Los Angeles Pacific University & West Coast University-Ontario Partnership

BSN and LVN-BSN Admissions Requirements-CALIFORNIA

For Admissibility into the BSN & LVN-BSN Program, Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:

1. 1. Submit a completed WCU application for admissions
   2. Submit WCU approved documentation of high school graduation or equivalent
      1. Foreign high school diplomas/credentials or their equivalent must have an official evaluation performed by an approved organization)
   3. Participate in an admissions interview arranged by a University admissions advisor

Achieve a HESI composite score of 76 or higher

1. 1. HESI exam scores must be within three (3) years of enrollment date
   2. HESI exam scores below 76 are denied admission
   3. Examination Retake Details
      1. BSN applicants will have a maximum of two attempts, a week apart, to successfully pass the admissions exam.
         1. If an applicant does not pass the admissions exam after two attempts, he or she must wait a period of 6 months to retest and must provide proof of remediation.
   4. Additional acceptable external scores are eligible for full admission:
      1. TEAS score of 43 or higher
         1. TEAS exam scores must be within three (3) years of enrollment date
      2. SAT score of 835 or higher or ACT score of 16 or higher
         1. SAT or ACT must be within three (3) years of enrollment date
         2. WCU only collects Verbal and Quantitative scores for SAT and ACT
2. Complete an enrollment agreement (must be signed by a parent or guardian if the applicant is under 18 years of age)
3. Meet program-specific entrance requirements.
   1. Applicants to the LVN-BSN program must provide proof of current unobstructed licensure as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).

Impacts on Program and/or Core Nursing Start Date

West Coast University accepts students based on seat availability. If application, acceptance and enrollment requirements have not been fulfilled, your Program start date may be impacted as a result of the seat in that Program start date being assigned to another applicant. Applicants must be accepted before a Program start date can be assigned. In order for an applicant to be accepted, they must meet all University and Programmatic Admission Requirements and submit all required documentation in support of their application, including but not limited to:

• All applicable transcripts of post-secondary education
• Proof of high school graduation or equivalency

Your Program start date may be delayed if any of the required documentation is missing. Students are pending acceptance when they have submitted all the required application and enrollment documentation. During this time WCU is waiting for all documentation related to the applicant’s postsecondary education and high school completion. Applicants in pending acceptance status will meet with Financial Aid and complete paperwork to make appropriate arrangements for the payment of the tuition and fees associated with the program. Additional circumstances that may have an impact on an applicant’s intended Program start date, and/or Core Nursing, start date include the following:

1. Transfer of Credit (TOC) – for completed postsecondary coursework: The evaluation of transfer credit will have a significant impact on an applicant’s intended Program start date, and/or Core Nursing start date.Applicants applying to West Coast University (WCU) for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program must both (1) disclose TOC at the time of application and (2) submit all applicable official transcripts of post-secondary education for evaluation of transfer credit for completed courses. Official transcripts for TOC are due no later than the last day of the add/drop period of the first term of the Program start date the student begins in. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted initially, but TOC will not be granted without official transcripts.Applicable transcripts include college or military transcripts, non-traditional learning experiences such as national exams (AP, CLEP, DANTES, WCU Challenge Exam), or training/courses carrying a recommendation from the American Council on Education.
2. Postsecondary Course(s) In-Progress: Applicants must also submit all applicable courses in-progress or awaiting a final grade(s) at the time of application to WCU. Applicants with course(s) in-progress at another institution or organization may be considered for transfer prior to the official transcript being provided. However, the pending course(s) may be removed from a student’s schedule only after the submission of an unofficial transcript.All in-progress courses must be completed, and final official transcripts submitted by the add/drop deadline of a student’s first term. In-progress courses not completed and submitted by the add/drop deadline, or if the final grade does not meet WCU’s Transfer Credit policy, will result in the course(s) remaining on their schedule. Changes to a student’s schedule may affect their ability to continue enrollment in the existing term and impact their Financial Aid Package.
3. Challenge Exam: Applicants may challenge a course if they meet the requirements outlined in the University catalog under the policies for (1) Challenge Credit and (2) Nursing Challenge Exam Additional Requirements.

Potential Post-Start Delays to BSN Program

If application, enrollment, and acceptance requirements are satisfied, West Coast University (WCU) accepts students leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree based upon seat availability. The BSN Program consists of both a Pre-Nursing (General Education) Component and a Nursing (Core) Component. A student must fulfill the Pre-Nursing (General Education) Component prior to the Nursing (Core) Component. If there is a lack of seat availability in the Nursing (Core) Component, a student’s Nursing (Core) Component start date may be postponed. Seat availability in the Nursing (Core) Component start date may be impacted by a variety of factors – some of which are under a student’s control, some of which are not, and some of which may be due to actions by state regulators.

Additional circumstances that may have an impact on an applicant’s ability to begin the Nursing (Core) Component are listed below:

1. Academic Performance: In the event a student fails a course or is required to repeat a course, or if a student fails to meet the requirements for clinical courses outlined in items (ii), below, or a student makes a schedule change outlined in items (iii) and (iv), below, that disrupts WCU’s planned course sequence, a student may be required to withdraw from the BSN program and reapply for admission. In the event that a student is required to withdraw, all applicable policies related to withdrawals would apply as outlined in the Catalog. A federal financial aid recipient who withdraws or is withdrawn from WCU is subject to a Return of Title IV calculation as described in the “Return of Title IV Funds Policy” in the Catalog, and the recipient-student will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education as having been withdrawn. Any balance due to WCU must be paid in full prior to the student returning, if the student is readmitted.
2. Meeting the Pre-Licensure Nursing Requirements: A student must meet all the educational and pre-licensure requirements of the Program, including the Pre-Nursing (General Education) Component, prior to beginning the Nursing (Core) Component. The Pre-Licensure Nursing Requirements prior to clinical assignments are described in the Catalog and include the following:
   1. Obtain a criminal background clearance (information on how to obtain this clearance will be provided to students during the enrollment process). A misdemeanor or felony may interfere with clinical placement and subsequent licensure as a Registered Nurse;
   2. Submit documentation of required immunizations;
   3. Provide and maintain a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) for Health Providers;
   4. Provide a current Fire Card, where required;
   5. Meet the requirements outlined in the “Essentials of RN Job Functions” as documented by a licensed Physician, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant;
   6. Undergo drug screening;
   7. Provide acceptable proof of adequate health insurance coverage; and
   8. Comply with clinical site-specific requirements.

   The failure to satisfy any one of these conditions may result in a delay of the Nursing (Core) Component start date.

   3. Clinical Packets: All clinical packets must be received no later than 7 weeks prior to the first term that the Nursing (Core) Component curriculum is scheduled to begin. In the event the clinical packet is not submitted on time, the student may not be scheduled for the first term of the Nursing (Core) Component and may be dismissed and withdrawn from the BSN program. A federal financial aid recipient who withdraws or is withdrawn from WCU is subject to a Return of Title IV calculation as described in the “Return of Title IV Funds Policy” in the Catalog, and the recipient-student will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education as having been withdrawn. Any balance due to WCU must be paid in full prior to the student returning, if the student is readmitted.
   4. Course and Program Withdrawal: Withdrawing from a course(s) at any time, changing programs, altering program pace, or taking a Leave of Absence (LOA) after entering the BSN program could result in changes to a student’s course schedule. The change or delay in a student’s course schedule will have an impact on the student’s ability to begin the Nursing (Core) Component, depending upon seat availability, as discussed below, and may result in a withdrawal from the BSN program.Students who elect to take a leave of absence (LOA) should know that an institutional LOA is not considered an official leave of absence under the U.S. Department of Education’s laws and regulations concerning federal financial student aid, also known as Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (“Title IV”). When a student takes an institutional LOA, they are deemed to have withdrawn from the University as of the last date of documented attendance prior to the institutional LOA and become ineligible for federal financial aid under Title IV. As a result, a return to Title IV funds calculation will be completed and the student will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education as having been withdrawn. Any balance due to the University must be paid in full prior to the student returning from an institutional LOA. The time on an institutional LOA will be counted against any six (6) month grace period for entering repayment on federal financial aid loans. Students are encouraged to speak with a Financial Aid Officer prior to planning or beginning an institutional LOA For more information on LOAs, please consult the “Leave of Absence Policy”, “Return of Title IV Funds Policy,” and “Withdrawal and Refund Policy” among other policies in the Catalog.
   5. Course Failure: Any schedule changes due to failure of courses also may impact the student’s ability to start the Nursing (Core) Component.
   6. Nursing (Core) Component Seat Availability: In the event that there are a greater number of students who have advanced to the start of the Nursing (Core) Component than seats available for a specific start date, seat assignments will be made based upon a simple ranking of the students’ Cumulative GPA (CGPA) and meet the requirements in the “Good Standing Policy” located in the Catalog. Such an event may occur due to no fault of the student. In the event that students have equal CGPAs, the remaining open spots will be filled based upon the Pre-Nursing (General Education) course record of the remaining students in the term immediately preceding the start of the Nursing (Core) Component.If a student does not advance to the first term of the Nursing (Core) Component due to seat capacity, the student will be withdrawn from the BSN program and will be placed in the next available seat in the next available start date of the Nursing (Core) Component. A federal financial aid recipient who withdraws or is withdrawn from WCU is subject to a Return of Title IV calculation as described in the “Return of Title IV Funds Policy” in the Catalog, and the recipient-student will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education as having been withdrawn.

   BSN & LVN-BSN Postsecondary Transcripts for Transfer Credit Evaluation

   BSN or LVN-BSN applicants requesting transfer credit evaluation must provide the applicable official transcripts by the seven (7) calendar days before the start of the term. All general education, prerequisite, and core nursing coursework must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution. For nursing credits to be considered for transfer credit, there can be only one year between the end of the last nursing course taken at a previous institution and the beginning of the first course at West Coast University. Exceptions may be considered. Science courses must be taken within the last five years to be accepted for transfer credit. Course syllabi for courses previously taken at another nursing program should be submitted for review to the campus dean for nursing. The maximum allowable transfer credits applied to the BSN program shall not exceed 52 credits of general education. See the Challenge Credit policy for additional information on receiving nursing credit for previously completed nursing courses. Authority for all final transfer credit decisions is given to the Program Dean/Chair.

   Transfer credit will not be awarded based on unofficial transcripts and all, however, students will may be scheduled for their first semester of courses based on unofficial transfer credit review . Financial packaging for the first semester will be estimated without transfer credit unless/until official transcripts are received and evaluated. If transfer credit is evaluated after the add/drop date of the first semester, it will be reflected in financial aid offers for the subsequent semester.

   BSN & LVN-BSN Postsecondary Transcripts for Veterans

   All applicants who are veterans or seeking transfer credits must submit all official applicable postsecondary transcripts prior to by the Add/Drop period deadline on the second Tuesday of the term regardless of applicable transfer credits for timely certification of the veterans request for benefits and receipt of funds. Please see the Veterans Educational Benefits policy in the Financial Policies and Information Section of the Catalog.

   LVN-BSN Licensure Requirements

   LVN to BSN applicants who possess a current unobstructed LVN license may be admitted into the West Coast University LVN to BSN program without requiring transcripts if they meet all other specific program admission requirements, which would include military training. LVN’s who were able to obtain their LVN license using their military training as the academic qualifier and those who have graduated from a school that has since closed and transcripts are no longer available.

   BSN and LVN to BSN – Trial Period for Alternate Enrollments – California

   • Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and the Licensed Vocational Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (LVN to BSN) programs at the California campuses may be accepted on a trial basis once enrollment capacity has been met. These applicants will be admitted as ‘Alternate Students’
   • Alternate Students are not eligible for Title IV, HEA program funds unless and until they are admitted as regular students after the trial period as an Alternate. Upon admission as a regular student, Title IV, HEA program fund eligibility will be retroactive back to the beginning of the payment or loan period, as applicable.
   • Alternate Students may attend classes during the Add/Drop period of the first term until they are notified of the final determination of seat availability.
   • An Alternate’s ability to continue beyond the Add/Drop period is contingent upon a seat becoming available.
   • Alternates for which a seat becomes available by the Add/Drop period can continue attendance and be considered a regular student should they choose. An Alternate that chooses to continue attendance will be responsible for institutional charges and become eligible for financial aid.
   • Alternate’s that choose not to continue attendance will have their enrollment canceled and will be refunded 100 percent of the amount paid in institutional charges.
   • If a seat does not become available by end of the Add/Drop period, the Alternate’s enrollment will be canceled, and a seat in the next available cohort will be offered.

   30 Unit Option Admissions Requirements – California

   LVN to RN 30 Unit Option – In addition to the 120 Unit LVN to BSN program, West Coast University offers a 30 unit option for Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) as required by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Students considering taking the 30 unit option will take Physiology, Microbiology, and selected pre-licensure nursing courses. Students who choose the 30 unit option will not receive a certificate or degree from West Coast University and are not considered a graduate of the University. Students interested in the 30 unit option must declare this option prior to enrolling in the WCU LVN to BSN program. Once students have enrolled and have started the WCU LVN to BSN program, the 30 unit option is not available. Financial aid is not available for students choosing the 30 unit option since this is not a pathway leading to a degree.

   Students who successfully complete the LVN to RN 30 Unit Option will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination. Please contact the campus Nursing department for further details.

   An applicant to the 30-unit option LVN program does not have to take an admission test for entry into the program. The applicant must have an active unencumbered LVN license for admission. If the applicant decides to pursue the LVN-BSN option, admission criteria for the degree program must be met.

New academic terms begin, on average, every 10 weeks. The number of semesters required for your program varies based on the program pace you select. To see a list of term start and completion dates, view the Academic Calendar.