BSN & TEAS Frequently Asked Questions

Our FAQs help you find answers to common inquiries regarding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the Wellstar School of Nursing and the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam.

BSN Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Wellstar School of Nursing offers 2 Baccalaureate tracks, Accelerated and Traditional, as well as 3 Master's of Science in Nursing tracks, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education Leadership in a Digital World, and Nursing Administration and Transformational Leadership. We also offer 2 post-graduate nursing certificates, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate and Post-Graduate Nurse educator Certificate.

    Please note that the Wellstar School of Nursing does not offer any bridge programs or RN refresher courses. If you are interested in a CNA or other certificate program, please reference the .

  • Both are full-time in-person programs for students who want to become registered nurses. The program admission requirements (GPA, TEAS, and 11 prerequisites) are the same, and the content taught during the program is identical. Additionally, one is not more prestigious than the other.

    The two main differences are:

    • For the Accelerated track, you must have an awarded Baccalaureate degree (in another area of study) prior to entering the program.
    • The Accelerated track will be completed in 4 semesters (1.5 years) with no summer breaks, compared to the Traditional track, which is completed in 6 semesters (2 years) with one summer break. This means more classes are taken per semester in the Accelerated program.
  • Yes. In order to have access to the nursing application, you must first be admitted via KSU’s Undergraduate Admissions. If you are transferring, apply as an undergraduate transfer student seeking a degree. We recommend applying to one of the nursing concentration majors.

    If you are a previous Ñý¼§Ö±²¥student who has been inactive for more than 3 semesters, please apply as a .

  • We recommend at least 3 months prior to the nursing application deadline. This will allow time for transcripts to be received and processed by KSU’s registrar's office.

    While this may seem very far in advance, everything must be processed and available to us via DegreeWorks by the nursing application deadline. If it is not, then we will not be able to move forward with your application.

  • Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to the term you wish to start the nursing program. If your desired term is not available, please complete your application with any available term and reach out to Undergraduate Admissions to update your entrance term.

    For example: If you wish to start the nursing program in Fall 2026, then the nursing application deadline is January 31st, 2026. Therefore, you should apply to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥general admissions by October 31st, 2025, and select Fall 2026 as the start term. If that term is not available, you may select the next available term then immediately contact Undergraduate Admissions to have it changed to Fall 2026.

  • If you have more than 30 semester hours or 50 quarter hours of transferable undergraduate college credit, regardless of degree status, you are classified as an undergraduate transfer student

    The BSN and the ABSN programs are Baccalaureate programs meaning you must apply to Undergraduate Admissions. If you apply through the Graduate College, you will not qualify for program consideration.

  • Admissions will not begin reviewing applications until after the nursing application deadline. The time to process the applications will vary pending applicant pool size and current program growth, so release dates WILL vary. However, our goal is to have them completed within 2-3 months. Estimated release dates will be notated on the application confirmation emails.
  • No.

    However, please note that there is an application fee for undergraduate admissions.

  • Both our traditional and accelerated BSN programs have three main requirements: the completion of 11 prerequisite courses, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and a TEAS exam score. The accelerated program has the additional requirement of a completed bachelor's degree in another area of study by the start of the program.
  • You cannot complete any of the prerequisites while in the nursing program. You must complete all 11 prerequisite courses prior to the start of the program and will not be allowed to begin unless all 11 courses are successfully completed with a grade of C or higher.
  • The minimum requirement at the time of the nursing program application deadline is a 3.0 GPA. Nursing admissions will not calculate or use a science GPA. Alternatively, we will use the transfer GPA for students who have completed less than 18 credit hours at KSU, and the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥cumulative GPA for students with 18 or more credit hours completed at KSU.
  • Admission to the nursing program is a competitive process and will be based on a combination of several factors such as the number of required prerequisite courses completed at the time of nursing application deadline, grades received in these courses, and the score received on the ATI TEAS exam.
  • In order for any transfer courses to be considered for nursing admission, they must be transferred to and verified by the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥Registrar’s Office by the nursing application deadline. This includes international credits and credits earned via exam.

    The Nursing Admissions office adheres to the Office of Registrar's policies on transfer equivalency, BUT has the final say over core field of study requirements.

    You may use the OWL Transfer Credit Database to check the likely outcome of your transfer courses to KSU. You may also refer to the transfer services for more information.

    Please note that nursing (NURS) credits from other nursing programs are rarely transferrable.

  • No, each course requirement must be fulfilled individually with no overlap. Therefore, one course cannot be applied to two different curriculum areas.

    For example, for the nursing program, PSYC 1101 cannot be used for both your social science IMPACTS and Psychology requirements.

  • No, psychology is a social science. The natural sciences include chemistry, biology, and physics courses.
  • Either is acceptable. However, both must be completed and submitted by the nursing application deadline.
  • No, ALL nursing applicants must complete the ATI TEAS Exam. We do not accept any other entrance exam scores.
  • Besides submitting your ATI TEAS score via ATI, yes.
  • No, all candidates will be considered equally based on the combination of the required prerequisite courses completed at the time of the nursing application deadline, grades received in these courses, and the score received on the ATI TEAS exam.

    External factors such as letters of recommendation or medical licenses are not considered. This includes affiliation with Wellstar Health System and any students utilizing the Guild program.

  • Both programs are full-time and in-person. The days on campus will vary by semester depending on the courses being taken.

    Clinicals can be held any day of the week, including nights and weekends. Therefore, we recommend that students have as much availability as possible and have their own reliable transportation to attend their randomly assigned clinical days. The Wellstar School of Nursing is unable to accommodate any personal preferences or requests.

  • Costs will vary by semester and are based on factors such as in-state and out-of-state tuition. are dictated by KSU, which runs on a .

    For assistance in calculating your possible base costs, please use the following information: Traditional students average 12 credit hours per semester over 5 semesters and Accelerated students average about 15 credit hours over 4 semesters. The nursing program itself requires 57 credit hours, which is included in the overall of 120 credit hours.

    Nursing students specifically will have additional , which can be split into two main portions:

    1. Initial Fees: purchases at the start of the program for materials that are used throughout the program (i.e. uniforms, software, nursing kits, etc.)
    2. Ongoing Expenses: costs incurred by the student that occur throughout the program (i.e. health screenings, health insurance, clinical travel expenses, etc.)
  • While Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ does not require certain vaccinations, our clinical site partners do. As guests at these facilities, you must adhere to clinical agency credentialing requirements to attend clinical. This includes all vaccination requirements of the agency.

    Very few agencies allow exemptions, and they are not guaranteed. These decisions are made solely by the agency, not the Wellstar School of Nursing. Successfully completing clinicals is a requirement for progression in the nursing program.

TEAS Frequently Asked Questions

  • The TEAS stands for Test of Essential Academic Skills and the exam is used to assess students in reading, math, science and English. This test is used by nursing programs to gauge potential nursing students’ academic success.
  • You may take the TEAS exam at any point up to the day of the nursing application deadline.
  • You must register for the TEAS through  directly. The exam can be taken in- person at a testing location or remotely online.

    Please note that the Wellstar School of Nursing does not host these exams

  • Please refer to the and follow the rescheduling instructions
    that best suit your situation
  • A score of 78 or higher is strongly recommended. Historically, students accepted into the nursing program score at least a 78 or higher.

    While the average varies per entrance term, the scores normally range between 84 and 86.

  • You will know your score immediately after completing the test.

    If you take the test at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥testing center, then your scores will automatically be sent to our files on ATI. If taken elsewhere, such as at another testing location or remotely online, then please send the score to “Kennesaw State U BSN.â€

  • Applicants may retake the TEAS as many times as needed.

    While Ñý¼§Ö±²¥does not enforce any wait time between attempts, please note that ATI requires a between each exam attempt.

  • We will use the highest score that was taken by the nursing application deadline and does not surpass the 5-year age limit.
  • Please visit the .