In order to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Utah, the application must be in conformity with the Utah Nurse Practice Act. Applicants who have been convicted of a felony, treated for mental illness, or substance abuse should discuss their eligibility status for licensure with the Utah State Board of Nursing. Dixie State College of Utah will require all accepted applicants to complete a Criminal Background Check, a sexual offender status check, and a drug screening before acceptance into the nursing programs.

Acceptance and completion of the nursing program does not assure eligibility to take the RN Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®). The Utah State Board of Nursing makes the final decision as to whether a license will be issued to practice nursing in the State of Utah.

If you have questions regarding state licensure, please contact the following:
State Board of Nursing
160 East 300 South
P.O. Box 45802
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0802
(801) 530-6789

Small classes, dedicated faculty,State-of-the-Art skills laboratory, cohort groups.  Lowest tuition in Utah.  Excellent local clinical facilities. ADN program is 16 months after prerequistes.   

We offer a 3 semester straight ADN program, as well as an online RN to BSN program designed to be completed in a minimum of 21 months.  The RN to BSN program may also be pursued part-time to meet individual student's needs. 

No, we do not use a waiting list. Applicants are scored each application period by a fair point system and students with the highest scores are offered a position. We also offer a few alternate positions to students with the next highest scores. These students will be contacted if there becomes a space available for them.

The ADN program takes approximately 16 months after prerequisites and official admission. The program is 3 semesters. No ADN nursing classes are taught during the summer term. For fall admission, students will attend fall, spring, fall, and for spring admission, they will attend spring, fall, spring.

The RN-BSN program can be completed in as little as 21 months, or classes may be taken on a part time basis over a longer time period.

Generally, there are between 150 and 200 applicants for the ADN program. Thirty-two students were admitted for spring 2012 admission.  This number is subject to change depending on resources and needs. 

The RN-BSN program can accommodate up to 40 new students each fall.  This number includes Dixie ADN graduates who choose to continue on with their education.  Depending on our resources, we will accommodate as many outside applicants as possible who meet our qualificatons.  

Students are scored on prerequisite GPA instead of overall GPA. The minimum requirement is 3.0, with a minimum C grade in any prerequisite course. The higher GPA will generate more points, and usually a 3.6 GPA or higher is needed to be competitive.

The prerequisite courses for the nursing program are: 

Human Anatomy with Lab and Human Physiology with Lab must be completed within the past 7 years. Other prerequisite classes do not have a time limit.

The prerequisite courses may be repeated only once. If a student has taken a course more than twice, the higher of the first two grades will be used in the scoring process. Students who do not successfully pass a prerequisite course (C or better) either of the first two times will not be eligible to apply for our program.

Transfer credits may be accepted to fulfill the prerequisite courses. As part of the admission process, an official transcript must be submitted to Dixie State College for evaluation to find out which courses are acceptable. Only courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university are transferrable. Students may check the transfer articulation table to see which courses have already been evaluated.

Yes, if you have a question that is not answered here, you may call the nursing programs advisor at 435.879.4813. Before advisement can be given regarding transfer courses, an official transcript must be submitted and evaluated by the records office.

The application for the ADN program is found on our admissions page. It will be available prior to open application periods only. To access it click  'Admissions' on the left.  

The BSN application can be downloaded here.

Applications will be scored on a fair point system. The prerequisite GPA is worth 50%, the admissions test is worth 30% and the essay is worth 20% The applicants with the highest points will be offered a position in the ADN program.  (These percentages may change without notice)

The BSN applications will be scored on GPA and the essay.

Essay is worth 20 points – five each in the following categories: grammar, content, personal and professional goals, and response to the topics (depth).  See Scoring rubric

We no longer give points for work experience. 

Official study guides and practice tests may be purchased from Kaplan. Other study guides and practice tests may be found online.

Applications for ADN fall admission will be accepted between February 1st and March 31st.
Applications for ADN spring admission will be accepted between July 15th and September 15th.

BSN applications for fall admission are accepted April 1st thru June 1st. 

Some of the prerequisite courses may be taught online. While the ADN courses use Blackboard Vista for supplemental information and learning resources, instruction occurs in the classroom.

The BSN nursing program courses are taught online only. There may be support or general education courses needed that are not currently offered online, but may be taken locally and transferred to fulfill the requirements. 

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Do you offer evening or weekend nursing courses?

We do not currently offer nursing courses during the evenings or weekends. The ADN program is a full time, weekday commitment, but evening clinical rotations may be required.  

The BSN courses are online.

Dixie has an online RN to BSN program that can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. It currently takes a minimum of 21 months, and admission is fall semester only.  The deadline for applications is June 1st.

Currently, students in good standing in the ADN program that desire to continue into the BSN program will be allowed to do so. More information will be available during the ADN program.

The State Board of Nursing has certain requirements that must be met before a student can obtain licensure. The background screen helps us determine if there is a possibility licensure would not be granted. These students will be directed to contact the BON before being admitted into the nursing program. Students with certain felony convictions will not be admitted into the nursing program.  Some of the clinical sites may not allow students with a felony charge to participate in clinicals. 

You can download the Educational Plan Worksheet
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Do you offer an LPN to RN program?

Not at this time. Because of the curriculum changes, licensed practical nurses must apply for the 3 semester ADN program.

There are 4 sections on the Kaplan exam.  They are English Writing, Reading, Math, and Science.  The science portion is only physiology.  More information can be found here

There may be additional classes needed to fulfill the general education requirements.

These costs do not reflect those additional classes.

Alice Clegg is the ADN nursing program advisor. email: clegg@dixie.edu, msn messenger: gofergal@hotmail.com, or phone: 435.879.4813

Mark Olson is the BSN nursing program advisor. email:  molson@dixie.edu, or phone:  435.879.4819