Admission Requirements - RPN Stream
Applicants who have completed a Practical Nursing program from an accredited College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, and who have also completed previous university credits, will be considered for admission.
Possessing the minimum requirements should not be viewed as a guarantee of admission. No other supplemental application is required.
Admission questions, specific to your unique situation, that are not addressed in the admission information below, should be directed to Western’s Undergraduate Admissions department at welcome@uwo.ca.
Application Information
External Applicants
Students who are interested in this program must apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre, using the program code ENS.
Application Deadline: March 29, 2024
Applicants should carefully review the Admission Requirements further below. Application and admission questions, specific to your unique situation, that are not addressed in the admission information below, should be directed to welcome@uwo.ca.
Internal Transfers
Current Western University students requesting to transfer to RPN Stream within the Compressed Time Frame BScN program must meet the Education and Experience & Registration requirements as outlined in the Admission Requirements below. Casper is not required.
Intent to Register (ITR): Students have access to Western’s online ITR through Student Center under Academics > Program Status > Intent to Register Form.
Detailed instructions for finding the Nursing ITR form are available here.
ITR Timeframe: March 1 - April 1 (Transfer requests after this timeframe will not be considered)
Admission Requirements
Education
- Completion of a Practical Nursing program from an accredited College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario with a minimum GPA of 75%, or 3.5
- A minimum average of 65% in 5.0 degree-credit courses (equivalent to one full year) at a recognized university. For applicants with more than 5.0 credits, the top 5.0 course grades will be used.
Applicants with university preparation outside of North America must submit a course-by-course evaluation through the World Education Services (WES).
Experience and Registration
For applicants who completed the Practical Nursing Diploma within five years prior to applying:
- Have RPN registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Be entitled to practice with no restrictions
For applicants who completed the Practical Nursing Diploma more than five year prior to applying:
- Completion of the equivalent of two years of full-time RPN practice experience (3,640 hours in Canada)
- Applicants must provide a complete Verification of Employment Hours form
- Have RPN registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Be entitled to practice with no restrictions
Casper
All external applicants to the Compressed Time Frame BScN Program in the Western's Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing are required to complete the Casper test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics), a mandatory online 90-minute computer-based assessment as a component of the admission process. Applicants who do not complete the Casper test will not be considered for admission. Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle; applicants who have already taken the test in previous years will therefore be expected to re-take it. Please note that the ‘Snapshot’ portion (an extension of the Casper test) is NOT required for application to Western’s BScN programs.
Casper is an online test designed to evaluate key non-cognitive skills, as well as interpersonal and professional characteristics essential for students to be successful in nursing programs and ultimately, as practicing nurses. Since Casper assesses non-cognitive and interpersonal characteristics, studying is not required.
Applicants should visit www.acuityinsights.app to sign up and reserve a test date/time for Undergraduate Nursing, Western-Fanshawe - Western University. Please direct any inquiries about the test to the Casper Support Team at www.acuityinsights.app/contact-us/.
English Language Proficiency
The Undergraduate Admissions Office may require any applicant to write a test of English proficiency. Students applying for admission to undergraduate Nursing programs must satisfy ONE of the following criteria:
- English as a first language
- Completion of the Fanshawe College two-year Practice Nursing Diploma Program
- The required level of proficiency on an acceptable test of English language and an acceptable test of spoken English. The applicant is encouraged to write a test at the earliest possible date and at the latest before March in the year in which the student is applying for admission. Scores for any test written more than two years prior to applying may not be accepted.
- TOEFL: 580 paper based; 237 computer-based and TSE (Test of Spoken English) 50 or greater; Internet-based-total score of 92-93, with 22-24 in writing, 26 in speaking, 20 in reading, and 20 in listening
- IELTS: 7, with at least 6.5 in reading and listening and at least 7 in writing and speaking
- DUOLINGO: Overall 135 with Literacy minimum 130 and no other sub scores below 125
Transfer from a Western University Program
Current Western University students requesting to transfer to the RPN Stream within the Compressed Time Frame BScN program must meet the Education and Experience & Registration requirements as outlined above. Casper is not required.
Requests for the following academic year are to be submitted through Western’s Intent to Register (ITR) process and timeline.
International Applicants
International applicants planning to practice as a Registered Nurse in Ontario should review the residency requirements for the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). It is also recommended that applicants review the eligibility requirements for becoming a nurse in their desired country to ensure Western’s Nursing program meets those requirements.
