Undergraduate Admission FAQ's

No, students complete general education and prerequisite courses on the main campus of ODU but all prelicensure nursing courses are offered at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center at 1881 University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23453.

The Student Nurses Association welcomes all students. SNA is an ODU student organization that promotes professional development through community service and peer guidance.

Freshman students may also be interested in joining the COHS learning community. The Ellmer College of Health Sciences Health Professions Learning Community is intended to help you build the strong academic foundation needed to be competitive for admission to the major.

Students complete direct patient care clinical experiences in healthcare facilities throughout the Hampton Roads area. Some clinical sites may be as much as 30 miles away from the main campus. PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION IS NECESSARY.

The Ellmer School of Nursing will notify all applicants in April.

Students transferring credits from the Virginia Community College System can check this link https://www.odu.edu/transfer/vccs for transfer credit information.

A "C" or above must be earned in a course to receive transfer credit. A "C-" or below will not transfer.

Yes, nursing practice is based on evidence. We use statistics everyday to analyze charts, interpret results and summarize findings. We use statistics to enhance patient care and support evidenced based practices. In addition, graduate nursing programs require completion of statistics for admission. Our BSN program prepares students for future graduate coursework.

All prerequisite nursing courses must be completed with a C or higher. You are not eligible to begin the nursing curriculum if you earn a C- or less on a prerequisite course. If you have already been admitted to the major, you should notify us immediately and drop any nursing courses in which you have enrolled.

You may review the computing standards here.

You may review the technical standards here.

No. For credits to be accepted into Old Dominion University, courses must have been taken at a higher education institution accredited by a regional accrediting body. In order to recognize the prior clinical education of all RN to BSN students, 33 credits in experiential learning are awarded based on a current, unencumbered RN licensure as students progress through the program.

Yes. CLEP credits can be used to fulfill selected general education requirements. For a list of subjects in which CLEP credits can be awarded, click here.

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed the following courses at the time of application:

• Written Comm. Skills (ENGL 110C) - 3 credits
• Developmental Psychology (PSYC 203S) - 3 credits
• Introduction to Sociology (SOC 201S) - 3 credits
• College Chemistry I (CHEM 105/106N or CHEM 121/122N) - 4 credits
• Microbiology (BIO 103) - 4 credits
• Human Anatomy I (BIO 250) - 4 credits
• Mathematical Skills (STAT 130M) - 3 credits

Student must have a minimum of 30 completed credit hours to apply, keeping in mind that all non-nursing courses must be completed before the fall if admitted to the program.

No, ODU does not currently offer transportation service from the main campus to the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center. Nursing students must provide their own transportation to clinical sites throughout Hampton Roads.

Yes, full time students enrolled in nursing courses at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center are eligible for on campus housing and other privileges of full time students.

The HESI A2 Assessment Test is a requirement for all students applying to Old Dominion University's Ellmer School of Nursing. Previously, the ODU Ellmer School of Nursing included five academic exams on the HESI A2. To align the requirements of other nursing programs locally and around the country, the Ellmer School of Nursing will now include all sections of the exam on our admission assessment.

PLEASE NOTE: The Ellmer School of Nursing accepts transcripts for the HESI A2 that have been completed within the past two years. If you completed the five section HESI A2 Exam last year, this transcript is still acceptable for your admission packet.

The HESI A2 Exam consists of seven academic exams and two personal assessment (not scored) exams:

1. Reading Comprehension: Provides scenarios in order to measure reading comprehension, including identifying the main idea, finding meaning of words in context, and making logical inferences.
2. Vocabulary & General Knowledge: Tests knowledge of everyday vocabulary terms, as well as vocabulary used in healthcare fields.
3. Grammar: Assesses knowledge of basic grammar, including parts of speech, important terms and their uses in grammar, commonly occurring grammatical errors and more.
4. Basic Math Skills: Focuses on math skills needed for healthcare fields, including basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures and general math facts.
5. Biology: Covers biology basics, water, biological molecules, metabolism, cells, cellular respiration, photosynthesis and more.
6. Chemistry: Contains test items that cover matter, chemical equations and reactions, the periodic table, atomic structure, nuclear chemistry, chemical bonding and more.
7. Anatomy & Physiology: Provides coverage of general terminology and anatomical structures and systems.

Personal Assessment Areas (not scored):

1. Personality Profile: Uses concepts related to introversion and extroversion to classify the student's personality style
2. Learning Style: Assesses the preferred learning style of the prospective applicant and offers test-taking and study tips suited for that learning style.

Please email universitytesting@odu.edu for additional information.

You must send an official high school transcript to the ODU Office of Admissions.

Our partner Health Care Facilities must have all employees and student nurses working with patients follow OSHA and Joint Commission policies. This is for the protection of patients and employees and student nurses. All of our health physical requirements are the same followed by our partner facilities.

Students may purchase textbooks at the Old Dominion University Bookstore on the main campus or online. Textbook requirements and editions often change from one year to the next so please be sure you have the most current ISBN and edition information before purchasing.

No. You must reapply to the program.

No. Nursing courses must be completed in the order in which they appear on your curriculum guide. Each course has content and skills required by subsequent courses.

You may petition to be readmitted to the nursing program only once.

No. Nursing clinical experiences may be assigned in any of the seven cities in the Hampton Roads area. Students do not have a choice of clinical practice sites and are purposely rotated through a variety of sites to experience how nursing is actualized in different settings.

The BSN curriculum is rigorous. Students are encouraged not to work; if necessary, students should work part-time or as little as possible in order to be successful in the program.

No. Nursing is a practice discipline with a licensing exam required after graduation. Part-time study puts a student at risk for passing the licensing examination due to the length of time between initial nursing courses and senior courses if stretched out for 4-6 years of part-time study.

Students complete direct patient care clinical experiences in healthcare facilities throughout the Hampton Roads area. Some clinical sites may be as much as 30 miles away from the main campus. Personal transportation is necessary.

For students to remain in good academic standing, a "C" grade or above is necessary in each nursing course.

You must send an official transcript to the ODU Office of Admissions and an unofficial copy to the School of Nursing.

RN to BSN students are admitted to begin the nursing curriculum every Fall, Spring and Summer semester. Students may complete the RN to BSN nursing major on a full-time or part-time basis. The full time option is recommended only for those students who are licensed RNs but who are not working as an RN. Should you begin a position as an RN after enrolling in the full time option it is recommended that you move into the part time curriculum. The program may be completed in one calendar year for full-time students. While a two-year, part-time completion of nursing courses is typical, students may proceed at a slower pace, if desired, to allow students to work towards a degree while meeting the demands of work and family responsibilities.

All postlicensure courses are offered online through distance learning.

Yes, nursing practice is based on evidence. We use statistics everyday to analyze charts, interpret results and summarize findings. We use statistics to enhance patient care and support evidenced based practices. In addition, graduate nursing programs require completion of statistics for admission. Our BSN program prepares students for future graduate coursework.

No, applicants must be admitted to an affiliated school before applying to the School of Nursing at ODU. A copy of an acceptance letter from the RN program or proof of enrollment is required when applying.