General Information

Classes begin in January and students graduate in December. ARNEC combines classroom instruction with clinical experiences to educate students on the roles, knowledge base, and responsibilities of Registered Nurses. Nursing lectures are delivered by real-time interactive television (ITV) two afternoons/evenings per week, tests and coursework are delivered over the Internet, and most clinicals are scheduled for weekends.

This program meets the requirements of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. Due to the strenuous nature of the nursing curriculum, the admitting institution reserves the right to determine eligibility of any student to enroll or continue in the nursing program. Eligibility is determined by the faculty’s evaluation of the student’s required general education curriculum GPA, and the score on the pre-entrance exam.

Applicants: All general education courses, except for one, must be completed by the application deadline (August 31st). Any remaining course must be completed by the following December. Students must have all general education requirements completed by the time classes begin (No concurrent classes may be taken).

Letter of Good Standing Policy: Applicants who were enrolled in another registered nursing program must submit a letter of good standing from the dean/director of the program. In order to be considered in good standing, the applicant must be eligible for re-entry into the previous college’s nursing program. The letter of good standing must be mailed from the previous college’s dean/director directly to the Department of Nursing Program Chair of the college where the applicant is applying. If the applicant is unable to submit this letter, then the applicant may not be considered for admission.

If an applicant failed twice in a generic RN program, then later successfully completed an LPN/LVN/LPTN program, the applicant will be eligible to apply to the ARNEC program. However, should the applicant be accepted into the program, they will be allowed only one attempt in the program. The applicant’s transcript must show proof that they completed an LPN/LVN/LPTN program AFTER attempting the RN courses.