Transcripts for California Nursing School Licensure Question

[______]

So I'm looking into MEPN programs. I was a bit bored and read that California state schools will automatically submit transcripts to the BRN at the end of the program to take the NCLEX and get your license but then I also read that if you do a master's entry into nursing in California, it may be different. What was your experience? This is specifically for those that have been in the MEPN program or know that process. I took several prerequisites from different colleges. Will I need to submit those school transcripts directly to the BRN as well when its time the get my license or is your nursing school transcript from the MEPN program sufficient enough because I assume it would show all the work from other schools combined in the MEPN program when we had to submit those transcripts to the nursing school upon acceptance? I hope that makes sense. I love stressing myself out!

[Ohm108, MSN, NP, CNM]

Your nursing school will send the transcript to the CA BON for the classes that you took that meet the CA BON's requirements to sit the NCELX-RN exam.

Your school will explain the process in more detail once the candidate has completed the didactic and clinical portion of their training so they can sit the NCLEX.  There are other parts to the process like creating an account with the NCSBN etc.

[Jen L]

I am looking into MEPN programs in California as well. They all are a little different. Which ones are you looking at?

[______]

On 3/21/2022 at 7:56 PM, Ohm108 said:

Your nursing school will send the transcript to the CA BON for the classes that you took that meet the CA BON's requirements to sit the NCELX-RN exam.

Your school will explain the process in more detail once the candidate has completed the didactic and clinical portion of their training so they can sit the NCLEX.  There are other parts to the process like creating an account with the NCSBN etc.

Thanks so I wouldn’t need to send any other transcript from the other schools?

20 hours ago, Jen L said:

I am looking into MEPN programs in California as well. They all are a little different. Which ones are you looking at?

I’m looking at ucla right now. I actually didn’t get in the last cycle so I’m trying again. I didn’t realize you needed to have a 4.0 and be a freakin doctor in order to get accepted into the program. I’ve talked to people with more volunteer experience than me and they still didn’t get in. It’s just crazy!

[Ohm108, MSN, NP, CNM]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:40 PM, Imstressedlol said:

Thanks so I wouldn’t need to send any other transcript from the other schools?

I’m looking at ucla right now. I actually didn’t get in the last cycle so I’m trying again. I didn’t realize you needed to have a 4.0 and be a freakin doctor in order to get accepted into the program. I’ve talked to people with more volunteer experience than me and they still didn’t get in. It’s just crazy!

Did you obtain your bachelor's degree in CA or in another state and/or country?  I assume it is a non-nursing bachelor's degree since you are thinking of applying to MEPN programs.  Where a lot of people get tripped up when applying for licensure in CA if they already have a bachelor's degree that wasn't completed in CA and isn't in nursing is due to the below:

1. Completion of the nursing program in an accredited school of professional nursing which meets all of California’s educational requirements. If you are deficient in any requirement, you must make up the deficiency prior to becoming licensed.

  The CA Board of Education has its own set of requirements for an undergraduate degree to be conferred in CA which the CA BON also abides by; oral and written communication classes are common examples of required classes.  Examples of classes that meet these requirements are public speaking, writing, or a composition and rhetoric class.  Other deficiencies that I have seen are a lack of an undergraduate class in sociology or psychology.  They will normally be labeled as an Introductory class or as a Writing 1 class in your undergraduate transcript.  If you graduated from a CA university you would have taken these classes to meet your Gen ED and Writing 1 requirement for your undergraduate degree in order to graduate and will usually have no issues meeting the CA educational requirements.   The people who have the most issues are those that graduated with an undergraduate degree in another state that had different Gen ED requirements and/or have a specialized undergraduate degree in the arts (I.e. dancing, fine arts)

If you graduated from another university in another state or country that doesn't meet the CA educational requirements you will have to go back to school and take the class otherwise the BON will not approve your RN license.  Most individuals will take their missing classes at a community college or take the class online.  Many people could also possibly have completed them as part of the MEPN program pre-req requirements.  If you need to prove that your class meets the requirement, the BON might ask you to submit syllabi from those classes.  All these things will be listed as deficiencies in your application after they have reviewed your transcripts that will need to be addressed before your license will be granted.

TLDR: The short answer is if you have a non-nursing undergraduate degree you will need to submit your bachelor's degree transcripts if they aren't from the same university where you obtained your MEPN masters degree.  Your MEPN degree will only allow you to sit the NCLEX for the nursing requirements, they don't necessarily satisfy the CA educational requirements.  A candidate has to meet BOTH sets of requirements in order to obtain RN licensure in CA. 

A university won't send another university's transcripts on your behalf.  You will need to send a transcript request to your undergraduate university and have them directly send it to the CA BON.