Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you are welcome to apply before the completion of your bachelor’s degree. Any pre-degree offer of admission will be contingent upon completion of your bachelor’s degree before the start of the graduate program.

Yes, you may apply prior to completing all prerequisite courses. Before applying, you must have completed a minimum of three prerequisites:

• two science lab courses (chemistry, anatomy and physiology 1, anatomy and physiology 2, and/or microbiology)
• one additional prerequisite course (developmental psychology, statistics, or nutrition)

All other prerequisites must be completed prior to the start of the program if you are admitted.

No, GRE and TEAS scores are not required for admission to the ELMS program.

The ELMS program will accept courses equivalent to the following Towson University courses:

• Chemistry: CHEM 121 and 121L or CHEM 131 and 131L
• Anatomy and Physiology 1: BIOL 221 and 221L
• Anatomy and Physiology 2L BIOL 222 and 222L
• Microbiology: BIOL 215, BIOL 315, or BIOL 318
• Developmental Psychology: PSYC 203
• Statistics: MATH 231, ECON 205, MATH 237, or PSYC 212
• Nutrition: HLTH 331

You can use the Transfer Equivalency System (TES) maintained by University Admissions to identify if a course has already been evaluated for a TU equivalency. You may also refer to course descriptions in the TU “Undergraduate Catalog” to compare the courses you have taken to the listed TU courses.

For any questions about program prerequisites or other requirements, contact nursingELMS AT_TOWSON. 

Prior work experience or older coursework will not be accepted in lieu of any prerequisite coursework. All prerequisites must be completed with a B (3.0) or higher within five (5) years prior to program start.

For the purposes of program admission, the limit of two repeated courses includes any repeat attempt of a course in which a grade lower than C (2.0) was earned or a repeat attempt of a prerequisite course within the past five years.

Courses that need to be repeated because of course age will not be counted against the limit of two repeated courses for admission eligibility. Repeated prerequisites will only be counted within the limit of two repeated courses if both attempts at the course were made within the past five years.

If you have repeated more than two courses or have below a 3.0 GPA, your application may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Conditional admission may be considered for applicants with a 2.85 GPA or higher. Please refer to the Graduate Admissions policy on conditional admission for more information.

Consideration will be given to students with prior undergraduate nursing experience if they did not complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Applicants who were not successful in an undergraduate nursing program must still meet the admissions criteria for the ELMS program listed on the Admissions Requirements & Deadlines page.

Tuition and fees are determined annually by the university. Graduate tuition information is available at on the Student & University Billing Office.

Additional costs beyond university tuition and fees may include testing and simulation fees, textbooks, clinical practice requirements, nursing student uniforms and nursing student equipment. A list of these estimated costs is available in the “Graduate Student Handbook” available at Student Resources.

Students may apply for departmental scholarships once admitted to the program. Other nursing scholarship resources are listed at the Department of Nursing scholarships page.

The Towson University Financial Aid Office also offers the Scholarship Seeker tool for students to review all the scholarship opportunities available to TU students.

Once you complete the ELMS program, you be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam. As a master’s educated registered nurse (RN), you will be positioned to assume a range of employment opportunities. The ELMS program will prepare students as advanced generalist nurses qualified to work in areas such as direct patient care in hospitals and/or the community, nursing quality and safety assurance, and population management and care coordination.

By 2025, Maryland is predicted to have a shortage of 10,000 registered nurses, and there is a growing demand for more highly educated nurses. A majority of employers prefer to hire nurses educated at the baccalaureate level or higher because research has linked improved patient outcomes with a more educated RN workforce. The ELMS program will prepare you to enter the workforce as a highly educated nurse ready to meet the needs of patients and employers without having to first complete a second bachelor’s degree.

There are many advanced education opportunities for graduates of an entry-level master’s in nursing program, including post-graduate programs in nursing specializations or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). The admission requirements for post-graduate or doctoral programs in nursing will vary by institution. If you are interested in advanced studies, we encourage you to discuss your goals with your program advisor and research the admission requirements for programs of interest.

The ELMS program is a full-time, year-round program. Because program admission is offered only once a year and students will progress through the program as a cohort, courses will only be offered in specific terms. This does not allow for part-time enrollment.

Given the full-time, year-round basis of the program and the rigorous nature of the ELMS curriculum, it is not recommended that you try to maintain full-time employment while completing the program. The Department of Nursing recognizes that graduate students may need to work to support themselves; however, nursing students are encouraged to avoid working if possible, or limit their work hours as much as possible, to allow them to dedicate the time needed to study and succeed in their nursing courses.

The Department of Nursing partners with a variety of health care facilities and nonprofit community organizations throughout the state of Maryland. Placements will be assigned prior to the start of each term and may vary depending on space availability and the objective of the clinical course.

Students cannot choose their own clinical sites. Clinical placements will be assigned by a clinical placement coordinator. Preference for clinical placement site cannot be guaranteed.

You are responsible for your own transportation to classes and to clinical sites. All students are expected to have a reliable form of transportation throughout the program.