Bowie State University Nursing School Review
Bowie State University (BSU) first began as Baltimore Normal School in 1865, which was created by the Baltimore Association for the Moral and Educational Improvement of Colored People. It began receiving state funding in 1872, and was eventually taken over in 1908 by the State Board of Education at the request of the School. In 1914 it became known as the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie.
The school began offering a two-year teacher training program in 1925, and expanded this to a four-year program in 1935. It continued to expand its teaching programs, and began offering a liberal arts program in 1963, the same year its name was changed to Bowie State College. The name was changed one more time in 1988 to Bowie State University.
The University enrolls over 5600 students each semester, and offers 55 undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs. The campus is located between Washington, DC, Annapolis, and Baltimore.
Nursing Programs
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing Program
This program is designed to prepare students to become generalist professional nurses. Graduates of this full-time, four-year program will receive a BS degree and are eligible to take the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing exam (NCLEX-RN).
Students may enter the BS in Nursing program straight out of high school, if they meet the admissions criteria. The program admits students in the fall semester only. To apply, students must be admitted to the University, have a 3.0 GPA in high school math courses, including Algebra, Algebra II, geometry, and precalculus. They must also have a 3.0 GPA in their high school science courses of biology, physics, chemistry, or other advanced science courses. They will also need to show on their University admissions test that they are eligible for pre-calculus.
Students that don’t meet the requirements to enter the program from high school may apply during the spring semester of their freshman year. They must have completed the prerequisite classes, have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 and a minimum science GPA of 2.5.
The prerequisite courses for students applying during their freshman year are Freshman Seminar, Composition and Literature I and II, Intro to Biology, General Psychology, Pre-Calculus I, African American History, General Chemistry, Human Anatomy and Physiology I, and Professional Nursing Perspectives.
BS in Nursing for Transfer Students
Students wishing to transfer into the Nursing program from another university must first enroll in Bowie State University. They are encouraged to apply to the Accelerated BS program as long as they have completed or are currently enrolled in the program prerequisite courses (see below).
Students who are transferring science courses must have taken them within the last five years. No core nursing courses may be transferred from another school.
RN to BS Program
RNs that are currently licensed may apply to this program. They must be admitted to the University, have a current RN license and CPR certification, submit their official transcripts, have a GPA of at least 2.0, and complete the Nursing program prerequisites listed above, plus Computer Literacy, Human Anatomy and Physiology II, Oral Communications, and Principles of Logic and Reasoning with a grade of at least a C. They must also have three letters of recommendation, a statement of personal goals, a resume, and a physical exam.
All students in this program will be given 30 credits upon completing the program, for prior nursing courses and experience.
Accelerated BS Nursing Program
This Accelerated Baccalaureate program is for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another subject. It is an 18 month program where students will take the core nursing degree classes. This program admits students during the summer semester.
Applicants must be admitted to the University, have completed 35 credits of general education courses for the BS in Nursing program, have both a cumulative and science and math GPA of at least 3.0, and submit their official transcripts with their application.
The general education courses required for this program are Intro to Biology, Pre-Calculus I, African American History, General Chemistry, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology II, Principles of Reasoning, Stages of Development, and Elementary Statistics.
Master of Science in Nursing
Applicants to this program must have an undergraduate degree in Nursing and at least one year of nursing experience, at least a 2.75 GPA, an RN license and CPR certification, professional recommendations, a personal statement of their goals and objectives for their graduate study, a resume, and a physical exam.
Students in this program will complete 34 to 37 credits of core Master’s program courses, plus the courses required for their specific track of study. Students may choose one of the three following tracks:
- Family Nurse Practitioner – requires 20 additional credits of study, plus practicum components
- Nurse Educator – requires 12 additional credits, plus practicum components
- Community/Public Health Clinical Nurse Specialist – requires 18 extra credits, plus practicum components
Contact:
Bowie State University
14000 Jericho Park Road,
Bowie, MD 20715-9465
