Many frequently asked questions are answered below. If you still need more information, or if you do not see your question on the list, please see our Current and Prospective Students pages or contact the department office (contact information is at the bottom of the page).
Every semester each nursing student meets individually with his/her advisor. During these meetings, the advisor and the student discuss courses in which the student is currently enrolled and plan for subsequent semesters. Students should meet with their academic advisors before their assigned registration times and also prior to adjusting schedules whenever possible.
Beginning in the fall 2018 semester, IUP will implement a Clinical Resource Fee for students enrolled in all Nursing clinical courses: NURS 211, NURS 213, NURS 337, NURS 331, NURS 333, NURS 437, NURS 440, NURS 431, and NURS 433.
It is well known that nursing degrees are in high demand across the country; however, a nursing education is very costly for universities to deliver. To provide a safe educational experience in the clinical area, faculty student ratios are kept low so as to provide a safe clinical experience for students. This low faculty student ratio adds significantly to the cost of the program.
Beginning fall 2018, a $75 per credit fee is assessed for high-cost clinical courses. We are proud that IUP is one of the most affordable universities in the state of Pennsylvania. While we are aware that the Clinical Resource Fee creates an added expense, it is absolutely necessary to compensate for the low faculty-student ratios in these courses.
The clinical component of the program begins in the first semester of the student's sophomore year. Prior to entering clinical courses, students must complete CHEM 101, CHEM 102, and BIOL 150 as well as clinical requirements. The clinical requirements are listed in the student information handbook and include such things as CPR requirements, health history and physical forms, immunizations and titers, criminal background clearances through the state and FBI, child abuse clearances, and TB testing. Many clinical clearances are updated annually and are required by our clinical agency sites. All clinical clearances must be completed prior to entering any clinical course. Students must complete six semesters of clinical experiences. Students complete the program in a variety of timelines, depending on entry points to the program and academic success. An entering freshman may complete the program in eight semesters of study.
Students can enroll part time but will not be able to complete the program in eight semesters. Junior and senior level coursework becomes more time intensive and requires students to enroll full time in most of the upper-level semesters.
Sophomore clinical experiences are completed in Indiana, Pa. In the junior and senior year, students travel to a variety of sites that are generally within a sixty-mile radius of Indiana. The department has clinical agency agreements or contracts with all of the sites used for clinical experiences.
During the sophomore, junior, and senior level, students must have their own transportation to and from clinical.
The majority of students at IUP find part-time jobs while taking classes, and many students use the summer months to earn money to help them pay for college expenses.
Clinical requirements include such things as a health and physical exam, immunizations, titers, CPR certification, child abuse and criminal background checks, including FBI background checks and urine drug screens. These may change, and students are provided guidelines and deadlines for completing these each semester following the freshman year. These are subject to change depending on the clinical host site requirements and policy changes.