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University of Washington School of Nursing is one of the top nursing schools in the
country. According to U.S. News and World Report, University of Washington School of
Nursing is tied as the number one ranked nursing school in the nation with Johns
Hopkins and University of Pennsylvania. The nursing program at University of Washington
has been ranked number one since 1984. Located in Seattle, Washington, the nursing school
offered its first classes in 1918 and its first bachelor of nursing degree is 1923.
Why choose University of Washington?
University of Washington boasts top faculty. Over 99 percent of tenured faculty hold
PhD degrees. The UW nursing school is host to over 600 nursing students, 400 of which
are graduate students. There are 115 tenured faculty, 600 clinical faculty and 42
adjunct faculty. Attending an accredited nursing school is important. The UW nursing
school is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. UW places a
strong emphasis on research and teaching. In 2012, the UW nursing school was awarded
over $16 million dollars in research grants. The school has three academic departments:
biobehavioral nursing and health systems, family and child nursing and psychosocial and
community health. The biobehavioral department focuses on enhancing health care systems
and studying the health and illness of adults and the elderly. The family and child
department promotes healthy birthing and parenting, emphasizing the health and development
of families. The psychosocial department prioritizes health promotion, disease prevention
and community interventions.
Admission
Admission to the University of Washington School of Nursing is competitive. The acceptance
rate is around 25 percent, with around 400 applications received for 96 spaces in 2012.
The GPA of accepted students ranges from 2.4 to 4.0, but more than GPA is taken into
account when determining which students should be admitted to the nursing school. One
hundred hours of volunteer or paid experience in the nursing field is required prior
to admission, to ensure students have a realistic view of the nursing profession. A
proctored admission essay is also required for prospective students. Students must
have completed 90 credits of prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Graduate student admissions are also competitive. No GRE testing is required for any
of the nursing graduate programs at University of Washington. A minimum grade point
average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. Prospective students must also have an
unrestricted registered nursing license, three letters of recommendation, current
resume and have completed a set of admission questions.
Degrees and Specialization
University of Washington offers six different degree programs with many opportunities
for specialization. Undergraduate degree programs include the traditional Bachelor of
Science degree as well as an accelerated Bachelor of Science degree. The accelerated
program is for non-nurses who hold a degree in a field other than nursing. Graduate
program offerings include the Master of Nursing and Master of Science. The Master or
Nursing degree is for those interested in advanced nursing practice, while the Master
of Science degree is for those interested in nursing research. Terminal degrees offered
are the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The DNP degree
is for nurses interested in advanced nursing practice, while the PhD is geared toward
research for nurse scientists. Graduate certificates are also offered that are designed
for students that already have a graduate degree in nursing, or who are already enrolled
in a graduate program. Certificate specialties include adult nurse practitioner, infant
mental health, nurse midwifery and perinatal nurse specialist. Online distance education
programs are available for some nursing graduate degrees and certificate programs, depending
on the area of specialty. Undergraduate programs are not available online.
Tuition and Financial Aid
University of Washington is a public university. The school charges a certain rate for
residents, while charging a higher tuition amount for non-resident students. For the
2013-2014 school year, the tuition cost for a traditional undergraduate nursing student
is $12,383 per year for residents, and $29,938 for non-residents, not including room and
board, books or supplies. Yearly tuition for traditional graduate students not including
room, board, books or supplies is $14,358 for residents and $26,768 for non-residents.
The UW School of Nursing wants its students to succeed, both academically and financially.
The school offers many options for financial aid including traineeships, scholarships,
research and teaching assistantships and pre- and post-doctoral training programs. Loans
are also available to students. UW has also started a nursing funding blog to alert nursing
students to outside scholarships, educational opportunities and upcoming student positions.
In 2012, UW nursing students were awarded over $1.15 million dollars in financial awards,
not including loans.
University of Washington School of Nursing is a top choice for prospective nursing students.
It has a long history of excellence in nursing education and has been ranked number one by
U.S. News and World Report since 1984. In addition to a rich nursing heritage, the UW
nursing school offers clinical rotations that take place throughout the Puget Sound,
giving students valuable hands-on experience. The school is very supportive of its
students, evidenced by a 98 percent retention rate. Nursing students at UW are overwhelmingly
successful, with a 96 to 99 percent first time pass rate on the NCLEX licensing exam.
University of Washington is a top choice for any student interested in pursuing a nursing
career.
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