The Loewenberg School of Nursing is organized as one unit under the leadership of a dean. The curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing includes general education and support courses offered through other units of the university as well as the major requirements offered by the school. A comprehensive approach to health care is emphasized through utilization of a wide variety of health care settings available in Memphis and the surrounding community.

The faculty of the Loewenberg School of Nursing represents all clinical areas of nursing practice and a variety of experiences and interests. They reflect this diversity in their teaching, practice and research and are qualified by practical experience as well as by academic credentials, to function as facilitators of learning.

The Loewenberg School of Nursing holds membership in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Southern Council for Collegiate Education in Nursing, and the National League for Nursing Council for Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs. The program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY, 10006, phone number (800) 669-1656, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120, (202) 887-6791 and approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Because the University seeks to provide in as much as possible a reasonably safe environment for its health career students and their patients, students may be required during the course of the program to demonstrate their physical and/or emotional fitness to meet the essential requirements of the program. Such essential requirements include freedom from communicable diseases, the ability to perform certain physical tasks, and suitable emotional fitness. Any appraisal measures used to determine such physical and/or emotional fitness will be in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, so as not to discriminate against any individual on the basis of disability. See specific criteria under Sophomore Admission

Core performance standards for admission and progression:

1. Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment.
2. Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.
3. Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form.
4. Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces.
5. Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
6. Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs.
7. Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care.
8. Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment.

Admission

Freshman Admission

Qualified high school seniors admitted as freshmen to the University of Memphis may at the time of admission to the University be directly admitted to the nursing major by applying to the School of Nursing after receiving admission to the University. Freshman admission to the nursing major guarantees the student who remains in good standing placement in the nursing program in the second semester of the sophomore year.

Freshmen admitted to the nursing major must remain in "good standing" by completing the prescribed curriculum at The University of Memphis for the freshman year and 1st semester of the sophomore year with a minimum grade of "C" in all required prerequisite courses, a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for the prescribed three semesters of coursework and a science cumulative grade point average of 2.66. Students who do not remain in "good standing" may reapply to the LSON in a competitive pool with other students. See Sophomore Admission.

Freshman admission requirements:

1. Graduation from an accredited high school with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
2. Minimum ACT score of 21 with a minimum score of 19 in all areas.
3. Completion of high school Algebra I, II, Geometry, Biology, and Chemistry.

Applicants will be rank-ordered on the basis of a calculated point system:

Freshman Point System

Cumulative high school quality point average x 100 added to the ACT score x 10 or SAT score.

Sophomore Admission

Students who are not admitted as freshmen may apply to the Loewenberg School of Nursing when they meet the requirements identified below. To be admitted to the School, a student must:

1. Be admitted to the University of Memphis as a degree-seeking undergraduate student.

2. Have a minimum college cumulative grade point average of 2.7, a cumulative of 2.66 in prerequisite science courses. (A prerequisite science course may be repeated only once to earn a minimum grade of “C”. A maximum of two prerequisite science courses may be repeated to earn the minimum required grade.)

3. Have completed specific pre-nursing courses with a minimum grade of “C” in all courses:

ENGL 1010 & 1020: English Composition I & II (6)

BIOL 2010/11 & 2020/2021: Anatomy & Physiology I & II (8)

BIOL 1230/1231: Microbiology (4)

SOCI 1111: Introduction to Sociology (3); PSYC 1200: General Psychology

NUTR 3202: Nutrition for Health Care preferred or NUTR 2202: Nutrition (3)

MATH 1420: Foundations of Mathematics, MATH 1530: Introduction to Statistical Reasoning and Application, or MATH 1710: College Algebra or Math 2000: Experiences in Mathematics, or MATH 1830: Elementary Calculus, or MATH 1910: Calculus I

4. Clearance of any high school deficiencies.

5. Have a minimum score of 70% on the ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC) TEAS - Reading, Math, and Science (Tests of Essential Academic Skills). The test can be repeated to achieve minimum score.

6. Have a minimum score of 250 computer based or 100 Internet based scores on the TOEFL (for students for whom English is a second language).

7. Students who are transferring from another nursing program must submit a letter of good standing from the dean/director of the previous nursing program and a transcript, and meet LSON progression standards as stated in the Undergraduate Catalog.

8. Complete and submit School of Nursing application for admission to:

Loewenberg School of Nursing

The University of Memphis

Newport Hall, Room 101

Memphis, TN 38152

Must have complete files by the deadline (February 15 for Fall; October 1 for Spring) to be considered. (In order to allow adequate time for processing of the University of Memphis transfer credit evaluation you should receive your acceptance letter to the University by September 15 for Spring term or February 1 for Fall term).

1. All students admitted as freshmen students to the nursing major who remain in good standing will be accommodated.

2. After freshmen nursing majors have been accommodated, all other students will be considered on a competitive space available basis according to GPA.

Admission Procedures:

1. Students must have complete files by the deadline (February 15 for Fall; October 1 for Spring) to be considered.

2. Acceptance into the school will be based on rank-order cumulative GPA.

3. If individuals have the same GPA, the order will be determined by the amount of prerequisite and support course work completed.

4. A new list will be created each semester. Students who are not accepted must reapply for consideration the next semester.

5. An alternate list will be established each semester to fill vacancies that might occur before the beginning of class. The criteria for the alternate list will be the same as for the acceptance list.