UT - Arlington RN to BSN program

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2015

Hello, there. We have moved your post to the UT Arlington Online Nursing forum with the goal of accruing responses from current and former UTA students.

imbatz, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Do you have a link to the forum?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Do you have a link to the forum?

https://allnurses.com/university-texas-arlington/

CFLA.RN · Jun 16, 2015

I'm almost finished with the online program. There's been times when I've absolutely loved it and times when I'm ready to quit and give up being a nurse altogether. My biggest complaint with the program is that some of the classes are well organized and some classes (like Management) seem to be thrown together as an afterthought. I've found the majority of nursing classes pretty easy but with pointless busy work, but that's because I was an English major before I went into nursing school so writing papers is not difficult for me.

I'm a little irritated right now because I was first told that they would not accept my previous college algebra (from 2001) so I went ahead and did remedial algebra and then algebra. I looked back at my degree plan and found out that someone decided that my previous algebra would be accepted but never thought to notify me that it had been changed. So I basically wasted an entire semester (two 8 week courses) and over $1000 on a class that I previously had an A in. I know that I should have double and triple checked before registering for classes, but I really think the bigger issue is that my advisor is practically non-existent. I'm sure she has too many students to properly advise each of us, but it would be nice to have some kind of response to questions - even if it is a generic "I'm looking into it, will let you know" type of response.

I haven't had much need of the Academic Coaches but the one question I did have was not addressed - it was in regards to a quiz that had incorrect answers - but some of the coaches are more interactive than others. If you're looking for a lot of support to get through a program than I wouldn't take this one... but then again I don't think the classes require a lot of support either.

I would definitely do the program over again because it is convenient to any work schedule and relatively affordable. Definitely check your degree plan frequently and question any inconsistencies before signing up for non-nursing classes. Rent textbooks from Amazon, they're so much cheaper than the bookstore. Read the syllabus and follow the rubric for every assignment and the assignments will be easy to understand. I've definitely spent more time on the non-nursing classes (mainly algebra) than I did for any of the actual nursing classes.

Hope that helps a little! Let me know if you have any specific questions :)

DowntheRiver · Jul 12, 2015

Thank you for your detailed response. Just a question - would you say that someone who excels at paper-writing and research would do well in this program? I wasn't an English major prior to nursing (Chemical Science Degree - what a waste!) but I've always excelled in English, projects, and paper writing. I have a pretty strong foundation when it comes to APA format but I don't want to get in too much over my head. How quickly did you complete the program? Did you work full time?

cll30 · Jul 13, 2015

Then you will do fine.

littlepeopleRNICU · Jul 13, 2015

I finished the program about 2 years ago. I went into it with a little over a year of nursing experience. I worked overtime most weeks, and still did really well in the program.

About the program itself, I really liked it. I felt like the formats of the classes were really easy to follow and stay organized. Also, most instructors got back to me very quickly any time I had questions. The classes all had a window for you to upload your papers/projects/take tests. Other than that, you did them within the timeframe as it suited your personal schedule.

I've recommended it to several friends who have gone back to finish their BSNs, and all who have chosen UTA, also have liked it.

CFLA.RN · Jul 15, 2015

I've worked full time (over 50 hours a week for the first 10 weeks) and taken full semesters, 2 classes at a time, and made all A's except for college algebra. If you have working knowledge of APA format and experience in research and writing papers than this program will be a breeze. Since I thought I had to do college algebra (and therefore remedial algebra) it will take me 1 year to complete the program (took one 5 week session off to do a history class at a local community college). They did accept my wound care certification through NAWCO as an elective so that took one class off. If I didn't take the algebra it would have taken about 10 months to complete.

On a side note, my mother works for the same hospital system I work for, and her manager and co-workers are doing their BSN through Aspen and are raving about it. It's a monthly fee and I think you can take up to 3 classes at a time. They do not require statistics to complete the program. I know it is a relatively new program but for someone who is not looking to go into a NP program afterwards it might be worth looking into.