Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus

Arkansas Tech University Ozark Campus is based in Ozark, Arkansas, with nursing and allied health programs housed in the Health Sciences and Wellness Building at 1700 Helberg Lane. For students commuting from nearby river valley communities, the campus sits just outside central Ozark with straightforward access via local roads and I-40, which is the main east to west route through the region.

On the Ozark campus, nursing options include Practical Nursing (LPN) and an associate degree RN track designed specifically for licensed LPNs, with an added Paramedic to RN transition option. The AAS Registered Nursing program is structured for working clinicians by delivering about half of the nursing theory online and the remainder in face-to-face lectures, while clinical and lab expectations continue throughout. The RN program notes an intensity of roughly 30 to 36 hours per week of scheduled theory, lab, and fieldwork during the technical phase, not including study time, and students are generally discouraged from taking unrelated coursework while enrolled.

Both the associate degree nursing program and the practical nursing program hold Arkansas State Board of Nursing approval, and the associate degree nursing program is accredited by ACEN with continuing accreditation. Admission points prospective students often overlook include required background checks, a 10-panel drug screen, immunization documentation, and American Heart Association BLS Healthcare Provider CPR. RN applicants enter after completing a platform of prerequisite coursework with at least a 2.75 GPA, and the RN program accepts one cohort each fall.

For skills practice before and alongside clinicals, ATU highlights the use of clinical simulation labs and high-fidelity manikins.