Students must also apply for admissions with Old Dominion University if they are not already an active student. Applications to the university can be completed and submitted online.
Scheduling your HESI Appointment
The Credentialing Center opens up appointments one month at a time only. For each month, appointments will open starting the third week of the preceding month. For example, October appointments will not appear as available until the third week of September. There will appear to be no appointments available for upcoming months; however, please note that this is not the case and that appointments will be released on this monthly schedule.
Please do not register for an appointment unless you are fully intent upon utilizing that appointment time. Late appointment cancellations prevent the Credentialing Center from operating efficiently. The Credentialing Center is aware that intended nursing students need to take the HESI by February 15th. There will be plenty of appointments for the HESI made available and extra appointments will be added as needed. If no appointments appear available by the third week of the month, or the only appointments available are at times that conflict with your schedule, please call the Credentialing Center for help at 757-683-6089.
Ready to Apply? Evaluate Your Application.
All non-nursing courses required for the BSN that need to be completed prior to beginning the nursing program. Refer to the University Catalog for a full list of degree requirements.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Four Year Plan
NOTE: All ODU degrees require completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours. The Prelicensure BSN program requires 66 credits of NURS coursework. A minimum of 54 credit hours must be completed prior to enrolling inthe BSN program.
Upper Division General Education Requirement:
Satsified by a previous bachelor's degree, a minor or Option D (minimum of 6 credits at the 300/400 level from outside of the college of your major and not required by the degree - any 300/400 level credit EXCEPT in courses in subjects: CHP, CYTO, DNTH, ENVH, HLTH, HLSC, MLS, NURS, PUBH)
Transfer Students: Please use the Transfer Equivalency Degree Audit tool to determine how the academic credits you have earned at other institutions can be used to meet nursing program requirements at Old Dominion University. VCCS students should refer to the VCCS Curriculum Sheet for a full list of prerequisite requirements and VCCS equivalencies.
NOTE: Lower Division General Education requirement may be satisfied by an associate's degree.
VCCS Associate Degrees and Transferring to ODU
Non-VCCS Associate Degrees including Out of State degrees
Questions? Contact the Health Sciences Advising Center
Qualtrics Online Application
Applicants will need the pieces of information listed below to complete the online application. The Qualtrics application DOES NOT support a save and return feature. You need to have all information compiled before you begin the application. If you leave the application, you will need to start over.
When the application is submitted, it is routed directly to an Ellmer School of Nursing application email inbox. You should receive a confirmation letter within 3 business days.
Information Needed
- Contact information for applicant and emergency contact
- UIN
- Identification of attributes that apply to you:
- Health Care Experience 25+ hours- CNA/PCT, EMT, LPN, Medic / Corpsman, other- (Supervisor name and title, contact information, email- will need to upload proof of experience- and email from the supervisor is acceptable)
- Volunteer Experience 25 + hours (Supervisor name and title, contact information, email—will need to upload proof of experience—and email from the supervisor is acceptable)
- First generation college student
- Second degree college student
- Veteran or Active Duty
- Member of historically excluded group (includes any group of people that has been historically excluded from full rights, privileges, and opportunities based on ethnicity, race, geography, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation)
- Socioeconomic challenges (can include any of the following: were or are currently homeless, in foster care system, eligible for Federal free/reduced lunch programs, eligible for Federal Pell grants, received food assistance (SNAP or WIC), experiences limited resources while living in a rural or medically underserved area.
- Took 5 of 7 nursing department pre-requisites at ODU (these courses are English Composition, Microbiology, Chemistry, A & P 1, Intro to Sociology, Developmental Psych, Statistics)
4. Institution Name, location, start and end dates, hours completed and cumulative GPA at any institute of higher education.
5. Status of the following courses:
- If the course was taken at an institution other than ODU, you will need to provide the name of the institution for the courses below:
- BIOL 251 or 241: Anatomy & Physiology II
- ENGL 211C: Written Communication II
- Foreign Language I
- Foreign Language II
- General Education Literature
- General Education Human Creativity
- General Education Interpreting the Past
- General Education Philosophy
- General Education Impact of Technology
- Upper Division General Education Course I (300/400 Level Course outside of Health Sciences)
- Upper Division General Education Course II (300/400 Level Course outside of Health Sciences)
6. PDF of HESI A2 cumulative score report
7. PDF of unofficial transcripts from all higher learning institutions
8. PDF verification of volunteer hours
9. PDF verification of healthcare work hours
10. PDF verification of any healthcare certification
- Complete an online application to Old Dominion University as a degree-seeking student.
- Transcripts to support your online university application must be official, mailed from your previous institution to Old Dominion's Admissions Office at Old Dominion University, Office of Admissions, Rollins Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529.
- Already an ODU student? No need to reapply.
-
Complete a supplemental application to Old Dominion University School of Nursing.
- ODU Students: Coursework completed at ODU will be reviewed based on your student record in Leo Online. Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies) for any college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU, including dual enrollment credits.
- Transfer Students: (new to ODU): Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies of all college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU.
- Complete the HESI A2 Entrance Exam: Test dates are limited. Schedule early. Transcripts must be submitted with your nursing application. Learn about completing this test at ODU.
Please note: All areas of the HESI A2 exam are required except for Physics.
Study for the exam with this tool. (Please note: This course is no longer free.)
Students may also opt to complete the HESI A2 Entrance Exam at Prometric test centers located across the country. Locate a Prometric test center near you or register for the exam, visit this link https://evolve.elsevier.com/ and click on Hesi Secured Exams. Students will be required to log in and must include our Department ID. The ID is 199784.
- If you have taken the HESI A2 within the last five years, the School of Nursing will accept you previous score(s). Applicants must submit their score on all required areas of the HESI A2 with their completed application in order for it to be evaluated.
- If you have taken the HESI A2 within the last five years, the School of Nursing will accept you previous score(s). Applicants must submit their score on all required areas of the HESI A2 with their completed application in order for it to be evaluated.
-
Please complete the online application to the Ellmer School of Nursing pre-licensure program. Application Deadline: February 15.
- ODU Students: Coursework completed at ODU will be reviewed based on your student record in Leo Online. Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies) for any college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU, including dual enrollment credits.
-
Wait for notification.
- You will receive separate notifications from the School of Nursing and the Office of Admissions. Admission to Old Dominion University does not guarantee acceptance to the School of Nursing. BSN students must be admitted to the university as a degree-seeking student and to the School of Nursing.
-
Accepted students will receive a confirmation form with the School of Nursing notification. Please return the confirmation form to the School of Nursing by the deadline indicated. The form will reserve your space in the class if you will attend in the following fall. If you have decided not to attend at this time, the confirmation form letting us know that you are not planning to attend will allow another qualified applicant to attend.
-
Meet with your ODU nursing program advisor and register for nursing classes.
The Prelicensure applicant review is based on the following criteria:
-
Departmental GPA from your prerequisite courses
- GPA is determined by your highest grades earned in the prerequisite courses:
- Written Comm. Skills (ENGL 110C OR 211C/221C/231C) - 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 (BIOL 103 OR 150/151) - 4 credits
- Human Anatomy I (BIOL 240 OR 250) - 4 credits
- Mathematical Skills (STAT 130M) - 3 credits
-
Course Completion and GPA Requirements
To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed all of the above courses at the time of application with grades of C or better; C- will not be accepted. A Departmental GPA of 3.0 or higher out of these 7 prerequisite courses is required for application. A Departmental GPA of 3.6 or higher is considered competitive.
-
Admission to the University.
-
Pre-admissions aptitude testing (HESI A2) **
Preference is given to students with a minimal score of 80. Applicants may repeat the test twice within a 12 month period. Register for HESI A2.
Please note: All areas of the HESI A2 exam are required except for Physics.
Study for the exam with this tool. (Please note: This course is no longer free.)
-
Healthcare related experience (i.e. minimum of 25 volunteer hours documented, CNA or LPN) makes the applicant more competitive.
-
Previous bachelor's degree makes the applicant more competitive.
-
A minimum of 30 credit hours completed before applying to the program.
-
Beginning with Fall 2023 admissions, applicants may be asked to respond to written and verbal prompts.
All non-nursing courses required for the BSN that need to be completed prior to beginning the nursing program. Refer to the University Catalog for a full list of degree requirements.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Four Year Plan
NOTE: All ODU degrees require completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours. The Prelicensure BSN program requires 66 credits of NURS coursework. A minimum of 54 credit hours must be completed prior to enrolling inthe BSN program.
Upper Division General Education Requirement:
Satsified by a previous bachelor's degree, a minor or Option D (minimum of 6 credits at the 300/400 level from outside of the college of your major and not required by the degree - any 300/400 level credit EXCEPT in courses in subjects: CHP, CYTO, DNTH, ENVH, HLTH, HLSC, MLS, NURS, PUBH)
Transfer Students: Please use the Transfer Equivalency Degree Audit tool to determine how the academic credits you have earned at other institutions can be used to meet nursing program requirements at Old Dominion University. VCCS students should refer to the VCCS Curriculum Sheet for a full list of prerequisite requirements and VCCS equivalencies.
NOTE: Lower Division General Education requirement may be satisfied by an associate's degree.
VCCS Associate Degrees and Transferring to ODU
Non-VCCS Associate Degrees including Out of State degrees
Questions? Contact the Health Sciences Advising Center
Qualtrics Online Application
Applicants will need the pieces of information listed below to complete the online application. The Qualtrics application DOES NOT support a save and return feature. You need to have all information compiled before you begin the application. If you leave the application, you will need to start over.
When the application is submitted, it is routed directly to an Ellmer School of Nursing application email inbox. You should receive a confirmation letter within 3 business days.
Information Needed
- Contact information for applicant and emergency contact
- UIN
- Identification of attributes that apply to you:
- Health Care Experience 25+ hours- CNA/PCT, EMT, LPN, Medic / Corpsman, other- (Supervisor name and title, contact information, email- will need to upload proof of experience- and email from the supervisor is acceptable)
- Volunteer Experience 25 + hours (Supervisor name and title, contact information, email—will need to upload proof of experience—and email from the supervisor is acceptable)
- First generation college student
- Second degree college student
- Veteran or Active Duty
- Member of historically excluded group (includes any group of people that has been historically excluded from full rights, privileges, and opportunities based on ethnicity, race, geography, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation)
- Socioeconomic challenges (can include any of the following: were or are currently homeless, in foster care system, eligible for Federal free/reduced lunch programs, eligible for Federal Pell grants, received food assistance (SNAP or WIC), experiences limited resources while living in a rural or medically underserved area.
- Took 5 of 7 nursing department pre-requisites at ODU (these courses are English Composition, Microbiology, Chemistry, A & P 1, Intro to Sociology, Developmental Psych, Statistics)
4. Institution Name, location, start and end dates, hours completed and cumulative GPA at any institute of higher education.
5. Status of the following courses:
- If the course was taken at an institution other than ODU, you will need to provide the name of the institution for the courses below:
- BIOL 251 or 241: Anatomy & Physiology II
- ENGL 211C: Written Communication II
- Foreign Language I
- Foreign Language II
- General Education Literature
- General Education Human Creativity
- General Education Interpreting the Past
- General Education Philosophy
- General Education Impact of Technology
- Upper Division General Education Course I (300/400 Level Course outside of Health Sciences)
- Upper Division General Education Course II (300/400 Level Course outside of Health Sciences)
6. PDF of HESI A2 cumulative score report
7. PDF of unofficial transcripts from all higher learning institutions
8. PDF verification of volunteer hours
9. PDF verification of healthcare work hours
10. PDF verification of any healthcare certification
- Complete an online application to Old Dominion University as a degree-seeking student.
- Transcripts to support your online university application must be official, mailed from your previous institution to Old Dominion's Admissions Office at Old Dominion University, Office of Admissions, Rollins Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529.
- Already an ODU student? No need to reapply.
-
Complete a supplemental application to Old Dominion University School of Nursing.
- ODU Students: Coursework completed at ODU will be reviewed based on your student record in Leo Online. Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies) for any college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU, including dual enrollment credits.
- Transfer Students: (new to ODU): Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies of all college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU.
- Complete the HESI A2 Entrance Exam: Test dates are limited. Schedule early. Transcripts must be submitted with your nursing application. Learn about completing this test at ODU.
Please note: All areas of the HESI A2 exam are required except for Physics.
Study for the exam with this tool. (Please note: This course is no longer free.)
Students may also opt to complete the HESI A2 Entrance Exam at Prometric test centers located across the country. Locate a Prometric test center near you or register for the exam, visit this link https://evolve.elsevier.com/ and click on Hesi Secured Exams. Students will be required to log in and must include our Department ID. The ID is 199784.
- If you have taken the HESI A2 within the last five years, the School of Nursing will accept you previous score(s). Applicants must submit their score on all required areas of the HESI A2 with their completed application in order for it to be evaluated.
- If you have taken the HESI A2 within the last five years, the School of Nursing will accept you previous score(s). Applicants must submit their score on all required areas of the HESI A2 with their completed application in order for it to be evaluated.
-
Please complete the online application to the Ellmer School of Nursing pre-licensure program. Application Deadline: February 15.
- ODU Students: Coursework completed at ODU will be reviewed based on your student record in Leo Online. Attach unofficial transcripts (or photocopies) for any college level credit completed at another higher education institution outside of ODU, including dual enrollment credits.
-
Wait for notification.
- You will receive separate notifications from the School of Nursing and the Office of Admissions. Admission to Old Dominion University does not guarantee acceptance to the School of Nursing. BSN students must be admitted to the university as a degree-seeking student and to the School of Nursing.
-
Accepted students will receive a confirmation form with the School of Nursing notification. Please return the confirmation form to the School of Nursing by the deadline indicated. The form will reserve your space in the class if you will attend in the following fall. If you have decided not to attend at this time, the confirmation form letting us know that you are not planning to attend will allow another qualified applicant to attend.
-
Meet with your ODU nursing program advisor and register for nursing classes.
The Prelicensure applicant review is based on the following criteria:
-
Departmental GPA from your prerequisite courses
- GPA is determined by your highest grades earned in the prerequisite courses:
- Written Comm. Skills (ENGL 110C OR 211C/221C/231C) - 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 (BIOL 103 OR 150/151) - 4 credits
- Human Anatomy I (BIOL 240 OR 250) - 4 credits
- Mathematical Skills (STAT 130M) - 3 credits
-
Course Completion and GPA Requirements
To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed all of the above courses at the time of application with grades of C or better; C- will not be accepted. A Departmental GPA of 3.0 or higher out of these 7 prerequisite courses is required for application. A Departmental GPA of 3.6 or higher is considered competitive.
-
Admission to the University.
-
Pre-admissions aptitude testing (HESI A2) **
Preference is given to students with a minimal score of 80. Applicants may repeat the test twice within a 12 month period. Register for HESI A2.
Please note: All areas of the HESI A2 exam are required except for Physics.
Study for the exam with this tool. (Please note: This course is no longer free.)
-
Healthcare related experience (i.e. minimum of 25 volunteer hours documented, CNA or LPN) makes the applicant more competitive.
-
Previous bachelor's degree makes the applicant more competitive.
-
A minimum of 30 credit hours completed before applying to the program.
-
Beginning with Fall 2023 admissions, applicants may be asked to respond to written and verbal prompts.
Want to Transfer Credits?
Do you have college credits -- including CLEP -- that might apply toward your degree? Our advisors can assist in evaluating your earned credits and see if they apply to a nursing degree.
