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A pre-nursing associate degree does not meet the requirements for UW Tacoma Nursing. To be eligible for UW Tacoma's BSN program, an applicant must have earned an associate degree in nursing from a community or technical college, or be enrolled in the last year of study in an associate degree in nursing program, or have been awarded a diploma in nursing by a hospital-based nursing school.  An applicant also must be a currently licensed Registered Nurse in Washington state. Provisional admission may be offered to students in the last year of an associate degree in nursing program or graduates who have not yet taken the NCLEX-RN examination. After graduating from a community college's associate degree in nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Nursing, an applicant then would be considered for admission to UW Tacoma's BSN.

General Non-nursing Professional Progression

  1. Pre-nursing prerequisites at local community colleges.
  2. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)  can be ATA, AAS but must contain the word "Nursing". Other options:
    • Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN-RN) Vocational degree offered at Bates, Clover Park, etc.
    • Pursue a 4-year pre-licensure BSN program, i.e. at UW Seattle or PLU.
  3. Pass NCLEX. You are now an RN!
  4. Pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at UW Tacoma! More options:
    • Pursue a 4-year pre-licensure BSN program i.e. at UW Seattle or PLU.
    • Pursue a Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) (DNP) at UW Seattle or elsewhere.

Other Options 

Four-year BSN option
UW Seattle's School of Nursing offers a four-year BSN path that does not require an RN license for admission.

Pre-nursing degree programs
"Pre-nursing" associate degree programs transfer to UW Seattle. Pre-nursing degrees do not transfer to UW Tacoma, which requires an RN license and an associate degree in nursing.

Healthcare Leadership degree
UW Tacoma offers a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Leadership, a non-nursing degree for students interested in leadership positions in a multitude of healthcare settings.

Community college RN programs: