ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program

ACCESS has combined the strengths of the DeSales nursing education with an accelerated format that enables busy adult learners to earn a BSN degree while continuing to work, care for a family, and handle other responsibilities.

Admission Requirements

1. Upon application to the ACCESS program, the applicant must contact an ACCESS academic advisor.
2. Students will remain under the advisement of the ACCESS academic advisors until they reach the professional phase of the curriculum. Once the student reaches the professional phase, they will be advised by the ACCESS Evening- Weekend BSN program coordinator.
3. The admission process is rigorous; demonstrating minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program.
4. Applications to the professional phase of the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program are reviewed on a rolling basis by the ACCESS academic advisor for students seeking consideration for fall admission to the ACCESS Evening- Weekend BSN Program. A completed application includes:
   1. An application to the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program.
   2. A personal essay that explains how the program will help them to achieve their professional goals and their motivation or desire for becoming a nurse; maximum of 2 typed pages.
   3. Two letters of professional recommendation from individuals who are able to gauge the applicant’s qualifications, e.g., professors, managers, supervisors, volunteer coordinators, etc.; not colleagues, classmates, and/or family members, or friends.
   4. The applicant must submit official transcripts of all post-secondary education coursework and coursework taken at any accredited college or university.
   5. World Education Services (WES) credential evaluation for all degrees and coursework obtained outside the U.S.
   6. International applicants should refer to the language requirements detailed in the Admissions section of the Undergraduate Catalog, under the heading of “International Students .”
   7. The applicant may be interviewed by a DeSales nursing faculty member, as deemed appropriate.
5. The applicant must complete the following courses or course equivalents either at DeSales or another accredited college or university before entry into the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program. The applicant must have received a grade of “C” or higher in the following courses. Science courses must have been completed within five (5) years of entering the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program:
   • BI - 263 Anatomy and Physiology I Credits:4  
   • BI - 264 Anatomy & Physiology II Credits:4  
   • CH - 107 Physiological Chemistry Credits:5  
   • BI - 252 Microbiology Credits:4   
   • MA - 111 Probability and Statistics: MOT/Mathematics Credits:3  
   • PS - 109 Introduction to Psychology: MOT/Social Science Credits:3  
   • PS - 240 Human Development Credits:3  
6. Applicants selected for admission into the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program are accepted on a provisional basis and will be required to complete a FBI Fingerprinting and a Nationwide Criminal Background Check. An offer of full acceptance is dependent on the results of the applicant’s FBI Fingerprinting and Nationwide Criminal Background Check. A positive record, on either the FBI Fingerprinting or the Nationwide Criminal Background Check, will result in revocation of the applicant’s provisional acceptance. Revocation of provisional acceptance prohibits the applicant from obtaining full acceptance and from matriculating into the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program.
7. The financial costs associated with the FBI Fingerprinting and Nationwide Criminal Background Check are the responsibility of the student.
8. Once an admission decision has been reached and notification of the decision has been sent to the applicant, the decision is considered final and the application is closed. Information related to closed applications is not discussed with the applicant or the applicant’s designees. There are no further appeals.
9. Accepted students are required to attend an orientation session before the start of the professional phase of the Evening-Weekend BSN Program.
10. Once accepted into the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program, the student must complete all further coursework at DeSales University.

General Progression Policies for ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Students

To progress in the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program, the student must remain in acceptable academic standing as described under “Acceptable Academic Standing ”. In addition to the University “Acceptable Academic Standing ” requirements, ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN students must be continuously enrolled in nursing courses as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog. If continuous enrollment cannot be met, students must adhere to the leave of absence policy detailed here , and the “Leave of Absence from the Nursing Program” section. For nursing students, acceptable academic standing also includes meeting the following progression policies of the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program:

1. The student must earn and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA equal to 2.75 or higher at the conclusion of each professional phase to progress to the next level (sophomore, junior, senior). Cumulative GPAs are calculated to three decimal places and are not rounded when determining progression in the nursing program. GPAs are reviewed at the end of Session 4 for sophomores, end of Session 5 for juniors, and end of Session 4 for seniors.
2. If the student’s cumulative GPA is below 2.75 by the conclusion of any professional phase (sophomore, junior, senior), the student will be dismissed from the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program.
3. The student must earn a C+ or higher in all nursing courses in order to progress to the next level. Any student who does not obtain a C+ is not permitted to progress to the next level.
4. Any student who must repeat a required nursing course has the opportunity to repeat a course as outlined by the DeSales “Repeat Course Policy ” section of the Undergraduate Catalog and the nursing progression policy, providing the student has met the 2.75 cumulative GPA requirement at the time GPAs are evaluated for each level. GPAs are reviewed at the end of Session 4 for sophomores, end of Session 5 for juniors, and end of Session 4 for seniors.
5. The student can repeat a maximum of one nursing course one time throughout the entire BSN curriculum. Failure of a second nursing course results in program dismissal.
6. To pass a nursing course with a minimum of a C+, the student must pass both the theory portion of the course as well as the clinical component of the course. If the student passes only one part, this will constitute a course failure, and the student is not permitted to progress in the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program. Failure of a nursing course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C+.
7. If a student fails a clinical ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN course, the student may not retake the course in a different nursing program (i.e., Accelerated BSN or Traditional Day BSN).
8. If a student has to repeat a nursing course with a clinical component, both the clinical and didactic portion of the course must be repeated. Student placement in the clinical setting is subject to availability. In consultation with the undergraduate clinical liaison, the chair of the Department of Nursing and Health will make final decisions as to clinical placement.
9. During a nursing course with a clinical component, the student must complete the required number of clinical hours in order to successfully pass the course.
10. The student must follow the program plan. Failure to adhere to the program plan will result in dismissal from the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program.
11. The maximum time for completion of the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program is five years from the date of enrollment in the first nursing course. This includes any time elapsed due to an approved leave of absence or time associated with failure to progress.
12. Any dismissed, withdrawn, or inactive student, as defined by University policy, may formally reapply to the nursing program. Re-admission is not guaranteed. Re-admitted students will be required to repeat all nursing coursework, regardless of previous course grades achieved, and are subject to the progression policies outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog under which they are re-accepted.
13. Students are required to participate in the Kaplan Review Course during their senior year of nursing courses. As part of the Kaplan Review Course, students are required to take the Kaplan NCLEX Readiness Test and achieve a minimum score of 65%. All remediation requirements must be satisfactorily met in order to receive permission to take the NCLEX-RN exam as assigned.
14. The student must meet all of the basic University core requirements in order to graduate.
15. All nursing students must adhere to and abide by content in the Pre-licensure BSN Nursing Student Handbook and the Undergraduate Catalog. Any deviation or failure to comply with the content may warrant dismissal from the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN Program.
16. All nursing students must abide by the nursing progression requirements outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog in effect at the time of acceptance into the nursing program.
17. Requested academic references for students who have not met the nursing progression requirements or who have been dismissed from the nursing program will include only the dates of attendance.
18. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Bursar and/or the Financial Aid Office for additional information about the implications of any change in course load for their tuition or financial aid. Questions about housing should be addressed to the Residence Life Office.