Build the foundation for your nursing career.
Northwest Technical College’s one-year, 41-credit Practical Nursing Program is designed for students who are ready to start making a difference in healthcare. This program provides the foundational knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence needed to care for patients across all stages of life, preparing graduates to apply for LPN licensure and enter the workforce as compassionate, capable nursing professionals.
Each Fall, a new cohort begins their path toward becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) through a hybrid program format that blends flexibility with hands-on experience. Theory courses are delivered online and asynchronously, allowing students to manage their studies alongside work and family commitments. On-campus lab and clinical days provide immersive opportunities to practice core nursing skills, collaborate with peers, and build real confidence in a professional healthcare setting.
Students gain experience through clinical rotations at NTC’s regional partner sites, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health settings throughout northern Minnesota. These partnerships offer valuable exposure to patient care environments and often lead to employment opportunities after graduation.
General education and prerequisite courses can be completed online, in-person, or hybrid, giving students the freedom to design a learning plan that fits their lifestyle while staying on track toward program completion.
As a Licensed Practical Nurse, you’ll play an essential role in patient care, assisting with assessments, administering medications, charting progress, supporting treatment plans, and communicating closely with patients, families, and healthcare teams. LPNs are trusted members of hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and home health agencies, where their hands-on care and attention make a meaningful difference every day.
Admission to the program
The following steps will guide you through the admission process for the Practical Nursing program.
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
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
- HLTH 1106 Medical Terminology — 2 Credit
- PSYC 2201 Lifespan Psychology— 3 credit
- Prerequisite GPA must be 2.76 or Higher
Additional Requirements
- Nursing Assistant (CNA) Requirement
- Certified Nursing Assistant active within last 5 years
- HLTH 1110: Nursing Assistant Course (or equivalent) completed within last 5 years
- CNA Waiver Approved by the Nursing Department – To request a waiver, please email nursingapp@ntcmn.edu
- Active BLS/ CPR Requirement
- American Heart Association (AHA) BLS Provider or American Red Cross (ARC) BLS for Healthcare Provider active
- Must include infant, child, and adult CPR, AED use, and obstructed airway
- AHA Heartsaver cards are not accepted
- Students who do not have a current BLS certification may meet this requirement by completing:
- NTC HLTH 1410: First Aid/CPR course, or
- A BLS training course offered at the BSU Gillett Wellness Center — View upcoming courses here
- HSRT-AD Exam Requirement
- HSRT-AD Exam score must be ≥ 70
- Exam must be taken be taken on campus at Northwest Technical College (Bemidji, MN)
- Exam must be completed within the same application cycle the student is applying for
During an active application window:
- Complete the Online Practical Nursing 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:
- Fall 2026 application opens: November 1, 2025
- Priority Seating closes: February 1, 2026
- After the priority deadline, applications will continue to be accepted and ranked until all seats are filled.
Once you have been formally accepted into the Practical Nursing 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
Review the Nursing Handbook
Selection Process
Ranking System
Admission to the Practical Nursing Program is selective and based on a ranking system that considers both academic performance and critical-thinking readiness. Applicants are ranked by their Prerequisite GPA (minimum 2.76) and HSRT-AD Exam score (minimum 70) as part of the evaluation process.
Acceptance Notification
Each student who has submitted a complete admissions file by a posted deadline will receive an email from the Nursing Admission Team indicating whether they have been accepted into the program, placed on the program waiting list or are currently ineligible for the program. Be sure to provide your current email address on your program application.
Applicants will be notified of their application status on the scheduled notification date, after the program application window ends.
Curriculum
Below is the complete list of courses required to fulfill the degree requirements for this program. Courses are shown in total, not by term.
| Course # | Course Name | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2260 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4.00 |
| BIOL 2262 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4.00 |
| PSYC 2201 | Lifespan Psychology | 3.00 |
| HLTH 1106 | Medical Terminology | 2.00 |
| HLTH 1100 | Pharmacology | 2.00 |
| PNSG 1110 | Adult Nursing I | 4.00 |
| PNSG 1112 | Technical Skills I | 3.00 |
| PNSG 1125 | Clinical I | 4.00 |
| PNSG 1150 | Adult Nursing II | 4.00 |
| PNSG 1155 | Technical Skills II | 3.00 |
| PNSG 1160 | Maternal/Child Nursing | 2.00 |
| PNSG 1180 | Psychosocial Nursing | 2.00 |
| PNSG 1185 | Clinical II | 4.00 |
| Total Credits | 41 | |
Clinical Sites
Beyond high-fidelity and low-fidelity experiences of the NTC Simulation Laboratory, nursing students participate in off-site clinical experiences throughout the program.
Clinical sites vary each semester to provide students a broad range of populations and experiences.
To learn more about where our students gain hands-on experience — including site descriptions, locations, and approximate distance from Bemidji — explore our clinical site partners.
Accreditation
The Northwest Technical College Traditional RN program is accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
View our Program Outcomes & Success Measures.