Dec 16, 2025  
2025-2026 College Catalog 
  
2025-2026 College Catalog

Nursing (Transition), A.S.

Location(s): Highlands Campus, Online Selective Courses


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Program Code: 1560

This A.S. degree program is designed for you if you are a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or licensed paramedic who wishes to become an Associate Degree Nurse (ADN). The program, by building on previously acquired knowledge and skills, provides the opportunity for upward mobility in nursing and the pursuit of advanced degrees. The additional knowledge and experience complete the ADN requirements needed to be eligible to take the NCLEX® exam for licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). The South Florida State College Nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc., 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326.

Length: 72 credit hours (10 credit hours articulate with current Florida Practical Nursing/Florida Paramedic licensure and successful completion of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®).
 


This is a limited access program. Admission to this program occurs annually. Online applications will be accepted until the posted deadline date at 11:59 p.m. Visit southflorida.edu/healthsciences for important application information and deadlines.


Application Requirements

1. Completed online SFSC Admissions Application.
2. Official high school transcript, GED®, or equivalent verifying proof of high school graduation.
3. Official practical nursing or paramedic school transcript.
4. Official college transcript(s) verifying the completion of the following courses and all other college work attempted:
 
  Course Name Hours Completed Grade Gen Ed
  BSC 1085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  4 cr. hrs.      
  BSC 1086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  4 cr. hrs.      
  DEP 1004 - Human Development  3 cr. hrs.      
  ENC 1101 - Freshman English I  3 cr. hrs. ^      
  MCB 2010C - Microbiology  4 cr. hrs.      
  PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology  3 cr. hrs.      
  AMH 1010 - Introductory Survey to 1877 3 cr. hrs.  OR      
  AMH 1020 - Introductory Survey Since 1877  3 cr. hrs. OR      
  POS 1041 - American Government  3 cr. hrs. -      
  MAC 1105 - College Algebra  3 cr. hrs. ^ + OR      
  STA 2023 - Elementary Statistics  3 cr. hrs.      
 
  ^ It may be necessary to first enroll in a lower-level English, math, or reading course depending on college placement test scores.
  + MAC 1105 - College Algebra  is preferred.
  - POS 1041 - American Government  is preferred.
     
  NOTE: You must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the courses listed above.
   
  The above prerequisites must be completed by the application deadline. The acceptability of equivalents for any of the courses will be determined by SFSC’s dean of health sciences.
   
5. Current unencumbered LPN or Paramedic license. Proof of application for Florida LPN license may be accepted if holding an out-of-state LPN license.
6. Current CPR (Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers) certificate that will not expire until completion of program.
7. Current IV Therapy certificate for LPN applicants.
8. Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology must have been taken within seven years of admission to the program. All science courses must have a lab.
9. All required developmental courses must be completed prior to application to the nursing programs.

Admissions Procedures

You are responsible for the following admissions procedures and for ensuring that your records are complete in the Admissions, Registration, and Records Office. No application will be considered unless it is complete.

I. Submit the following to apply to the program:
  A. Completed online SFSC Admissions Application, select Nursing (Transition) major/program.
  B. Official high school/GED® transcript.
  C. Official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.
  D. Take ATI TEAS® entrance exam.
  E. Submit references from the following sources may be mailed or delivered by hand if in a sealed envelope:
  Current or most recent employer or instructor.
  Person of your choice other than a relative.
 
II. Once accepted into the program, you will receive instructions to complete the following:
  A. Physical health exam and a record of immunizations from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner (forms will be provided after acceptance into the program).
  B. Florida Department of Law Enforcement fingerprinting (will be scheduled prior to enrollment).
  C. 10-panel drug screen.
  D. You will be required to submit program documentation through a third-party compliance company throughout the program.
 
NOTE: Failure to complete these requirements will result in loss of enrollment into the program.

Selection Criteria

There are specific criteria which will be used when making selections for the program. These criteria are as follows:

1. Completion of the eight prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher in each course and a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher. Prerequisite courses are as follows:
 
  BSC 1085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  4 cr. hrs.
  BSC 1086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  4 cr. hrs.
  DEP 1004 - Human Development  3 cr. hrs.
  ENC 1101 - Freshman English I  3 cr. hrs. ^
  MCB 2010C - Microbiology  4 cr. hrs.
  PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology  3 cr. hrs.
  AMH 1010 - Introductory Survey to 1877 3 cr. hrs.  OR
  AMH 1020 - Introductory Survey Since 1877  3 cr. hrs. OR
  POS 1041 - American Government  3 cr. hrs. -
  MAC 1105 - College Algebra  3 cr. hrs. ^ + OR
  STA 2023 - Elementary Statistics  3 cr. hrs.
 
  ^ It may be necessary to first enroll in a lower-level English, math, or reading course depending on college placement test scores.
  + MAC 1105 - College Algebra  is preferred.
  - POS 1041 - American Government  is preferred.
 
  NOTE: You must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the courses listed above.
 
2. The ATI TEAS® is the entrance exam for limited access nursing programs (PN, LPN to RN, and Generic RN). The Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) measures basic essential skills in the academic content area domains of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage.
 
  You will have 209 minutes to complete the exam which consists of the following four subtests:
  The READING subtest covers paragraph comprehension, passage comprehension, and inferences/conclusions (45 questions).
  The MATH subtest covers whole numbers, metric conversions, fractions and decimals, algebraic equations, percentages, and ratio/proportion (38 questions).
  The SCIENCE portion of the exam covers science reasoning, science knowledge, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, basic physical principles, and general science (50 questions).
  The ENGLISH and LANGUAGE usage subtest measures knowledge of punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, contextual words, and spelling (37 questions).
 
  ATI TEAS® components target scores:
 
Test Content Areas Target Score
Reading 75%
Math 65%
English 65%
Science 65%
 
  The target scores to be considered for admission to the program are competitive. Scores in the mid-70 range and higher are predictive of program acceptance and success; however, scores in this range do not guarantee acceptance. Scores are reviewed annually and are, therefore, subject to change based on current ATI® data.
 
  Applicants who wish to retake the exam to achieve a higher score must retake the entire exam. There must be a minimum of three (3) months between test dates. Each test is considered a combined complete entity. There will be NO combination of scores from separate tests. ATI TEAS® exam results are valid for five (5) years.
 
  Test preparation materials are available in the SFSC Campus Store (Highlands Campus), SFSC Library, and online at atitesting.com.
 
3. Review of professional references.

Selection Process

I. If you meet the minimum requirements by the application deadline, you will be ranked highest to lowest, a score devised by multiplying the pre-admission exam score by the cumulative prerequisite GPA in the following courses:
 
  BSC 1085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  4 cr. hrs.
  BSC 1086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  4 cr. hrs.
  DEP 1004 - Human Development  3 cr. hrs.
  ENC 1101 - Freshman English I  3 cr. hrs.
  MCB 2010C - Microbiology  4 cr. hrs.
  PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology  3 cr. hrs.
  AMH 1010 - Introductory Survey to 1877 3 cr. hrs.  OR
  AMH 1020 - Introductory Survey Since 1877  3 cr. hrs. OR
  POS 1041 - American Government  3 cr. hrs. -
  MAC 1105 - College Algebra  3 cr. hrs. + OR
  STA 2023 - Elementary Statistics  3 cr. hrs.
 
  + MAC 1105 - College Algebra  is preferred.
  - POS 1041 - American Government  is preferred.
 
  NOTE: You must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the courses listed above.
 
II. In cases where all credentials are equal, the following criteria will be used in the given sequence to determine who will be admitted into the program:
  A. Completion of any of the additional general education courses.
  B. Residence in service district.
  C. Completed application date.

General Information

1. SFSC reserves the right to deny admission to you, if you lack required qualifications for the ADN Program. You must reapply, if you wish to be considered for a subsequent class. Each class is selected from a new applicant pool.
2. Completion of all or part of the general education courses required in the degree does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
3. The nursing program at SFSC has a stringent attendance policy. It is imperative that you understand and agree to abide by the published attendance standards prior to entering the program. The attendance policy is published in the Nursing Student Handbook which specifies the number of allowable absences for each portion of the program. If you have life or health conditions that might hinder attendance, you may wish to consider another program or delay application until a strong commitment to attendance can be made.
4. An official criminal history background check and drug screen are required for entry into the nursing program. Be aware that some providers of clinical experiences will not allow individuals with certain types of criminal history into their facilities. This may prevent entrance into the program, because such individuals would not be able to successfully complete clinical portions of the nursing program. A criminal history may also prevent you from being allowed to take the NCLEX® examination or pursue licensure by action of the Florida Board of Nursing. For more information or questions regarding your status, contact the Board of Nursing at 850-245-4125 or access information at doh.state.fl.us/nursing.
5. SFSC is a drug-free campus. As a student, you will be required to submit to random drug testing at your expense.
6. Expenses (approximate) incurred upon acceptance to the program include a Level II background screening, a 10-panel drug screen, and online document manager.
 
 
Drug Screen/Document Tracker $70
FDLE Level II Background Check $62
Physical examination Variable
Required titers and immunizations Variable

Academic Requirements

An overall GPA of 2.0 (C grade) or higher in all general education courses and a grade of 3.0 (B grade) in each and every nursing course is required. Theory and clinical grades are computed separately. Minimal passing grade for each is 80%; achievement in either theory or clinical of less than 80% constitutes a failure in the course.

Approximate Program Costs

Admission fee $       15
Background check/drug screen/document management 132
Graduation fee 15
Laboratory fees which include uniforms, clinical lab skills kit, NCLEX® Review, and NCLEX® testing fees 2,144
Medical Costs 500
Resident tuition 6,536
Textbooks   1,468
                                                                                                           Approximate Total $10,810

Required Courses


Note:


* It is your responsibility to meet with the instructional supervisor or counselor to select the proper course to fulfill this requirement.
~ Must earn a grade of C or higher.
# Computer competency skills and Fundamentals of Speech Communication general education requirements are covered within the Nursing (Transition - LPN to RN) curriculum for the associate degree.
# Completion of a Practical Nursing or Paramedic Program shall articulate 10 college credit hours to the A.S. Degree in Registered Nursing per Florida Department of Education PSAV to A.S. Degree Articulation Statewide Agreement (DOE, 2010) and/or SFSC Paramedic to A.S. Articulation Agreement.

 

 

 

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