The University of Texas at Austin (UTA), the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) and Texas Woman's University (TWU) are three of the top nursing programs in Texas according to U.S. News & World Report in 2007 (the last year that U.S. News & World Report ranked nursing programs). Admission requirements among the three schools are similar. Students must first be admitted to the university and these requirements vary by institution. Once admitted, students generally take lower-division nursing courses as a pre-nursing major before being admitted to the nursing program. Once admitted to the nursing program, students then take upper-division courses. Students generally must maintain a minimum grade point average in lower division courses before being admitted. For instance, the TWU program requires a "C" average in chemistry, physiology and microbiology, courses that are basic to upper division studies.
University of Texas at Austin
School of Nursing
1700 Red River St.
Austin, TX 78701
512-471-7311
utexas.edu
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
7000 Fannin, Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77030
713-500-4472
uthouston.edu
Texas Woman's University
6700 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030-2897
713-794-2100
twu.edu
The top programs in nursing generally offer various master's degree programs. As with the bachelor's degree programs, admission requirements can vary by institution and program. The basic requirement for most master's degree programs is the completion of a bachelor's degree. While a bachelor's degree in nursing is helpful, it not always is necessary. For instance, UTA has an alternate entry program that allows students with a bachelor's degree in any field to apply for admission. However, certain prerequisites generally must be met before students can be admitted fully to the program. An upper-division grade point average of 3.0 also is required of students before admission. This also is true of the programs at TWU and UTHSC-H, which do not offer an alternate entry program. These programs also require a bachelor's degree in the field of nursing. Students must complete an aptitude test, like the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller's Analogies Test.
Students wishing to pursue doctoral degrees in Texas usually have two options, the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and the doctor of philosophy (PhD). UTHSC-H offers both the PhD and DNP degrees, while UTA offers the PhD. UTA simply requires a bachelor's degree, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in upper-division courses, submission of GRE scores and completion of nursing prerequisites (if applicable), including a statistics course. The UTHSC-H program also requires additional materials, such as writing samples, a curriculum vitae and even a personal biographical statement.