University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) · Wilmington, NC · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses UNC Wilmington says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01General ChemistryCHM/L 101 · CHM/L 101'/L' courses require a lab, totaling four credits.
source · uncw.edu
“CHM/L 101”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeB - 02General BiologyBIO/L 201 · BIO/L 201
source · uncw.edu
“BIO/L 201”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeB - 03Anatomy & Physiology IBIO/L 240 · BIO/L 240EXS/L 216 is not an acceptable alternative.
source · uncw.edu
“BIO/L 240”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeB - 04Anatomy & Physiology IIBIO/L 241 · BIO/L 241EXS/L 217 is not an acceptable alternative.
source · uncw.edu
“BIO/L 241”
credits4labrequiredmin gradeB - 05MicrobiologyBIO 246 (Microbiology) · BIO 246BIO 330 or BIO 425 may substitute.
source · uncw.edu
“BIO 246 (course only; no lab needed)”
labnomin gradeB - 06StatisticsSTT 210 or 215 or PSY 225 or QMM 280 · STT 210/STT 215/PSY 225/QMM 280Any one of these four options.
source · uncw.edu
“STT 210 or 215 or PSY 225 or QMM 280”
min gradeB
Minimum prerequisite grade
B
Any prerequisite grade below a C, or a Fail, disqualifies the applicant.
source · uncw.edu
“Completion of all prerequisites with a B or higher grade (L=lab)”
Courses in progress
Up to 1-2 prerequisites may be in progress in the Fall semester; this results in provisional acceptance
The page also says the majority of prerequisites must be completed before the December deadline. The FAQ instead says all prerequisites and University Studies must be complete.
source · uncw.edu
“If students are completing 1-2 prerequisite courses in the Fall semester and have not received their final grades, they may still apply and will receive provisional acceptance until the final grades from the Fall semester are submitted and approved.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Math/science course age limit
10 years before the application deadline
Older courses must be retaken or audited unless the applicant can establish content expertise; this is evaluated individually at the student's request. The FAQ wording 'at least 10 years prior' appears to be a typo. Non-math/science courses older than 10 years may be retaken or audited with advisor approval.
source · uncw.edu
“Math/Science prerequisite courses must have been completed within 10 years of the application deadline.”
Repeat policy
Repeats allowed; highest grade used. In multi-option categories, each course may be repeated once.
Overall GPA is still calculated on all completed courses.
source · uncw.edu
“Students may repeat all prerequisite courses, regardless of first grade earned. The highest grade will be used in the evaluation of the application.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum combined GPA for admission
3.0 from all institutions attended
Full admission also requires maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
source · uncw.edu
“Combined GPA of 3.0 or higher from all institutions attended”
Science GPA Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam
TEAS required (20% of admission score)
No minimum score is published. The Summer 2026 admitted average was 82.5. UNCW Testing Services must receive scores via ATI before the deadline.
source · uncw.edu
“Completion of TEAS Assessment”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Pass/Fail
A Pass gives credit but is not scored; a Fail disqualifies
If a student repeats a course as a Pass, the previous grade is used.
source · uncw.edu
“A Pass will be calculated in application scoring in a similar way as AP and CLEP: students will receive credit for completing the course as a Pass, but the Pass will not be calculated into the total score.”
AP/CLEP
Credit is granted but not scored
A student cannot later CLEP a course to nullify an earned grade.
source · uncw.edu
“AP and CLEP Credit are not used in the evaluation of applications. Students will get credit for the course, but their score will not affect their standing.”
Online labs Not published. Confirm with the school.
Transfer/community college courses Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Accepted if the course transfers in as the UNCW prerequisite equivalent” vs “Courses from other institutions are accepted if they transfer as UNCW equivalents”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles UNC Wilmington publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Summer 2027 startDeadline Jan 6, 2027opens Dec 1, 2026Program starts in the summer semester ('by the start of Nursing classes in early May'); exact start date not printed. The same page also says 'The application deadline for summer admission is in December', which conflicts with the January 6, 2027 close date. Applicants must also be admitted to UNCW before the deadline; the FAQ says to apply to UNCW prior to October 15.
source · uncw.edu
“Application Opens: December 1, 2026 Application Closes: January 6, 2027”
NursingCAS Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Cost
Tuition and fees as the school publishes them. Living costs vary; the source link has the full table.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Prior degree
BS or BA from an accredited institution by program start (early May)
Current UNCW undergraduates graduating in the spring should contact chhsnursingadmission@uncw.edu.
source · uncw.edu
“BS or BA from an accredited institution by the start of Nursing classes in early May”
Video interview
Required two-minute recorded video answering three prompts; 15% of score
Professional presentation and dress-code compliance (piercings) are required. The video link is submitted in the application.
source · uncw.edu
“Score on Video Interview - 15%”
CNA
Not required
source · uncw.edu
“The nursing program no longer requires a CNA, LPN, or EMT. Will having one improve my competitiveness?”
Resume/CV
Required PDF resume; 10% of score
Must include employment, education, volunteer, research and health-related experience with dates, plus transferable skills. Save as 'Name ABSN Resume'.
source · uncw.edu
“Score on Resume - 10%”
UNCW admission required first
Must apply and be admitted to UNCW; the FAQ says to apply to UNCW before October 15
source · uncw.edu
“Note: You must apply to UNCW prior to applying for the ABSN program.”
- PDF resume uploaded to the application portal: employment, education, volunteer, and research/health experience with dates, plus transferable skills.
source · uncw.edu
“Resume/CV”
- Before starting: immunization record, CPR certification, drug screen, criminal background check, seasonal flu vaccine. Clinical agencies may require a Covid vaccine or a documented exemption.
source · uncw.edu
“Prior to beginning the ABSN program, students will need to complete or submit the following:”
- A negative urine drug screen and a negative criminal background check are required for admission.
source · uncw.edu
“*All students will need to have a negative urine drug screen and a negative criminal background check to be admitted to the program.”
- For admission to UNCW: two transferable English courses with a C or better; a transferable math course is recommended.
source · uncw.edu
“Two transferable English courses are required. Courses must transfer into UNCW as an equivalent and must earn a C or better.”
Essays Not published. Confirm with the school.
Recommendations Not published. Confirm with the school.
Healthcare experience Not published. Confirm with the school. Our two readings of the page disagreed (“Not required; it can improve the resume score” vs “Not required, but scored as part of the resume”), so we are not publishing a value yet.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Good to know
What the school says about the program that is not a requirement: how it selects, how many it admits, what to expect.
Format
On campus
source · uncw.edu
“This intensive on-campus program enables students to gain essential nursing competencies and expertise with professors who are passionate, knowledgeable and experienced.”
Start term
Summer, once a year
Decisions are made in the spring for summer admission.
source · uncw.edu
“Students are admitted to the ABSN nursing program once a year.”
Admission score weights
Prerequisite GPA 55%, TEAS 20%, video interview 15%, resume 10%
source · uncw.edu
“Scores are calculated based on four elements*:”
Cohort size
24 admitted plus 6 alternates
source · uncw.edu
“A total of 24 students will be conditionally admitted to the ABSN program. An additional six students will be placed on the alternate list and will be notified of their rank on the alternate list.”
Summer 2026 admitted averages
Total score 91.94; TEAS 82.5; prior degree GPA 3.77; video 4.8/5; resume 3.61/4
Informational only; not minimums.
source · uncw.edu
“Average total score of admitted students: 91.94”
UNCW application timing
Apply to UNCW before October 15
source · uncw.edu
“It is possible to apply to both UNCW and the SON at the same time. However, you must apply to UNCW prior to October 15th in order to be accepted to UNCW prior to the SON application deadline.”
No higher-level substitutions
Higher-level courses cannot replace prerequisites, except BIO 330 or BIO 425 for BIO 246
The FAQ names only BIO 425 as an alternative.
source · uncw.edu
“Students are not permitted to take a higher-level course and substitute it for one of the prerequisite courses.”
Admissions score weighting
Prerequisite GPA 55%, TEAS 20%, video interview 15%, resume 10%
source · uncw.edu
“Scores are calculated based on four elements*:”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for UNC Wilmington, with when we last checked it. Tier 1 is the program's own pages; tier 2 the nursing school's general pages; tier 3 university-wide pages.
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing | UNCWtier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Admissions Information | UNCWtier 1 · program page · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Admissions: What You Need to be Competitive | UNCWtier 1 · how to apply · checked Oct 15, 2026
- https://www.uncw.edu/media/pdf/chhs/son/prelicensure-absn-student-handbook.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 15, 2026PDF text truncated (38 pages)
- https://www.uncw.edu/media/pdf/chhs/son/prelicensure-absn-clinical-handbook.pdftier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 15, 2026PDF text truncated (22 pages)
- Frequently Asked Questions | UNCWtier 2 · faq · checked Oct 15, 2026
- University Policies | UNCWtier 3 · policy · checked Oct 15, 2026
- Plan of Study | UNCWtier 1 · catalog · checked Oct 15, 2026
Open questions we're still checking
- The admissions page says the summer-admission deadline is 'in December', but the dated cycle closes January 6, 2027. Which is correct?
- The application portal is not named and NursingCAS is never mentioned. Is the application submitted through a UNCW portal?
- No minimum TEAS score is published, and the TEAS 'testing period' dates are not given.
- The FAQ says all prerequisites and University Studies must be complete to apply, while the admissions page allows 1-2 Fall courses in progress with provisional acceptance.
- The FAQ's 10-year list omits BIO 201, while the admissions page applies the rule to all Math/Science prerequisites.
- Tuition and application fee are not published.
- The admissions page says the summer application deadline is 'in December', but prints an application close date of January 6, 2027. Which is correct?
- The pages do not name the application system (NursingCAS or a UNCW portal), and no portal URL is given.
- The FAQ says science and math courses 'must have been completed at least 10 years prior', which appears to be a typo for 'within 10 years'.
- Credit hours for non-lab prerequisites and course titles (e.g., BIO 201, PSY 105) are not printed; categories were inferred from course codes.
- No program start date, tuition or application fee is published.
- Does the rule that a grade below C disqualifies an applicant still apply if the course was later repeated with a higher grade?
- Two readings of the page disagreed on community_college_policy: Accepted if the course transfers in as the UNCW prerequisite equivalent | Courses from other institutions are accepted if they transfer as UNCW equivalents.
- Two readings of the page disagreed on healthcare_experience: Not required; it can improve the resume score | Not required, but scored as part of the resume.
Something wrong here? Report an error
ABSNcheck summarizes requirements that schools publish on their own websites, with a link to each source and the date we last verified it. Schools change requirements, sometimes contradict themselves, and make individual decisions. Results show whether you meet published minimums; they are not an admission decision or a guarantee, and are not official advice from any school. Always confirm requirements with each program before you apply or enroll in a course.
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