Department ofNursing

About Nursing at SAU

Southern Arkansas University’s Department of Nursing offers a rigorous Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that blends classroom instruction with hands-on clinical practice—inclusive of immersive training in the Wharton Simulation Lab and real-world experiences at local medical facilities. Guided by a mission aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the program cultivates person-centered care, professionalism, critical thinking, effective communication, safety, and clinical judgment.

Dr. Karen Landry
Dr. Karen Landry

Embree Chair of the Department of Nursing / Professor of Nursing

First-Time NCLEX-RN passage rate

50 %

SAU Nursing is proud to announce a remarkable achievement—our 2025 NCLEX-RN first-time licensure exam candidates achieved a 100% pass rate. This exceptional milestone places SAU at the top among state-funded nursing programs in Arkansas.

Note to Prospective Students

Admission to pre-nursing major does not guarantee admission to the nursing program. Pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the start of the nursing program.
Beginning March 16, 2021, all pre-nursing students applying to our BSN program will need to complete a HESI standardized preadmission examination administered through the SAU Office of Counseling and Testing. This exam is for diagnostic purposes and must be taken at SAU. HESI Admission Assessment (HESI A2) preadmission examination score must be 75% or greater. The reported score does not round up to 75%. There is a maximum of three attempts to this preadmission exam.

Recent News

SAU Nursing Students partner with Special Olympics Arkansas for Healthy Young Athletes event

Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing community health students teamed up with Special Olympics Arkansas to host a Healthy Young Athletes Experience at Magnolia Specialized Services during the fall semester. The event focused on promoting wellness and healthy habits among

Southern Arkansas University earns top Niche ranking for second year as undergraduate enrollment grows

Southern Arkansas University is proud to announce that it has once again been recognized as the #1 Best Small Public College in Arkansas by Niche.com, marking the second consecutive year SAU has received this top honor. The University also maintained

Health Careers Academy at SAU inspires next generation of health professionals

Southern Arkansas University recently concluded a successful six-week summer session of the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy, an initiative funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and coordinated in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical

Accreditation Notice

Public Notice of Opportunity to Submit Third-Party Comments

The Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing announces that the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is scheduled for an accreditation review by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) during September 14–16, 2026.

Consistent with the CCNE accreditation process, program constituents and other interested parties are invited to submit written third-party comments concerning the program’s qualifications for accreditation. Third-party comments must be received by August 24, 2026, which is at least 21 days before the scheduled evaluation visit.

Please note:

Only signed third-party comments are accepted by CCNE.
All comments must be submitted in English.
Third-party comments are shared only with members of the CCNE evaluation team prior to the accreditation visit and are not shared with the nursing program.
The evaluation team considers only those comments that relate to the CCNE accreditation standards.

Submit comments by email:
thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org
Or by mail:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Attn: Third-Party Comments
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001

Submission Deadline: August 24, 2026

Thank you for your interest in the quality and continuous improvement of the Southern Arkansas University BSN Program.

Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing

Posted July 9, 2026

Get started today!

Interested in learning more about becoming an SAU nursing student?

"*" indicates required fields

Name*

First Last

Email*

Cell Phone*

Receive texts?

Yes

No

By marking yes, you agree to receive text messages from Southern Arkansas University related to your admission and enrollment at the mobile number provided above. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. View Terms of Service and Privacy Policy at https://web.saumag.edu/online-privacy/.

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Prospective Student Type*

Undergraduate

Graduate

Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Program of Interest*

High School Graduation Year*

Question/Comments (Optional)

Feel free to include an questions or comments you may for the Nursing department.

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Lead Source

This field is hidden when viewing the form

UTM Source

This field is hidden when viewing the form

UTM Campaign

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Google ClickID

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Google Analytics ID

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Facebook ID

Southern Arkansas University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. All Rights Reserved.

100 E. University, Magnolia, Arkansas 71753-5000 Telephone: (870) 235-4000