University of North Carolina Wilmington Nursing School Review

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW, UNC Wilmington) is a public university that is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington is a coastal city located between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the University of North Carolina System universities with about 14,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs at the school. It was founded in 1947 and was a junior college when it first opened. The university has received prestigious ratings by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Kiplinger’s, Fiske Guide to Colleges, G.I. Jobs, and Princeton Review.

Nursing Programs

Bachelor of Science: Nursing Prelicensure

This four year program prepares students for a career as a professional nurse. It also prepares those who want to continue their education to earn their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a doctoral degree. After completing the general requirements for the university, nursing courses, and clinical experience, students take the NCLEX-RN for their licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). Nursing students have an opportunity to take part in international programs offered at UNC Wilmington. One of these is working and studying in El Salvador and Guatemala. Students meet nursing students and medical students from this region to discover more about healthcare in Central America. They also work at a clinic, providing medical care to patients in the area. Another program is a trip to Peru, South America. During a two week period, students learn about the global healthcare system and experience a different culture. This program is incorporated into one of the nursing courses.

Students entering the nursing program after completing high school must first be accepted into the university. Admission is competitive, and not all students are accepted. There is no guarantee that a student who is accepted into the college will also be accepted into the nursing program since students do not declare a major until the end of their sophomore year. The University of North Carolina-Wilmington receives almost 11,000 applications from prospective freshmen, but only 1,950 students are accepted. The middle 50 percent of accepted first year students scored between 1130 and 1250 in reading and math on the SAT and between 530 and 620 on the SAT writing portion. The middle 50% SAT scores were between 1,670 and 1,870. Middle ACT scores were 23-28. These middle scores are substantially higher than those for many other colleges and universities.

Bachelor of Science: RN to BS

This program allows an RN to complete a Bachelor of Science degree after completing an associate degree. Those accepted into the program may transfer a maximum of 64 credits from a two-year college. If the student has completed a previous bachelor’s degree in another field, up to 93 credits may be transferred. Students must complete all of the liberal arts and science courses required by the university plus nursing courses and clinical experience. Three to six credits in a foreign language are required for a BSN. Students usually complete the RN-BSN program in three semesters. All nursing courses are completed online for this program.

Master of Science: Family Nurse Practitioner

This program prepares RNs with a BSN to provide primary care to family members of all ages. The program is available on a full time or part time basis. The full time program consists of 2-1/2 years of study. Part time student need 3-1/2 years to complete the program that requires the completion of 46 to 47 credits, including practicums and clinical experience. At graduation, students take the national exam that leads to licensure as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program

Nurses who have already completed their MSN may enter this program to earn a certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The program is on a part time basis and takes 2-1/2 years to complete 25 credits. Students do not take advanced nursing courses that they completed while working on their MSN. At the completion of the program, these students take the national exam to be licensed as Family Nurse Practitioners.

Post Master Certification: Nurse Educator

This program prepares RNs for a career as an instructor of pre-licensure nurses at various college levels of learning. It takes 12 credits to complete on a part time basis by being enrolled for one year. The program is open to RNs who already have a MSN. Students learn about curriculum design and instruction, evaluation, and teaching strategies. There is also a residency that is required.

Contact:
University of North Carolina-Wilmington
601 South College Road,
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
(910) 962-3000