation Track will receive 29 credit hours to be awarded toward their BSN degree for nursing courses taken during the associate degree.

Students are required to complete and submit the following documents, also known as Practicum Readiness Documents (PRDs), before entering any practicum course. The RN-BSN Track has four practicum courses that require completion of a specific number of Practicum and Community Based Service Learning (CBSL) hours (NURS 4540, NURS 4550, NURS 4620, and NURS 4580).

All required documents must be submitted by the end of the first nursing course, NURS 4321 Nursing Theories and Online Education, in order to progress in the R.N.-BSN Track. Students must stay PRD compliant, for the entirety of the Track.

1. Current, unencumbered nursing license in the U.S. or an approved U.S. territory.  All R.N.-BSN nursing students must have an unencumbered license as designated by the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) to participate in R.N.-BSN practicum nursing courses. If a student’s license becomes encumbered for any reason, they must immediately notify the Coordinator of the R.N.-BSN Track.
   
   Students will be required to submit proof of their unencumbered nursing license by taking a picture or screen shot of it and uploading it to Sentry MD. Your full name, license, number, and state issued in must be clearly visible.
   
   
2. Health Statement Form (Physical exam). Students will be required to submit a Health Statement form completed by their physician before the end of their first nursing course. Students must use the required Health Statement form that will be provided to them. 

3. Proof of Immunizations including annual TB and Flu shots (see Immunization Requirements in the RN-BSN Handbook). 

4. Current CPR card. As registered nurses and R.N.-BSN Track students, students are required to maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card. This card certifies that the student is up to date on all of the current standards being used in the health care industry. The School of Nursing only accepts CPR certification through the American Heart Association. 

5. Liability insurance. All students must purchase professional liability insurance ($15/year) through the LU Marketplace (link to be provided in the acceptance packet). Insurance must be renewed on a yearly basis. If the student remains in the R.N.-BSN Track longer than one year they will be required to purchase additional insurance coverage. This insurance will not cover students at work or at times other than under supervised practicum practice. This payment is non-refundable. 

6. Background check. All incoming students must have a background check completed to insure the safety of the student, university, and facilities being visited while completing practicum assignments. Background checks are conducted by PreCheck, an approved vendor specializing in background checks for healthcare workers, and must be complete before the end of your first nursing course. Background checks will be conducted by PreCheck/StudentCheck. 

7. Color copy of driver’s license for student ID badge. All students are required to obtain a Lamar University Student ID Badge that must be worn while completing all Practicum and CBSL hours. Students will be required to submit a color copy of their driver’s licenses. Once received the picture will be used to create an official Lamar University ID Badge. Badges will be mailed to the student’s address on file in Banner (make sure your address is up to date) and a $6 fee will be added to the student’s account under tuition and fees.

The documents listed above are submitted electronically through SentryMD, a vendor approved by the Dishman School of Nursing. Detailed instructions for use of this secure service and uploading documents will be provided in the student acceptance packet. 

The cost for the background check and submission/monitoring of documents by SentryMD may vary depending on the student's state of residence. Current costs before sales tax are:

• Texas Residents: $91.47
• New Mexico Residents: $90.94
• All other states: $84.50

Please note that prices are subject to change. This fee includes the background check and secure storage and monitoring of currency of student documentation for seven years, and SentryMD is HIPAA and FERPA compliant. 

Students have the option to purchase continued use of SentryMD's convenient service after the initial seven year period.  

Contact Dr. Stacey Knight
Coordinator for the RN-BSN and RN-MSN Articulation Tracks
Email: dishman.rnbsn@lamar.edu
Phone 409-880-8821

• RN-BSN Articulation Track Student Handbook

Admission Requirements

1. Submit an application online in the ApplyTexas portal at www.applytexas.org APPLICATION DEADLINES: Spring semesters: Applications are due by December 1 of the previous year; Summer semesters: April 15; Fall semesters: July 1
2. Pay application fee of $75
3. TOEFL 79 or IELTS 6.5 required for English Language Proficiency
4. All official foreign international transcripts must be evaluated course-by-course and submitted by an evaluation company. https://www.lamar.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/foreign-transcript-evaluation.html
5. An Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS or ADN) degree or a Diploma in Nursing from an approved program.
6. Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale (students with a GPA of 2.4 to 2.49 may be accepted on a conditional basis).
   a. Grades below a "C" in nursing or co-requisite courses will not be accepted.
   b. Transfer credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.
   NOTE: If accepted to Lamar University, all foreign credits will be considered as “general credits” in credits transfer to the student’s record. The appropriate academic department will determine which of these credits may apply toward the core completion credits necessary for the R.N.-BSN track.
7. Proof of current unencumbered license to practice professional nursing in the United States or approved United States territory.

Lamar University has been granted an exemption to offer online degree programs with the exception of a few states.

Courses:
The R.N.-BSN Articulation Track requires all students to take seven upper level nursing courses (including one Capstone course) in addition to co-requisite and Lamar University core courses. The following is a list of our upper level courses.  

Lamar University General Education Core Curriculum Requirements

Communication – 6 Hours:

• ENGL 1301 – Composition I
• Select one from:
  • COMM 1315 – Public Speaking I
  • COMM 1321 – Business and Professional Speech
  • DSDE 1371 – ASL I
  • FREN 1311 – Beginning French I
  • SPAN 1311 – Beginning Spanish I

Mathematics – 3 Hours:

• MATH 1314 – College Algebra (Non Calculus Track)

Life and Physical Sciences – 6 Hours:

• BIOL 2401 – Anatomy and Physiology I
• BIOL 2402 – Anatomy and Physiology II

Language, Philosophy and Culture – 3 Hours From:

• ENGL 2300 – Close Reading II
• ENGL 2310 – British Literature Before 1800
• ENGL 2320 – British Literature After 1800
• ENGL 2322 – British Literature
• ENGL 2326 – American Literature
• ENGL 2331 – World Literature
• ENGL 2371 – Masterworks of Asian Literature
• ENGL 2376 – African American Literature

Creative Arts – 3 Hours From:

• ARTS 1301 – Art Appreciation
• ARTS 1303 – Art History I
• COMM 1375 – Film Appreciation
• DANC 2304 – Dance Appreciation
• MUSI 1306 – Music Appreciation
• MUSI 1310 – History of Rock and Roll
• PHIL 1330 – Arts and Ideas
• THEA 1310 – Introduction to Theatre

American History – 6 Hours:

• HIST 1301 – U.S. History I 1763-1877
• HIST 1302 – U.S. History II Since 1877

Government/Political Science – 6 Hours:

• POLS 2301 – Introduction to American Government I
• POLS 2302 – Introduction to American Government II

Social/Behavioral Sciences – 3 Hours:

• BULW 1370 – Business Environment and Public Policy
• ECON 1301 – Principles and Policies
• ECON 2301 – Principles of Economics I Macro
• ECON 2302 – Principles of Economics II Micro
• INEN 2373 – Engineering Economics
• PSYC 2301 – General Psychology
• SOCI 1301 – Introduction to Sociology

Component Area Option – 6 Hours:

• ENGL 1302 – Composition II
• MATH 1342 – Statistics

Required Courses for Major

Additional Required Courses – 17 Hours:

• BIOL 2420 – Microbiology
• FCSC 1322 – Nutrition and Diet
• PSYC 2315 – Lifespan Development
• Elective – 3 Hours
• Elective – 3 Hours
• Elective – 1 Hour

Lamar University Joanne Gay Dishman School of Nursing Upper Level Courses

For a more detail list of the courses: R.N.-BSN Degree Plan

Students in the R.N.-BSN Articulation Track will receive 30 credit hours to be awarded toward their BSN degree for nursing courses taken during the associate degree.

Practicum Requirements:

Students are required to complete and submit the following documents, also known as Practicum Readiness Documents (PRDs), before entering any practicum course. The R.N.-BSN Track has four practicum courses that require completion of a specific number of Practicum and Community Based Service Learning (CBSL) hours (NURS 4540, NURS 4550, NURS 4620, and NURS 4580).

All required documents must be submitted by the end of the first nursing course, NURS 4321 Nursing Theories and Online Education, in order to progress in the R.N.-BSN Track. Students must stay PRD compliant, for the entirety of the Track.

1. Current, unencumbered nursing license in the U.S. or an approved U.S. territory.  All R.N.-BSN nursing students must have an unencumbered license as designated by the Board of Nurse Examiners to participate in R.N.-BSN practicum nursing courses. If a student’s license becomes encumbered for any reason, they must immediately notify the Coordinator of the R.N.-BSN Track.
   
   Students will be required to submit proof of their unencumbered nursing license by taking a picture or screen shot of it and uploading it to Sentry MD. Your full name, license, number, and state issued in must be clearly visible.
   
   
2. Health Statement Form (Physical exam). Students will be required to submit a Health Statement form completed by their physician before the end of their first nursing course. Students must use the required Health Statement form that will be provided to them. 
   
   
3. Proof of Immunizations including annual TB and Flu shots (see Immunization Requirements in the R.N.-BSN Handbook). 
   
   
4. Current CPR card. As registered nurses and R.N.-BSN Track students, students are required to maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation card. This card certifies that the student is up to date on all of the current standards being used in the health care industry. The School of Nursing only accepts CPR certification through the American Heart Association. 
   
   
5. Liability insurance. All students must purchase professional liability insurance ($15/year) through the LU Marketplace (link to be provided in the acceptance packet). Insurance must be renewed on a yearly basis. If the student remains in the R.N.-BSN Track longer than one year they will be required to purchase additional insurance coverage. This insurance will not cover students at work or at times other than under supervised practicum practice. This payment is non-refundable. 
   
   
6. Background check. All incoming students must have a background check completed to insure the safety of the student, university, and facilities being visited while completing practicum assignments. Background checks are conducted by PreCheck, an approved vendor specializing in background checks for healthcare workers, and must be complete before the end of your first nursing course. Background checks will be conducted by PreCheck/StudentCheck. 
   
   
7. Color copy of driver’s license for student ID badge. All students are required to obtain a Lamar University Student ID Badge that must be worn while completing all Practicum and CBSL hours. Students will be required to submit a color copy of their driver’s licenses. Once received the picture will be used to create an official Lamar University ID Badge. Badges will be mailed to the student’s address on file in Banner (make sure your address is up to date) and a $6 fee will be added to the student’s account under tuition and fees.

The documents listed above are submitted electronically through SentryMD, a vendor approved by the Dishman School of Nursing. Detailed instructions for use of this secure service and uploading documents will be provided in the student acceptance packet. 

The cost for the background check and submission/monitoring of documents by SentryMD may vary depending on the student's state of residence. Current costs before sales tax are:

• Texas Residents: $91.47
• New Mexico Residents: $90.94
• All other states: $84.50

Please note that prices are subject to change. This fee includes the background check and secure storage and monitoring of currency of student documentation for seven years, and SentryMD is HIPAA and FERPA compliant. 

Students have the option to purchase continued use of SentryMD's convenient service after the initial seven year period.