Nursing, AS

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The Associate in Science in Nursing Program is offered at two sites - at the Main Campus in Columbia, Missouri, and at the Lake of the Ozarks Campus in Osage Beach, Missouri. The program is open to individuals who have no prior nursing education and to individuals who hold a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) license.

The program is designed to prepare the graduate for a nurse generalist role. Graduates are awarded an Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) degree and are eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon completion of the program.¹

The curriculum consists of general education, mathematics and science courses, and specific nursing courses. Students are required to complete all of the general education, mathematics, and science courses before entering the Nursing Course Sequence.

Admission to the nursing program is on a selective basis. Cohort sizes and selection deadlines vary by location:

Lake of the Ozarks campus in Osage Beach selection are made each September. For students starting in the nursing program in May, selections are made in March. Deadline for program application due by February 28th.
Main Campus in Columbia, Missouri selections are made each March and June. The application deadline is February 28th for students who plan to start in the nursing program in May. The application deadline is June 15th for student who plan to start in the nursing program in August. Class cohorts consist of non-LPNs and LPNs.

Selection criteria for the Nursing Course Sequence:

Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in the general education and prerequisite courses listed below, and be in good academic standing with Columbia College. A minimum grade of C is required for all prerequisite courses. All pre-requisites need to have been taken within seven years of the start of the cohort being applied to.
Possess the necessary functional abilities to provide safe and effective patient care.²
LPN students must submit a copy of their LPN license (current and undisciplined) for the state of Missouri.
Minimum score of 67% on the Kaplan admission test. The test can only be taken two times.

Additional requirements for those selected for the nursing program:

Urine drug test
Physical forms, including documentation of immunizations/titers
Current CPR certification by the American Heart Association, Health Care Providers course, or the American Red Cross
Criminal background check

General Education Requirements and Prerequisite Courses (33 sem. hrs)

Courses in the major cannot be taken as pass/fail. A grade of C or higher is required in all courses.

Nursing Sequence Courses (34 sem. hrs)

All courses must be completed with a grade of 80% (B) in Tier I and an 80% (B) in the class.

Total Semester Hours: 67

¹ Successful completion of the program does not guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination. According to the Missouri Nursing Practice Act, licensure may be withheld or revoked. More information is available on the Nursing Program Practice Act on the Missouri Board of Nursing website (https://pr.mo.gov/nursing-rules-status.asp).

² Functional abilities to meet the role of the nurse include: behavioral/ emotional abilities, cognitive abilities, communication abilities, professional conduct, psychomotor skills, and sensory/perceptual abilities. These Functional Abilities are described in the Nursing Student Handbook.