Accelerated RN Program Planner
ACCELERATED NURSING PROGRAM
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS (AA) DEGREE
Health Sciences Pathway – Program Code #350B
Program Planner 2025-2026
PRE- AND CO-REQUISITE COURSEWORK
| Course Number | General Education Core | Term/Planning Notes | Credits Required | Pre- / Co-Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL-107 or BIOL-200 | Fundamentals of Microbiology or Microbiology | Completed within 10 years of the first clinical course | 4 | Prerequisite |
| BIOL-203 | Anatomy and Physiology I | Completed within 5 years of the first clinical course | 4 | Prerequisite |
| BIOL-204 | Anatomy and Physiology II | Completed within 5 years of the first clinical course | 4 | Prerequisite |
| CHEM-103 or CHEM-101 | Fundamentals of General Chemistry or Inorganic Chemistry I | Completed within 10 years of the first clinical course | 4 | Prerequisite |
| Math Core: MATH-132 or MATH-138 or MATH-141 | Math Core: Topics in Mathematical Literacy or Statistics or College Algebra or higher | 3-4 | Prerequisite | |
| ENGL-121 | College Composition | 3 | Prerequisite | |
| HUMN-101* | Introduction to Humanities | 3 | Prerequisite | |
| PSYC-101 | General Psychology | 3 | Prerequisite | |
| PSYC-200 | Life Span Development | 3 | Prerequisite | |
| SOCI-101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 | Prerequisite | |
| COMM-101* or COMM-105* or COMM-110* | Speech Requirement | 3 | Prerequisite |
*Or approved substitute; General Education Core requirements vary depending on student’s catalog year (see an admissions coach for details)
CLINICAL COURSEWORK
| Course Number | Course | Credits | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| NURS-142 | Fundamental Nursing Concepts | 7 | Summer |
| NURS-143 | Concepts of Nursing I | 8 | Fall |
| NURS-242 | Concepts of Nursing II | 6 | Spring |
| NURS-243 | Concepts of Nursing III | 3 | Spring |
| NURS-244 | Concepts of Nursing IV | 8 | Summer |
| NURS-245 | Preparation for Professional Nursing Practice | 1 | Summer |
| Total Program Credits: | 70 |
|
Nursing Readmission Policy
Students who are not successful in their nursing courses and who do not progress in accordance with both the sequence and the timeframe as designated in the course catalog, will not be able to progress through the Nurse Education Program. Readmission is based on seat availability, and it is highly unlikely that a seat will be available for readmission. Please note that a student may be readmitted only once to the Nurse Education Program.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completion of all required science courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher for all required prerequisite courses.
- All prerequisite courses must be completed with a ‘C’ or higher unless otherwise stated.
The ATI TEAS must be passed with a score of 69% or higher in Reading, 69% or higher in Math and an overall composite score of 66.5% or higher. Scores are valid for two years.
POINT SYSTEM:
Specific points (as indicated in the chart below) will be assigned for science GPA, overall GPA (all 11 prerequisite courses) and completion of a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree. The highest grade for each course will be used in calculating the applicant’s GPA. (If an applicant has more than one course that fulfills a requirement, the best-fit course with the highest grade will be used for GPA calculations.) Passing AP/IB/CLEP scores will be accepted for a maximum of 3 required courses. However, grades will not be assigned for those test scores, and they will not be calculated into the applicant’s GPA.
Qualifying Criteria GPA Points Allotted
Science GPA for four required sciences
|
GPA |
Points Allotted |
|---|---|
|
4.0 |
20 points |
|
3.75 - 3.99 |
10 points |
|
3.50 - 3.74 |
5 points |
|
3.25 - 3.49 |
3 points |
Overall GPA in all required prerequisites
|
GPA |
Points Allotted |
|---|---|
|
4.0 |
20 points |
|
3.75 - 3.99 |
10 points |
|
3.50 - 3.74 |
5 points |
|
3.25 - 3.49 |
3 points |
|
3.0 - 3.24 |
1 point |
Completion of U.S. Bachelor’s Degree
| Points Allotted | 5 points |
|---|
ROLLING ADMISSION: (The online application may be found at your application account from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15)
-
Qualified applicants who have completed all required prerequisite courses, have passed the ATI TEAS with a score of 69% or higher in Reading, 69% or higher in Math and an overall composite score of 66.5% or higher, have met the minimum GPA requirements and have accrued at least 15 points by September 15 will be offered a seat in the program on a rolling basis.
-
Admission is offered to qualified students as they submit their applications; residency is not a determining factor during the rolling admission period.
Qualified applicants who have completed all of the above requirements, but have accrued fewer than 15 points, will be deferred for review until the end of the application period.
REGULAR ADMISSION: (The online application may be found at your application account from Sept. 15 – Dec.15)
-
Students who will complete all prerequisites by the end of the Fall or Winter term may submit an application prior to the completion of those courses. However, applications will not be reviewed until all required courses have been completed and final GPAs calculated. Students must meet all GPA requirements and successfully complete the ATI TEAS with a score of 69% or higher in Reading, 69% or higher in Math and an overall composite score of 66.5% or higher. These applications will be reviewed along with those applicants who applied for rolling admissions but did not accrue the minimum 15 points.
-
Students must pass the ATI TEAS no later than February 1.
-
At the end of the regular admission period, seats will be offered to qualified applicants based on residency status and point totals. Within each residency category, students will be offered seats based on their point totals, from highest to lowest. Legal residents of Howard County will be seated first. If open seats remain, out-of-county residents will be seated next, followed by out-of-state students.
-
In the event of a tie in points, the science GPA will be used to break the tie. If necessary, the second tie-breaking category is the GPA in all 11 prerequisites.
-
A waitlist will be maintained but will not roll over to the next year. Students on the waitlist who do not receive a seat will need to submit a new supplemental application during the next application period.
-
Students may submit supplemental applications to both the Accelerated RN and Traditional RN A.A. Degree Programs. Once a student accepts a seat in the Accelerated RN Program, the Traditional RN application will be withdrawn.
QUESTIONS:
Admissions email: admissions@howardcc.edu or visit the Office of Admissions located in the RCF Building.
PLEASE NOTE:
A Drug Screening and Criminal Background Check will be required prior to enrollment in any nursing/allied health clinical course in order to ensure the safety of patients in the clinical setting. Students who do not comply with the drug screening and criminal background check are ineligible for placement in clinical agencies and therefore are not able to progress in the clinical nursing/allied health program. Students with a criminal background may be unable to progress in the clinical nursing/allied health program. It is the students’ responsibility to know whether they are eligible for licensure. If a student has a criminal background, it is the students’ responsibility to explore whether the background will prohibit them from being licensed and employed in the health care industry. HCC faculty and staff are NOT able to provide legal advice. If you have any questions about your existing criminal background, you may wish to discuss this with legal counsel.
The college reserves the right to change unilaterally, without notification, any requirement, fee or program if it is deemed necessary.