Nursing, A.A.S. - Admission Requirements

Nursing is a competitive program that requires students to have a strong background in biology, chemistry, math and reading comprehension. Admission is based on the academic qualifications of the student and space availability. Meeting program admission requirements does NOT guarantee acceptance into the nursing program. The requirements are as follows.

1. Prerequisite Courses

Meet eligibility criteria for college level math (MATH 121) and Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 217)

  • All pre-requisite courses may be repeated only once if a grade below "C" or "W" (Withdrawal) is received.

2. ATI Registration and Testing

SUNY Canton will proctor the ATI nursing admission exam. Please contact shcj@canton.edu for testing options. For any questions, including requests for testing during the week, please email the Dean’s office at shcj@canton.edu.

SUNY Canton requires all qualified nursing applicants to take and pass the ATI exam with a 70% or higher for program consideration. Please do not register for the ATI exam until you have received a review letter from the Admissions Office indicating you are eligible.

The ATI nursing admission exam (TEAS) is a tool to determine if students have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in a school of nursing. It is a 170 question, online, multiple choice exam that evaluates the basic reading, math, writing, and science skills of students seeking entry into a nursing program leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse. The exam is generated from an online web site and must be completed in one sitting. Students have 209 minutes to complete the exam (3 hours and 29 minutes).

ATI Nursing Admission exam information:

  • Any applicant who is unsuccessful will have one more opportunity to retake the entrance exam during the following term (fall, winter, spring, summer).
  • All applicants are required to take and pass the admission exam with a score of 70% or higher. An applicant who is unsuccessful will have one more opportunity to retake the exam during the following term (fall, winter, spring, summer). Two failures of the admissions exam will deem the student as ineligible for the program (two scores below the 70%). No ATI scores older than three years will be accepted. The highest ATI admissions exam scores will be offered admission first.
  • All transfer students, readmission and LPN applicants are required to take the ATI admission exam. Any SUNY Canton LPN graduate after 2016 will be exempt from taking the ATI admission exam.
  • Please refer to the code in your acceptance letter or contact Admissions to bypass the fee. To register please visit www.atitesting.com to create an account.
Content Questions Unscored Items Minutes
Reading 45 6 55
Mathematics 38 4 57
English/Language Usage (Writing) 37 4 37
Science 50 6 60
Total 170 20 209 (3 hours 29 minutes)

Preparation

The ATI admission exam is a crucial component in your nursing application. Therefore, you should be thoroughly prepared for the exam. The recommended prep text is the TEAS student manual. Please note the text is for all nursing admission exams and includes more information than is on the ATI admission exam.

3. Transcripts

Provide Admissions with official transcripts from all schools previously attended. Official transcripts must be sent from the institution with the seal of the school affixed to the document. Course equivalences are determined by the Transfer Credit Evaluator and the Dean of the School of Health, Science and Criminal Justice in collaboration with the Nursing Director.

4. Re-Admission

If a student is requesting re-admission to the nursing program and it has been more than one year since the student was last enrolled in the nursing program, the student will be required to audit the lecture and lab sections of the last nursing course successfully completed. Applicants requesting readmission to the nursing program must have completed the last nursing course within two years.

  • Readmitted students will be required to sign a conditional admission contract if they wish to be readmitted into the nursing program when the readmission is due to a clinical course failure.
  • Residency requirement for graduation: Complete SUNY Canton’s NURS 201, 202, 203, and 204 courses, if transferring from another nursing program.
  • Presented a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card for a Healthcare Provider (Basic Life Support) from the American Heart Association. CPR should be current from August 1st through June 1st.
  • Present evidence of satisfactory health status with a current and complete record of immunizations.

5. Licensed Practical Nurses Advance Placement Applications

  • The LPN may be exempt from the first semester of nursing courses (NURS 101, NURS 105) providing the following criteria are met:
    • Satisfy the criteria stated in Admission Requirements: AAS Nursing.
    • Submit current United States State LPN license and registration.
    • Students who have graduated from a non-credit bearing, non-college practical nursing program (such as BOCES), must pass the ATI RN Fundamentals Assessment Exam at Level 2 Proficiency. The cost is $65.00 paid to ATI. Once an account is created & registered, a test ID number will be released to you and you will be prompted for payment  See this link for instructions on how to set up an account.
    • Students can arrange to schedule for the exam, after payment is made, by emailing shcj@canton.edu. Please title the email ATI RN Fundamentals Test and include your contact information so that we can communicate with you. Testing will take place on our campus only. No other options are available. We will arrange a testing time that is convenient for both parties.
    • Complete Human Anatomy & Physiology I with a grade of “C” or higher.
    • Complete English 101 Composition and the Spoken Word with a grade of “C” or higher.
    • It is strongly recommended that the LPN student audit NURS 101 lecture and lab as well as 105.

Important Notes

  • Applicants must meet the minimum technical requirements for the nursing program, have proof of United States citizenship or have proof of legal residency and be at least 18 years of age upon graduation from the program.
  • Applicants may have no more than one repeat, as a result of an F- failure, W- withdrawal, or "C" grade in NURS 101, NURS 106, NURS 107, NURS 201 and/or NURS 202 at SUNY Canton or any other college within two years of applying to the nursing program. Applicants or students with a second unsuccessful F- failure, W- withdrawal, or "C" grade are ineligible for admission to the SUNY Canton nursing program.
  • Applicants may have no more than one repeat, as a result of an F- failure, W- withdrawal, or "D" grade in Human Anatomy & Physiology 1, Human Anatomy & Physiology 2, and/or Microbiology at SUNY Canton or any other college within five years of applying to the nursing program. Applicants or students with a second unsuccessful F- failure, W- withdrawal, or "D" grade are ineligible for admission to the SUNY Canton nursing program.
  • Applicants who have been unsuccessful in two nursing courses or the same nursing course twice at SUNY Canton or another college/nursing program are ineligible for admission to the SUNY Canton nursing program.
  • SUNY Canton utilizes a regular decision admission policy. The College will accept applications for admission from November to January of the academic year prior to the applicant's requested admission. The College's Admissions Committee will meet in January and again in March to make final decisions about acceptance into the program. If an applicant exceeds the required admissions requirements for the College, an early acceptance letter will be sent to the applicant as soon as all application materials have been received.  As a single purpose institution with limited enrollment, we want students to be aware that a commitment of admission is expected and request an acceptance of offer of admission within two weeks of notification.
  • Transfer credit may be awarded for courses that were previously taken at an accredited institution, passed with a grade of “C” or better, and are similar in content and credit hours to those in the SUNY Canton curriculum, such as Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Microbiology. Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, and Microbiology completed more than five years prior to acceptance will need to be repeated or challenged.

Priority Admission

Fall Admission:

The priority application deadline is February 1. Review of qualified applicants will begin in early February with ongoing reviews monthly until the program reaches capacity. The Nursing Program Director has the right to make all final admissions decisions at his/her discretion taking into consideration all aspects of the student's application and academic record.

Spring Admission:

The priority application deadline is December 1. Review of qualified applicants will begin in early December with ongoing reviews monthly until the program reaches capacity. The Nursing Program Director has the right to make all final admissions decisions at his/her discretion taking into consideration all aspects of the student's application and academic record.

*Spring Admission is only offered for students with prior nursing credits or those applying for Advanced Placement as an LPN.*

§ As a single purpose institution with limited enrollment, we want students to be aware that a commitment of admission is expected and request an acceptance of offer of admission within two weeks of notification.

 

Important Dates

  1. Admissions to SUNY Canton’s undergraduate nursing programs are very competitive; therefore, it is important to remain aware of dates for application submission and completion of health and CPR requirements.
  2. Fall Application Deadlines:
    1. Review and first round selection of applicants with waitlist offers will occur by March 1
    2. Review and final selection of applicants with waitlist offers will be decided by June 1
  3. Spring Application Deadlines:
    1. Review and final selection of applicants will be decided by December 24
  4. Submission of current CPR certification and completed health requirements to the SUNY Canton Health Center by August 1 for fall admission.

Office of Admissions
Wicks Hall 021
SUNY Canton
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, NY 13617

(315) 386-7123 or
1-800-388-7123
Fax: (315) 386-7929
admissions@canton.edu
transfer@canton.edu