WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
Hands-on Experience that Prepares You for Your Career
Clinicals that Ensure You're Ready for Your Career
For some degree programs at WGU you'll need to have hands-on, in-person experience that helps prepare you for your career. Healthcare degrees have this requirement to ensure you're prepared for the daily responsibilities of caring for patients or working with students. This in-person experience is usually a requirement of your state for licensure, and WGU helps set up these clinical experiences so you can show your abilities and learn additional skill.
WGU is focused on helping you be prepared for your in-person experiences by providing experts to guide you ever step of the way. Our field experience coordinators are there to ensure you have a placement that works well for your needs. They give you guidance, answer questions, and work with your placement location to ensure you have everything you need. You will also have support throughout your in-person experience, ensuring that you know how to proceed and get the information you need to successfully complete your experience.
Why Do You Need Hands-on Experience?
Gain Vital Experience
Hands-on clinical work gives you vital experience you need to be successful in your career.
Prepare for Certification
For many careers and programs, you'll need hands-on clinical experiences to be able to get official certification or licensure.
Hands-on Learning
For many careers, hands-on experience is the real teacher. In order to actually be prepared for the rigors of your career, clinical experiences are vital.
Enhance Your Résumé
Clinical experience may be a requirement, but it also gives you an opportunity to enhance your résumé by highlighting special skills/opportunities you acquired in your clinical program.
Healthcare Clinicals
Several WGU healthcare degrees require clinical elements in order for you to be recommended for licensure or certification. This hands-on experience gives you vital training and skills so you can be prepared for your work with actual patients after graduation.
Your clinical experience will be facilitated by a clinical supervisor with a partner facility for WGU. You will be observed by your clinical supervisor and your clinic administrator who will collaborate to ensure you meet all the requirements needed for your state.
It's important to work with your clinical supervisor to understand your state requirements so you can know exactly what is needed to prepare you for licensure or certification.
How do we support you during healthcare clinicals?
Bachelor of Science Health Information Management
As part of the Bachelor of Science Health Information Management degree program, you'll need Professional Practice Experience. This is set up with your Program Mentor and field experience coordinator. Your field experience coordinator works closely with you to ensure your application is complete, and then to find you a placement opportunity that will work well for you. Their job is to help you find the right placement, answer any questions you may have, and be with you through the entire process as you prepare for your clinical placement. You are supported by your field experience coordinator until you are set up with the right clinical location.
Health & Nursing
Health Information Management – B.S.
A program designed for future leaders in HIM....
A program designed for future leaders in HIM.
- Time: 61% of grads earned this degree in 36 months or less.
- Tuition: $4,210 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 36 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Medical Terminology
- Healthcare System Applications
- Health Information Law and Regulations
- Healthcare Project Management
- Data Analytics and Information Governance
This CAHIIM-accredited program makes you eligible for the RHIA exam.
Bachelor of Science Nursing (Prelicensure)
In order to be eligible to become a licensed nurse, you'll have to participate in clinical experiences in a hospital or clinic setting. During your clinical rotations you will have one-on-one guidance, supervision, and support from a clinical coach. Your clinical coach will be an experienced nurse staff and clinical expert. WGU prelicensure students are set up with specific clinical rotations based on the state they are in and agreements with partner hospitals and clinics. Our goal is to ensure your clinical experience is smooth and a great place for learning, so we ensure you always have the support and guidance you need.
Health & Nursing
Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations: Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition: $8,755 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time: This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Community Health
- Women's and Children's Nursing
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Research
Mentor Guidance
Discover how mentor guidance and student communities can help you be prepared for these in-person experiences.
