Nursing Associate Degree
- WVU Parkersburg
Overview
Earn Your Nursing License!
The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is a program designed to prepare students for professional nursing practice while providing a knowledge base for career mobility and further academic study. The program is committed to providing accessible, high-quality nursing education to meet the diverse and changing health-care needs of the community and beyond. Clinical nursing experiences are offered under faculty supervision at Appalachian Behavioral Health, Camden-Clark Medical Center, Charleston Area Medical Center, Marietta Memorial Health Systems, Selby General Hospital, area nursing homes and other selected community agencies.
Completion of the nursing courses, general education degree requirements and subsequent posting of the degree provides eligibility for students to apply for licensure as registered nurses. Licensing requirements are the exclusive responsibility of the State Boards of Nursing. Admission to, and graduation from, the nursing program does not guarantee that the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses will endorse the graduate as a candidate to sit for the licensure examination. The Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses may deny testing to any applicant proven guilty of certain infractions such as, but not limited to, fraud, felony or moral misconduct. (West Virginia Code §30-7-11.)
The associate nursing program at West Virginia University at Parkersburg is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate nursing program is Initial Accreditation. View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program.
Application to Program
Our Nursing and Health Sciences programs have limited enrollment and a selective review process. Applicants requesting admission to the nursing program must first meet the requirements for general admission to the college and be admitted to the college. In addition to meeting all general admission criteria for the college, students must complete a separate Nursing and Health Sciences application, provide an official copy of their high school transcript and any prior college transcripts and complete the pre-nursing admission exam. Applications will be accepted year round. Application forms are available in the Nursing and Health Sciences Division office or click here.
Additionally, the applicant must be able to engage in educational and training activities in a manner that does not endanger themselves or others. The curricula leading to a degree in nursing from WVU Parkersburg requires students to engage in diverse and complex experiences directed at the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities are required to perform these functions satisfactorily. In addition to being essential to the successful completion of the requirements of a nursing degree, these skills and functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of patients, fellow students, faculty and other health care providers.
Technical standards that describe the non-academic qualifications required in addition to academic qualifications that the college considers essential for entrance to, continuation in and graduation from its nursing degree program can be found in the Student Nurse Handbook. Candidates for a nursing degree must be able to meet these minimum standards with or without reasonable accommodation for successful completion of degree requirements.
It is important to note that completion of the application process does not imply that the applicant will be admitted to the nursing program.
Admission Limitations: Due to space limitations, qualified applicants are ranked according to pre-nursing admission entrance test scores, and cumulative grade point averages.
The highest-ranked students who meet the admission requirements by March 15 for fall admission or September 15 for spring admission are admitted first; other qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list. The first day of class the waiting list is deleted. Because of competition for space, it is possible qualified applicants may not be selected for admission.
Updates to Applications: Students interested in pursuing admission in the next cycle must resubmit a completed application to the Nursing and Health Sciences Division. It is the responsibility of the student to provide appropriate documentation of changes in his/her personal and/or academic record.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the nursing program must be eligible to meet the requirements for licensure in the state of West Virginia as stated in West Virginia Code §30-7-6. These conditions include:
- Be a high school graduate or equivalent.
- Be a graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Requirements for admission include:
- High school graduate or equivalent (USA GED)
- 2.0 GPA from high school or college courses
- Earn a minimum composite score of 75 on the Health Education Systems, Incorporated (HESI) A2 admission exam. HESI A2 composite scores must be within the last two (2) years. Pre-nursing admission exams may be completed two times per semester for a maximum of four times each year for consideration for admission. Each attempt must be at least 45 days apart. Further information about the exam can be found online here.
*All required general education courses are pre-requisites of N244 and N245.
** Licensed practical nurses (LPN) with an active, unencumbered license are no longer required to take the entrance exam, the HESI A2.
***Applicants who have earned an associate degree or higher in any discipline are no longer required to take the entrance exam, the HESI A2.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete 66 credit hours as outlined in the program of study.
- Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- Complete all courses in the curriculum with a grade of C or better.
- Completion of the HESI Nursing Live Review.
- Complete at least 15 credit hours at WVU Parkersburg.
- Complete and file the graduation application, in OLSIS, within the stated deadlines.
Request Information
Kathy Frum
Dean (Nursing & Health Sciences Division)
Background Checks
Criminal background checks are required for all students entering Nursing and Health Sciences Division programs. The cost associated with the state and federal criminal history checks will be the responsibility of the student. A clinical facility has the right to refuse student access to clinical experiences based on the results of the criminal background check, which may prevent progression in the program. The Nursing and Health Sciences Division reserves the right to nullify a student’s admission based on the results of his or her background check.
Providing false information and/or failure to disclose background information on the application to the program is grounds for immediate dismissal.
Once you have been admitted into the nursing program, you will be notified by the Nursing and Health Sciences and given the appropriate directions.
Clinical Practice Requirements
Technical Standards for Admission
2024-2025 Student Nurse Handbook
Registered Nurse Educational Requirements Alignment with Other States Initial RN Licensure