To be considered for a Nursing program, you must first apply to and be admitted to Northwest Technical College. The Practical Nursing application is separate and submitted later.

Step 1: Complete Northwest Technical College’s free application. 

Step 2: Submit High School or GED Transcript – Skip this step if you’ve already completed 24 or more college credits.

• How to send an official transcript:
  • Digital: Sent by your school through the Parchment transcript service, the National Student Clearinghouse transcript service, or emailed directly from the issuing institution to admissions@ntcmn.edu.
  • Mail: Sealed paper copy to Northwest Technical College, Office of Admissions, 905 Grant Ave SE, Bemidji, MN 56601.
  • GED: Request through your state’s Department of Education and have it sent to admissions@ntcmn.edu or by mail.

Step 3: Submit College/University Transcripts

• MinnState Schools:
  • If you’ve attended a Minnesota State college or university since the early 1990s, NTC can usually retrieve your official transcript automatically when your NTC application is processed.
  • If your record was created before electronic systems or if you have an unpaid balance at a previous MinnState school, that transcript cannot be released, you’ll need to contact that school directly to request a paper copy.
  • Note: The University of Minnesota is not part of the MinnState system and must be requested separately.
• Military Transcripts
  • Active-duty and veteran service members with creditable military experience or coursework may request a Joint Services Transcript.
  • Use the American Council on Education’s resource to get started.
  • Once your JST has been released to Northwest Technical College, our office will be able to download it electronically on your behalf.
• Non-MinnState (U.S.):
  • Request through your school and have transcripts sent to admissions@ntcmn.edu, via the Parchment transcript service, the National Student Clearinghouse transcript service, or by mail to the address listed above.
• International Transcripts: Must be evaluated by a recognized evaluation service. You can choose either
  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
  • World Education Services (WES)

Transfer Students: After you’re admitted to NTC, your official college transcripts are evaluated to determine how previously completed coursework transfers toward your program. Your transfer credit results will appear in eServices under your Degree Audit Report (DARS) once processing is complete.

Students must demonstrate college readiness in both Math and English through one of the following options for each subject:

• Completion of approved college-level coursework (Math: MATH 0081/0092+, English: ENGL 0100+) within 5 years
• Qualifying Accuplacer score (Math: 240+, English: 250+)
• High School GPA of 2.6+ (if graduated within the past 10 years)
• ACT score of 22+ (within 5 years)
• Completion of NTC’s Guided Self-Placement Form for Math and/or English

Prerequisite Courses, earn a grade of a C or Higher – Must be completed or enrolled to apply

• BIOL 2260 Anatomy & Physiology I — 4 credit
• BIOL 2262 Anatomy & Physiology II — 4 credit
• BIOL 2221 Microbiology — 3 credit
• CHEM 1100 Intro to Chemistry — 4 credit
• MATH 1110 College Algebra or MATH 1930 Intro to Math Science — 3 credit
• PSYCH 2201 Lifespan Psychology — 3 credit
• ENGL 1111 College Writing I — 3 credit
• Prerequisite GPA must be 2.76 or Higher

Additional Requirements

• Active LPN
  • Hold an active, unencumbered practical nursing license
  • License must remain active and in good standing throughout the program.

During an active application window:

• Complete the Online LPN Step-In Application, which is separate from the institutional (college) application.
• Admission is based on the selection process outlined below. Meeting all requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

Application Timeline:

Spring 2027 application opens: March 1, 2026

Spring 2027 application closes: June 1, 2026

Once you have been formally accepted into the LPN Step-In program, you will be required to perform several tasks.

• Submission of your immunization record with documentation of all required immunizations (at student expense)
• Complete a criminal background check (at student expense)
• Undergo a student physical (at student expense)
• Present proof that you carry health insurance (at student expense)
• Complete required documents provided to you by program administrator