Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences (Nursing Majors)

Beth-El School of Nursing was established in 1904 by an agency of the Methodist Church.  The school was purchased by the City of Colorado Springs in 1943 and operated as a city-owned school/college.  When the City decided to sell the nursing school, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs was awarded the bid and, on July 1, 1997, Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences merged with UCCS.  As such, Beth-El is a professional college within the University.   So, not only will your degree list the University of Colorado as your granting institution, but it will also list Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  The College offers curricula leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing and in health care science.

Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences consists of two sides of study at the undergraduate level:

1) the traditional nursing program which offers a three year clinical program leading to a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), a RN to BSN bridge program for students who have a RN license but no bachelor's degree, and an accelerated BSN program for students who have already completed a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing discipline and wish to pursue a nursing degree, and

2) the Health Science programs currently offer four different options:  

a) Clinical Laboratory Science/ Med Tech program;

b) Allied Health completion program;

c) a Sports Health and Wellness Promotion program consisting of four different tracks including health and wellness promotion, sports conditioning and training, senior fitness and a track dedicated to pre-professional preparation;

d) a Nutrition program which can lead to a registered dietician license at the end of the supervised hours in specialized practice.

Nursing Program Information

Our traditional BSN program is very different than other programs.  First of all, we admit freshmen and transfer students directly into our nursing-prep program, provided admission criteria are met. Secondly, we have a very hands-on program and, in fact, have six semesters of clinical experience instead of the standard four semesters.  Students will move into a clinical experience when a clinical spot is available provided certain pre-requisites are completed and the GPA criteria is met. Students will need to apply to take the pre-admission exam when they are ready to move into the clinical portion of the program.

Pre-Nursing Students:

Students not admitted directly into the Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences may still be admitted to UCCS under the College of Letters Arts and Sciences Pre-Nursing program.  Pre-Nursing students are encouraged to re-apply to the college after the intra-university transfer requirements are met.  Those requirements are completion of the first year curriculum within 4 semesters and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher.  Once the criteria have been met, the student should meet with the nursing advisor in the Student Success Center to apply for transfer to the nursing major.  This application would include the following:

Completion of profile
Completion of a background check
Completion of a Pre-Admission Exam

The Pre-Admission Exam tests the course material the student has completed during the first level coursework.  The admission committee will review all applicants at that time to determine who will be accepted as a nursing major due to the limited number of clinical spots available. 

Admission eligibility to the University of Colorado does not constitute a guarantee of enrollment in any specific nursing program.

Nursing Prep Students:

Students who meet admission criteria are admitted into the Nursing program under Nursing Prep.  Nursing Prep students complete general education requirements.  There are limited clinical facilities in Colorado Springs and it limits how many students we can accept into clinical courses.  Students in the Nursing Prep major are expected to complete all first level courses maintaining a GPA of 3.3.  Individual progress will be reviewed every semester by the nursing advisor.  Once the student has completed the first level courses with a GPA of 3.3, they should contact the nursing advisor in the Student Success Center to apply for a transfer to the nursing major.  This application would include the following:

Completion of profile
Completion of a background check
Completion of a Pre-Admission Exam

The Pre-Admission Exam tests the course material the student has completed during the first level coursework.  The admission committee will review all applicants at that time to determine who will be accepted as a nursing major.  For students who are accepted as a nursing major, they will start their second year course work and continue to progress thru the curriculum.  For those students who are not selected for admission, they may change their major to another field of study, apply to another school or choose to apply the following semester.  Students are only allowed to apply twice and will be considered along with all of the other students applying with no preferential consideration because they are seeking admission again.

Due to the limited number of clinical spots available, ranking will occur based on date of admission, GPA, profile and grade on Pre-Admission Exam.  More than 4 years may be required to complete the program.  Nursing Prep students must meet with their academic advisor prior to registration for any semester. 

Graduates of the program are eligible to apply to the Colorado State Board of Nursing to take the RN licensure examination.  The experiential nature of the program combined with the high standards required of Beth-El's nursing students' leads to a very high passage rate of the national exam every year.

RN to BSN

Students who are completing the RN to BSN bridge program must have a current RN license and 1000 hours of work experience before being allowed to begin any of the advanced theory and clinical courses.  All advanced theory and clinical courses are completed in an online format.

Accelerated Nursing Program

Students who have been admitted to the accelerated nursing program are part of a very select group.  Students who are following the accelerated nursing program will complete the BSN degree in four very intensive semesters.  Students apply to the program once a year and must have general education courses finished before starting the program.  Contact the Nursing and Health Sciences Advisor for specific questions regarding your schedule.

As mentioned, Beth-El's nursing program is a very hands-on program.  We have a total of 840 hours of clinical time you will complete by the time you are ready to graduate.  Every clinical includes a classroom and lab component.  For every hour of lab listed for a clinical course, 32 hours of site time are expected. For a clinical course with three hours of lab that would mean you put in 96 hours of site time administering to that population.  Usually two clinical courses are taken in a semester so the total hours of site time can equal up to 192 hours. 

Just as important as the clinical time are the academic requirements of the program.  All general education courses must be completed with a C- or better grade.  All nursing and health science courses must be completed with a grade of C or better and two grades below a C for any required nursing or health science course of two credits or more will result in dismissal from the college. Students admitted to Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences are responsible for information in the Beth-El Student Handbook.  The Handbook may be accessed at http://www.uccs.edu/~bethel/studenthandbooks.htm.

Nursing education, in general, makes intellectual demands on students and you must be a serious student with good mental and physical health, have plenty of stamina and endurance, as well as determination in order to succeed.  Due to the heavy academic workload for the nursing program, it is recommended that a student not work more than 20 hours per week.  Generally speaking, the further you progress into the clinical portion of the program, the fewer hours you will want to work. 

General Education Requirements

The General Education requirements are integrated throughout the College of Nursing and Health Sciences curricula.  Some courses are more critical than others depending on your declared major and may necessitate a change in your schedule.  In addition, some general education courses are offered only in specific semesters that may also require an adjustment to your schedule.  Be sure to check with the Nursing and Health Sciences Advisor if you have specific questions regarding your course selections.  All students in the College of Nursing and Health Science must complete a writing portfolio assessment as part of the undergraduate program, except those with a previous Bachelor's degree.  Specific information regarding the English Competency Exam may be found in your Bulletin or you may see the Nursing and Health Sciences Advisor for information.

  Nursing students have recommended advising every semester with the Nursing and Health Sciences Advisor in order to keep track of all of the courses they need to take.  The Nursing advisor is located in the Student Success Center, Main Hall 208. They may also be reached by phone at (719)255-3260.