St. Clair County Community College

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Practical nursing

Practical Nursing

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The practical nursing program prepares graduates to take the state exam to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. This program prepares students to work in a variety of settings, such as long-term care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, doctor’s offices, hospitals, and home health care.

Preadmission requirements and courses for the program

This link will take you to the current working catalog. On that page, you may also select other available catalog years from the drop-down menu located in the upper right.

Admission Criteria

The LPN program at St. Clair County Community College has a competitive pre-admission score. The score is based on a point calculation of the following:

TypeWeightCriteriaDetailMaximum potential
Merit25%GPA (minimum 2.5)GPA truncated to the tenth place
Multiple college GPAs are averaged
High School GPA is used if no college classes have been taken
Minimum 2.5		4.0
Merit25%Number of credits toward degreeCourses counted are HE 101, HE 102, ENG 101 (or ENG 100), BIO 160 (or BIO 271/272 – average of both grades is used)
10
Merit50%HESI score averageMinimum score in all areas tested- 70 average score of tested areas: grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and math.

Anatomy and physiology are tested, not part of admission score.
100
Experiencen/aHealthcare experienceCertified Nurse Aide (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Patient Care Technician (PCT). Other certifications may apply with approval from the program director. Email certificate to nursing@sc4.edu.3

Steps to apply for SC4 Nursing programs

  1. Apply to SC4
  2. Apply to a specific health sciences program
    • The deadline is October 1 for the 2025-2026 admission.
  3. Attend a mandatory group advising session for the program of your interest (View upcoming dates and times below.)
  4. Schedule and take the mandatory admission HESI exam.

Questions about HESI Testing?

Practical Nursing Group Advising Sessions

Attending a mandatory Group Advising Session is an important step toward attaining a nursing degree. Please choose the session(s) applicable to your goal and click on the applicable link below at the time listed. Please give yourself time to download and set up the Microsoft Teams app on your computer or device.

DateTimeLocation
March 6, 202510 to 11 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams
May 7, 20253 to 4 p.m.Join Microsoft Teams
June 12, 202510 to 11 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams
August 14, 202510 to 11 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams
September 9, 20253 to 4 p.m.Join Microsoft Teams
November 19, 202510 to 11 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams

Program Cost

Tuition and fees can be found on the Tuition page. Please note there are additional costs for books, uniforms, graduation pins, and the NCLEX exam/license application to consider.

This program may be eligible for funding assistance through MichiganWorks!. Call (810) 966-3300 for details.

Technology requirements

Following are the technology requirements for taking an online course at SC4:

  • A Microsoft Office 365-compatible laptop or PC with a webcam and microphone.
  • Minimum iOS to support the learning management system (LMS) Canvas and the lockdown browser for testing.
  • Reliable Broadband Internet access
  • Updated anti-virus software

Please refer to the Online Classes page to review supported browsers and a more detailed list of hardware and software applicable to different systems.

Frequently asked questions:

You can check available testing dates and register online on The Pier. Testing is offered in September on SC4’s Port Huron campus.

You can use the ADN HESI score only if taken at SC4 during the same calendar year. Requests to transfer HESI score must be made in writing to the Health and Human Services office. SC4 does not accept the transfer of HESI scores from other colleges.

All biology courses, BIO-160 and BIO-271/272 must be completed within five academic years of admission to the Nursing Program. See the table below for details.

Program start dateFive-year time limit
Winter 2024Spring 2019 or later
Winter 2025Spring 2020 or later
Winter 2026Spring 2021 or later
Winter 2027Spring 2022 or later

You will be notified by mail of your acceptance/placement by the end of October.

As a requirement to participate in clinical, a ten-panel drug screen is completed as part of the admission on-boarding process once accepted into the program.

Yes, more details are provided at the mandatory Group Advising Sessions.

The minimum grade in the recommended courses listed in the Admission Criteria must be a “C” to be considered for admission.

For academic programs leading to professional licensure

SC4 Health Sciences Programs prepare students for State and National exams leading to professional licensure. Please be aware that additional steps (background checks, applications, fees, etc.) may be required to apply for licensing in the state of Michigan or other states. It is recommended that you contact the appropriate licensing agency in your state if you are considering an academic program leading to a professional license. To quickly find professional nursing licensure requirements (RN and APRN programs), please visit the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing. It is your responsibility to understand the requirements in your state of residence.