Whitson-Hester School of Nursing

How to Apply

Undergraduate Students

Two applications, in this order: apply to Tennessee Tech, then apply to your nursing program. If you are already enrolled at Tech, skip the first step. Find your program below for the steps and the dates.

Graduate Students

One application, submitted through Graduate Admissions.

Deadlines at a Glance

Program	Start Date	Application Window
Traditional BSN Program	Fall Semesters	December 1 through February 1
Traditional BSN Program	Spring Semesters	June 1 through August 1
Accelerated BSN Program	Maymester	Open year-round; due October 31. HESI A2 testing in September and October.
RN-to-BSN	Fall, Spring or Summer	Open year-round
MSN and Post-Master's	Varies; see MSN Program Page	Varies; see MSN Program Page
DNP — BSN entry	Fall Semesters	Preferred May 1 · Final June 1
DNP — MSN entry	Summer Semesters	February 1

BSN, Traditional Four-Year

Applications for a Fall clinical start are open December 1 to February 1.

Applications for a Spring start are open June 1 to August 1.

Application Steps

1. Check that you are ready. You are ready to apply if, by the end of the summer before the deadline, you will have roughly 30 credit hours completed including Anatomy and Physiology I and one other required science. See the BSN program page for the full requirements
2. Apply to Tennessee Tech, if you are not already a student here.
3. Take the HESI A2 entrance exam. You must complete it before you submit, because your score report is uploaded with your application. A composite of 70 or above is required for your application to be considered. See the HESI A2 page for more information.
4. Write your essay. One to two pages on why you are interested in a career in healthcare. There is no required format, but composition, grammar, and proofreading are part of the review. Use of AI is not permitted.
5. Gather anything else that helps. Reference or recommendation letters, a résumé, certifications, a CNA completion certificate, a letter from a HOSA teacher, a volunteer time sheet, or a note from a job shadow. Letters should say where you were or who you were with, when and how often, and what you did or observed.
6. Handle transcripts. We do not need transcripts for coursework completed at Tech or already transferred in — only for new courses taken elsewhere. Have them sent to the Office of Admissions, not to the School of Nursing. Check your transcript status about ten business days after requesting it, and view accepted transfer credit in Eagle Online.
7. Submit your application, and use the comments field at the end for any circumstances that affect your evaluation — an incomplete grade being resolved, a semester withdrawal. Put that there rather than in your essay.

Accelerated BSN/2nd-Degree BSN

Applications are open year-round and are due October 31 for the following Maymester start. HESI A2 testing dates for this program are held in September and October.

Application Steps

1. Check that you qualify. You will need a completed bachelor's degree and our science prerequisites — Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Microbiology — completed within the past 10 years with a C or better.  Science courses do not need to be complete at the time of application, but you should have a plan to complete them before the start date. See the 2nd-Degree BSN page.
2. Apply to Tennessee Tech, if you are not already a student here.
3. Take the HESI A2 entrance exam. You must complete it before you submit, because your score report is uploaded with your application. A composite of 70 or above is required for your application to be considered. See the HESI A2 page for more information.
4. Complete our ABSN application.
5. Handle transcripts. If you are enrolled elsewhere, have official transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions as soon as your grades post. Check your transcript status before the deadline to be sure it is complete, and view processed transcripts in Eagle Online.

RN-to-BSN

Applications are accepted year-round, and courses start in Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Application Steps

1. Check that you qualify. You will need current RN licensure and a degree from, or good-standing enrollment in, an accredited ASN, ADN, or AAS program. See the RN-to-BSN page.
2. Apply to Tennessee Tech, if you are not already a student here.
3. Complete our RN-to-BSN application once you have your Tech ID number and student email address.

If you require additional assistance, please contact RN-to-BSN program director Dr. Barbara Jared at bjared@tntech.edu or Student Success Center director Ben Clark at bclark@tntech.edu

Graduate Programs

Please see our MSN and DNP program pages for more information about graduate admission.