Admission into the Practical Nursing Program

Applicants must meet at least one of the following groups of requirements and be a high school graduate or the equivalent to be eligible for admission to the Practical Nursing program. Applicants must also provide a completed health physical and a current CPR certification.

How to Apply

1. Complete an application for admission
   • Applications can be submitted online or you can print and mail your application. Contact the Admissions Office at admission@hawkeyecollege.edu, 800-670-4769, ext. 4000, or 319-296-4000 for an application to be mailed to you.
   • No application fee
   • Be sure to indicate your major on your application form.
2. Send transcripts to the Admissions Office
   • Official high school transcripts and/or GED scores.
   • Previous official college transcripts.
3. Send ACT scores or register for the COMPASS Assessment
   • The ACT is not required, but it is accepted for admissions.
   • If you choose not to take the ACT, you must take the COMPASS Assessment.
   • If you have taken the ACT, your score will appear on your high school transcripts.
   • Hawkeye evaluates English, reading, and math subscores. Each subscore must be 19 or above to be applicable. If any subscore is below 19, you must take the COMPASS Assessment in that area.
   • Students with prior college credit in math, reading, or English courses may be exempt from one or more assessment areas.
   • To schedule a COMPASS Assessment please contact Student Services at assessment@hawkeyecollege.edu, 800-670-4769, ext. 1238, or 319-296-4014. Learn more about the COMPASS Assessment

Admissions Process

1. Applications will be processed for admission in October and March.
2. Applicants will be required to submit credentials (transcripts and assessment scores) as required by the program's admission requirements.
3. Completed applicant files will be processed as follows:
   1. Applicants who do not meet the program's admission requirements will be inactivated.
   2. Applicants enrolled in coursework to complete the admission requirements will be candidates.
   3. Applicants who meet the program's admission requirements for one of the three options will be acceptable for admission.
4. Applicants with complete files who have met the program's admission requirements will be accepted for admission based upon their original completed file date. If many students share the same date for completing their applicant files, the application date, if needed, will be used to prioritize their acceptance. We will accept approximately 64 students for both the Spring and Fall semesters day sessions.
5. Students must be CPR certified and have a physical exam on Hawkeye Format, prior to the first day of clinical course work.
6. Once offered acceptance to begin the Practical Nursing program, an applicant may delay their acceptance for a maximum of one year before being placed back on the wait list.
7. Students must achieve a minimum "C" grade in all courses required to complete the program.
8. Graduates are eligible to take the national and state/regional examinations for licensure, which is required to practice in any state. Please keep in mind, a social security number is required in order to take exams and apply for licensure.

*Changes are taking place within healthcare facilities nationally. These changes directly affect all health programs at Hawkeye Community College. The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO), which accredits healthcare facilities across the country, enforced background screening September 2004 and has set requirements mandating that students in a healthcare field must now complete the same background check as hospital employees. As a Health student of Hawkeye Community College you will be required to complete a criminal background check, sex offender, child abuse and dependent adult registry. The outcome could possibly affect your opportunities to participate in the clinical setting.

Useful Areas of Study / Experience

• Chemistry
• Algebra
• Communications