The Practical Nursing (PN) program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing with regular evaluations to ensure a quality education in the nursing field. The program is designed to prepare qualified individuals to meet community-nursing needs to perform those functions that are generally recognized as being within the scope of practical nursing and where the skill of registered nursing is not required.

To be considered for the Practical Nursing Program, an applicant must:

1. Complete the ACT, ACCUPLACER, or SAT exam with the required program entrance scores;
2. Be a high school graduate or high school equivalency (GED) graduate;
3. Complete UAM requirements for admission to the University;
4. Attend and complete all required orientations, appointments, assessments, and study sessions;
5. Declare his/her chosen PN track in writing and apply for the program; and
6. Successfully complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher. With the exception of mathematics, English, and computer courses, all Practical Nursing program prerequisites must have been completed within the past five (5) years with a grade of “C” or higher.

Any applicant who meets all stated conditions/requirements will be considered part of the applicant pool. The applicant pool will be ranked based upon academic and other specific criteria outlined in a separate publication. The number of applicants accepted into the program will not exceed Arkansas State Board maximums for instructor-student ratio. If selected applicants fail to meet stated conditions/requirements, alternate applicants will be accepted into the program, provided he/she has met all stated conditions/requirements.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello Colleges of Technology Practical Nursing Program does not offer advanced placement or the transfer of nursing credit from other institutions for the Practical Nursing Technical Certificate or the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) Degree.

A student has the option of completing a technical track or an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) Degree track through the Practical Nursing Program. Successful completion of the practical nursing program requirements under either the technical track or the AASN track will result in a one-year technical certificate and academic eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-PN Exam.

A student in the technical track should be aware that if he/she subsequently pursues the UAM Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN), the UAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree, or a Registered Nurse (RN) program, he/she would be required to complete all prerequisites required for those individual programs. Information regarding the UAM Associate of Applied Science Nursing (LPN-RN Fast Track Program) and the UAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree programs can be found in the Division of Nursing section elsewhere in this catalog.