Nursing courses are on an all time high and they have been for a while now, especially in US. It is one of the courses which has maintained its charm through times and is on an ever time high roll. A career in Nursing in the USA is highly in demand and also the rewards are huge.
Let us look at some of the requirements of applying to colleges in the US for those applicants for whom English is not their first language. Although mostly colleges have the same requirements from international students, some of them do vary. We are listing broadly the things you’d be required to fulfill in order to take admission in Nursing Courses in US, but it is advised that students carefully go through the requirements of the college university they are applying for.
Also See : Medical Entrance Exams
Prerequisites for Nursing Courses in USA
Visa Requirements:
Due to the recent stringent immigration stipulations, international students are required to take admission under student visa to study in the U.S. and for that must be enrolled for a full-time degree-granting academic program.
In case, if you are currently in the U.S. under any visa other than an F-1, you are required to check with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding procedures for changing your visa status. International students requiring an F-1 visa cannot enroll in non-degree courses nor can they be admitted provisionally pending completion of admission requirements.
Application Deadlines
International students are required to apply by the fall (September) session. But then check again with the requirement of your college and follow their deadlines. Mostly international students are not allowed to enroll if they arrive after the official start of the term. The documents to be included are end-of-year result sheets for each year of university study, national exam results, and a copy of degrees or certificates, both in the native language and English translations. Photocopies or facsimiles of mark sheets and exam results for the final year alone are not acceptable.
Also, the academic records may need to be evaluated by an agency specified by the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Standardized Tests
First and foremost, we are talking of students who are applying for Nursing in US and for whom English is not a first language. It is necessary that such students take an English Language Proficiency test. For such proposes; Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores demonstrate satisfactory proficiency. Although one can be exempted from the examination if they have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or from a post-secondary institution abroad which is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country of an English-speaking country only. This test must have been taken within two years prior to the application deadline.
Depending on the course being applied to; Graduate Record Exam (GRE) will also be a requirement while applying to nursing courses in the US. The examination has to be taken within the five years prior to the application deadline.
Financial Documentation
You are required to provide financial evidence with your application to show that whoever is responsible for your fees (e.g. yourself, parent/guardian, sponsor) has the financial ability to cover all your expenses at the University, without requiring employment while in the USA.
- Copy of fee payer’s bank statement: A recent statement (within 6 months) indicating a minimum of the college fees in dollars in original language and English.
- Other financial documents: If a parent/guardian or financial sponsor is paying your fees, bank statement as above, as well as an Affidavit of support. This is a letter from the fee-payer claiming financial responsibility for the student’s expenses throughout the term of the program.
If you have a scholarship from your country’s government, your Financial Guarantee document.
You will be required to have original financial documentation available during your visa interview.
Academic Year
For each academic semester, students receive grades for each subject (course) taken. The first (fall) semester generally begins in early September and ends in mid December. The second (spring) semester begins in mid January and ends in mid May. Additionally, there are summer sessions lasting from May to August. Most programs begin in the fall (September) semester.
See : Nursing Career Options, Job Prospects, Salary