Admission

Application Periods & Deadlines

March 1 - April 1. We only accept applications filled out and submitted online during the application period.  All materials must be received by April 1. The LVN Program begins in the Fall semester.

To All Applicants:

As a requirement to access the clinical affiliate sites which are a required part of the curriculum, all students must show proof of completion of an approved Covid-19 Vaccination series.

Although students might be eligible to obtain an exemption to participate in activities on campus, our clinical affiliate sites do not afford trainees this option for the safety and protection of their patients and staff.

General Admission Information

Before applying to the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program, please review the following admission requirements and recommendations.

  1. You must have the ability to communicate safely, accurately, and effectively in both written and spoken English. If English is your second language, you are encouraged to enroll in Speech 3, 10, 121 and/or 125 and HLSC 115 to enhance your success.
  2. We do not keep transcripts or applications on file. If you are reapplying, you must resubmit transcripts, applications, and a California Certified Nursing Assistant license each application period.
  3. Prerequisites must be completed prior to applying.
  4. We highly recommend that basic science courses (human nutrition, human physiology, human anatomy, and lifespan psychology) are completed within the past five years with a grade of “C” or higher.
  5. All courses offered in the Vocational Nursing Program may be challenged for credit. Contact the department for information.
  6. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance.
  7. If you are requesting a transfer from another nursing program or advanced placement, you will need to obtain a petition from Student and Learning Services in L-112.

How to Apply

1  Apply for admission to PCC

If you are not currently enrolled at PCC, you need to apply for admission to the college in addition to applying to the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program. Apply now to PCC .

2   Complete Your Application Packet

To apply to the Vocational Nursing Program you need to submit an online application packet that includes:

  • A completed Vocational Nursing program application
    Applications are only available online during the filing periods (Mar 1 - Apr 1).
  • One official U.S. high school transcript or GED certificate or Equivalency Report from one of the college’s acceptable companies. The transcript must be saved as a PDF file and uploaded with your application. Label the PDF file as "High School transcripts". A college degree will not replace the high school transcript requirement.  A copy of a High School Diploma is not a transcript and will not be accepted.
  • All applicants should submit a PDF copy of official transcripts from any college attended outside of Pasadena City College. All applicants are required to upload a copy of official transcripts from each college (including Advanced Placement transcript scores and Pasadena City College) attended with your online application. Official transcripts may be requested throughout the process for verification or upon admission to the program. Create one PDF file for each college you have attended. Label each college PDF file with the name of the college.*If you have foreign transcripts, please read our information on how to have your transcripts evaluated.
  • Completion of a California Department of Public Health approved nursing assistant program or equivalent. This can be done by submitting an academic transcript showing completion of a California Department of Public Health approved Nursing Assistant course, or an issued certificate of completion showing the number of hours of training hours completed. Documentation must be saved and uploaded as a PDF file with your application. Label the PDF as "Completion of CNA".
  • Proof of a valid unrestricted State of California Nurse Assistant License.  You may print out your C.N.A. verification from the California Department of Public Health Licensing and Certification Verification website. The C.N.A. license must be saved and uploaded as a PDF file with your application. Label the PDF as "C.N.A. License". Expired certificates are not accepted.

Note: All selected applicants should request two (2) official transcripts from each college they have attended. One set of transcripts must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records. Keep one set of transcripts for your personal records. All applicants are required to upload a set of official transcripts from each college (including Advanced Placement transcript scores) attended with your online application.

Follow these basic directions for scanning documents to your online application:
1. Scan the official transcripts using a device such as a printer or scanner
2. Follow the scanner manufacturer's directions to scan each document to your computer or USB drive
3. Select the PDF file format option before scanning. Only PDF files of your transcripts and other supporting documents will be accepted. Formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be accepted for the application process.
4. Save your PDF document to a folder in a location on your computer or removable drive that you can easily access (Desktop or Documents folder is suggested)

NOTE: Students who do not have access to a personal scanner may choose to use a commercial copying center to have their required documents scanned and made into PDFs that then may be uploaded as part of your application.

Follow these basic directions for uploading documents to your online application:
1. When prompted on the application to upload your documents marked "Drop Files here or Select Files" click on this button
Find the PDF files you want to upload from your computer or flash drive
2. Select the file by double clicking on it (tap twice)
3. Your file will be uploaded.

How to Provide Your Transcripts to PCC's Admissions and Records Office

It is your responsibility to request the transcripts from the schools you have attended and ask that they be sent directly to the PCC Admissions & Records office upon acceptance to the program. All transcripts must be official.

You can have transcripts sent in one of the following ways:

1. By Mail

Ask your school to mail an official transcript to us at:

Pasadena City College
Admissions & Records Office L-113
1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena CA 91106-2003

2. Electronically (PDF Only)

An official transcript can be emailed in the following ways:

1.   Emailed from the third party vendor, Credentials Inc., Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse

2.   Emailed from a school or 3rd party vendor not listed above to transcripts@pasadena.edu

3.   Note that an emailed transcript from you, the student, will not be accepted

Incomplete applications will not be considered in the selection process. Official sealed unopened transcripts must also be sent to the Pasadena City College Admissions and Records Office if accepted to the program.

Program Prerequisites

The following courses must be passed with a "C" grade or better to apply for the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program.

Prerequisites:

  • NURS 103 - Certified Nursing Assistant certificate from the State of California or equivalent. This can be done by submitting an academic transcript showing completion of a California Department of Public Health approved Nursing Assistant course, or an issued certificate of completion showing the number of hours of training hours completed.
  • Proof of a valid unrestricted State of California Certified Nursing Assistant License.
  • Nutrition 011 - Human Nutrition
  • Psychology 024 - Lifespan (birth to death)
  • Anatomy 025 - Human Anatomy
  • Physiology 001 - Human Physiology

Selection Criteria

We use the following criteria to determine acceptance amongst eligible applicants:

  1. Completed application of admission to the program.
  2. Graduation from an accredited United States high school or equivalent.
  3. Completion of all prerequisite courses with a minimum 2.75 grade point average.
  4. Official U.S. High School (or equivalent) and official college transcripts.
  5. Students who have completed previous college nursing course work and are requesting advanced placement must provide transcripts and submit a petition to the college for advanced placement. If the petition is approved, an examination in theory and lab skills may be administered. Grade of "C" or better must be achieved on this examination.
  6. A current nurse assistant (C.N.A.) certificate from the State of California Department of Public Health

Enrollment is determined by the applicant pool and the selection process is by lottery while adhering to all Federal and State Laws. Alternates will be chosen by random selection and alternate status does not guarantee admission. The Health Sciences Division will inform applicants of the status of their application by email only.  Please make sure your email is current when you apply to the program.  We do not maintain a waiting list from year to year. Applicants need to re-apply for possible acceptance each year. The program begins classes in the fall semester.

Program Acceptance

We will notify applicants to the Vocational Nursing Program by email approximately 12 weeks after the close of the application period.

Upon acceptance to the  program, you will be required to:

  1. Complete a Health Clearance (forms will be provided)
  2. Complete a criminal background check in order to be able to attend clinical experiences. If you have questions or concerns about the background check, we encourage you to make an appointment to discuss these concerns with the nursing program director. You can also view some of the issues on the BVNPT website at www.bvnpt.ca.gov.
  3. Obtain an American Heart Association CPR for Health Care Providers. Other types of CPR certification will not be accepted (example: Red Cross certification).
  4. Purchase Malpractice Insurance
  5. Provide official college transcripts of all colleges attended (with the exception of Pasadena City College) to the Admissions and Records Office.
  6. Purchase the required campus and clinical uniforms, name badge, and uniform patch.
  7. Purchase textbooks and other required supplies.

Details regarding the program acceptance requirements will be provided with the acceptance packet upon selection.

Transcript Evaluation

If you are a student with foreign transcripts, you must have your transcripts evaluated by one of the following three companies before applying:

International Research Foundation (IERF)
(310)-258-9451 | www.ierf.org

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI)
(310)-275-3530 | https://acei-global.org/

American Education Research Center (AERC)
(626)-339-4404 | www.aerc-eval.com