Admissions Checklist
Admission to UMaine School of Nursing is highly competitive. On average, the school receives more than 1,400 applicants per year for 80 seats/cohort. Internal and external admission into the program is based on evidence-based criteria and reviewed by a committee based on application pool selectivity and seat availability.
First-Year Holistic Admissions Process & Guidelines
The Nursing Department at UMaine uses a contemporary holistic admissions process. The holistic admissions process seeks to center the whole person beyond quantitative and qualitative scores alone. Our process examines the candidate as a complex human being with a diversity of strengths and weaknesses, relationships with the communities around them, and a personal story leading them to the program. This process supports Brené Brown’s concept of story stewardship: “knowing that we’ve been entrusted with something valuable or that we have something valuable that we should treat with respect and care.”
Our admissions process prioritizes the student’s ability to create strengths-based service to the Nursing profession, seeking to uncover how each student contributes to the atmosphere of courage, empathy, belonging, and connection that forms the program’s foundation.
The nursing profession has an ethical commitment to embrace the diverse stories of the world. Embracing diversity and belonging is a national standard that our program celebrates. Through committing to the whole story, to fostering open lines of ethical and courageous communication, to providing a rich, supportive and diverse foundation from which to practice nursing, our program welcomes you to our admissions process.
UMaine admissions uses an internal rubric created by the School of Nursing as part of the holistic admissions review process:
- AP Credits are accepted.
- 3 years of Math and 4 years of Science are required
- Well rounded student applying who has some volunteer healthcare experience.
- Essays are well written, grammatically correct, and answer the essay prompts thoroughly. Essay word count is 250 words.
- We do not require the SAT or ACT score to apply
If you are having difficulty with your common app and/or uploading your essays, you may contact UMaine Undergraduate Admissions at: 207-581-1561 or umaineadmissions@maine.edu
Internal Transfers
*An internal transfer student is interested in transferring into nursing from another major at UMaine.
Admission to UMaine School of Nursing is highly competitive. On average, the school receives more than 1,400 applicants per year for 80 seats/cohort. Internal and external admission into the program is based on evidence-based criteria and reviewed by a committee based on application pool selectivity and seat availability.
- Cumulative GPA 3.0
- Science GPA 3.0
- If under 60 credits, HS transcript required
- Prerequisite courses required (or in-progress at the time of application due date) prior to applying:
- BIO100
- BMB207
- BMB209
- BIO208 OR FSN 101
- ENG101
- All prerequisites courses must have a “C” or better (77.0% equivalent)
- Essay Required. Word count limit is 250 words.
- Students may have no more than 2 repeated STEM courses (this includes withdrawal on their transcript(s).)
- Students complete the courses that are listed as prerequisites prior to applying to ensure an accurate GPA for cumulative and science
- Two Times a Year Application Due Date
- November 1st
- May 1st
- Please refer to the Essay Prompts for submitting a required essay.
- Admission is contingent on a final transcript review for any grade “in progress” at the time of application.
- Once applications are submitted, the School of Nursing Policy Advisory Committee will review and make recommendations. Response time of our decision is 1-2 weeks from submission due date.
- We do not require the SAT or ACT score to apply
Course Equivalences
If a course is not listed in the UMaine transfer equivalency tool, it is common practice to have the prospective student send the syllabus of the course in question to be reviewed by the department in which the student is requesting course transfer. Courses that have been accepted for transfer by the School of Nursing in the recent past are below. (*Please note this is not a comprehensive list and this changes as syllabi and course objectives are updated). It is important you continue to communicate with your current major academic advisor on your course schedules.
| Nursing Requirements | Common Transfer Equivalent Courses |
|---|---|
| BMB207 | CHY121 (UMaine) CHY111 (UMaine Augusta) CHEM110 (Simmons University) |
| BMB209 | CHY123 (UMaine) CHY112 (UMaine Augusta) |
| BIO100 | BIO122 (UMaine – If Explorations or Undeclared Majors) |
| BIO208 | EMCC BIO127 + BIO128 (combined) |
| STS132 | PSY241 |
| Nursing Requirements | Common Transfer Equivalent Courses that do not transfer |
|---|---|
| BIO100 | BIO122 (UMaine, if Bio major) |
| FSN101 | FSN 230 |
External Transfers
Admission to UMaine School of Nursing is highly competitive. On average, the school receives more than 1,400 applicants per year for 80 seats/cohort. Internal and external admission into the program is based on evidence-based criteria and reviewed by a committee based on application pool selectivity and seat availability.
Transfer applicants: Transfer Nursing applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities they have attended. Applicants with less than 60 transferable college credits must also submit their final High School transcript. Prior to applying, applicants must have completed the following courses, with a grade of C (77% equivalent) or better, that have been evaluated as transfer equivalents for the following UMaine courses.
- BIO100 – Basic Biology with lab – 4 credits
- BMB207 – Fundamentals of Chemistry – 3 credits
- BMB209 – Fundamentals of Chemistry Lab – 1 credit
- BIO208 – Anatomy & Physiology with lab – 4 credits OR FSN 101 – Introduction to Food & Nutrition – 3 credits
- ENG101 – College Composition – 3 credits
Prerequisite courses are preferred to have been completed within 5 years of application to the Nursing program. After 5 years, it is at the discretion of the School of Nursing whether to accept the pre-requisite courses. Nursing applicants will be considered ineligible to apply if they have more than 2 repeated Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) courses, including withdrawals or if they have attended more than one prior Nursing program and did not meet the Nursing Program’s benchmarks for progression.
Once applications are submitted, the School of Nursing Policy Advisory Committee will review and make recommendations. Response time of our decision is 1-2 weeks from submission due date.
We do not require the SAT or ACT score to apply
Please refer to the Essay Prompts for submitting a required essay. Word count limit is 250 words.
International Students
Undergraduate Program
- If the international student is a first-year prospective student, their application will follow the traditional holistic admissions process through the Admissions Department. Please refer to the First Year Nursing Application and Essay Prompts web page for instructions on how to apply. There is no word count limit.
- All international students are required to complete an English Proficiency Test to be uploaded with their application.
- Prospective students may take either of these three tests and will be accepted along with their application.
- Duolingo Cumulative Score 115
- TOEFL 82 – 86
- IELTS 6.5
- Prospective students may take either of these three tests and will be accepted along with their application.
Graduate Program
The Graduate Program does not accept international students at this time.
Quick Links
For any additional questions, please contact:
Kathryn, Robinson, Ph.D, MHA/Ed, RN
School of Nursing
University of Maine
5724 Dunn Hall, Rm 234
Orono ME, 04469
kathryn.robinson1@maine.edu
207.581.2592
