Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Apply to Nursing

To join this program, you must apply for admission. This extremely competitive program accepts up to 32 students every fall term. Applicants are selected through a point-based system. Competitive applicants have prerequisites completed by the end of fall term before the application deadline and have some healthcare experience.

We process applications through a service called Nursing Centralized Application Service, or “NCAS”. Students apply and submit all supporting application documents, including transcripts, directly to NCAS.

Questions? Attend an information session or contact us.

How to apply

1. Apply to PCC

   Applying to PCC is free and only takes a few minutes. Complete this step as soon as possible so you can start using PCC resources.
   Apply to PCC angle right

2. Application timeline

   For a detailed admission timeline, see below on this page.

   Term you want to start	Apply to Nursing
   Fall 2023	Closed
   Fall 2024	December 1, 2023 – February 15, 2024 at 8:59pm PST

   Take prerequisites

   All prerequisites must be passed with a grade “C” or higher. Pass/No Pass grades are not accepted. To meet the minimum GPA requirement, applicants need a 3.0 GPA in prerequisite courses. There are 45 required prerequisite credits – see more in the admissions guide.

   • At least 30 prerequisite credits must be completed by the end of fall term before applying.
   • The remaining 15 credits must be completed by the end of spring term after applying.
   • These prerequisites must be current within the last 7 years:
     • BI 231: Anatomy & Physiology I (complete by the end of fall term before applying)
     • BI 232: Anatomy & Physiology II
     • BI 233: Anatomy & Physiology III
     • BI 234: Microbiology
     • FN 225: Nutrition
     • PSY 215: Human Development
     • MTH 95: Intermediate Algebra or higher, or placement into Math 111Z. If using placement scores to meet math competency, you’ll upload your test scores with your application. See more about using math placement test scores.
   • Additional prerequisites:
     • WR 121Z and 122Z: English Composition I and II
     • 6 credits of Social Science electives
     • Additional general education electives, if needed to meet 45 credits. See the list of electives for the AAS degree here: General Education electives.

3. Build application to earn points

   The first phase of the application process is based on a 56-point scale, which looks at the following areas. See details about the point system in the admissions guide.

   • Academic points:
     • Prerequisite GPA
     • Science GPA
     • Completion of a prior degree
     • Enrollment history at PCC
     • Support course completion
     • Completion of all 45 prerequisite credits by the end of fall term before applying
     • Completion of Anatomy & Physiology I, II, and III by the end of fall term before applying
   • Alternate status points – for applicants who were offered a seat or waitlisted in the previous application cycle
   • Experience points – see application materials for details
     • Healthcare credentials: earn points for professional credentials
     • Healthcare experience: earn points for paid or unpaid healthcare experience
     • Community engagement: earn points for volunteering in a variety of settings benefiting rural, underserved, and/or underrepresented populations
     • Service members: earn points for U.S. Military service, AmeriCorps, or Peace Corps
     • Job shadowing a registered nurse or completion of an alternative shadowing option (The deadline for completion of the alternative shadowing option has passed. Applicants had through the end of fall term, prior to the application deadline, to complete this option for points toward the 2024 application.)

4. Apply to the nursing program

   The application process has three phases.

   1. Phase I: selection criteria
      Submit your NCAS application by the February deadline. Based on phase I point totals, the top 60-75 applicants will be invited to phase II. Applicants will be notified by email.
   2. Phase II: HSRT exam, resume, and letter of interest
      In phase II, the following materials are evaluated to determine who will advance to phase III.
      • Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT): applicants will be invited to take part in the HSRT. Read more about the HSRT on the Insight Assessment FAQ page under the Testing and Administration section. The exam takes about 1.5 hours. For more info, see How to Prepare and Top 10 Critical Thinking FAQ’s.
      • Required application materials: letter of interest and resume. See application materials for details.
   3. Phase III: selection and requirements
      In phase III, you are offered a seat in the program. You’ll complete the following requirements before beginning the program. Do not attempt to meet these requirements before being offered a seat in the program. If you have questions about the background check or drug screen, contact us at 971-722-4466.
      • 10-panel drug screen
      • Criminal background check: see potentially disqualifying crimes
      • Proof of current immunizations and CPR certification

5. Submit transcripts

   Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended, including PCC, directly to NCAS. Send transcripts at least two weeks before the application deadline. Do not wait until you have submitted your NCAS application to send your transcripts to NCAS. See more about submitting required transcripts.

6. Pay fee

   NCAS fee: $60. Fee is paid directly to NCAS and is non-refundable.

Admission timeline: Fall 2024

• December 1, 2023: Nursing application opens
  • You will need a PCC email address so you must apply to PCC before submitting your Nursing application.
  • Submit transcripts early: NCAS may take up to 4-6 weeks to show receipt of your official transcripts.
  • Come to an optional 2024 NCAS application questions drop-in session in January 2024.
• February 15, 2024, at 8:59pm PST: Nursing application deadline
• Early April 2024: Top-scoring applicants are notified via the email designated in NCAS of movement to phase II of the selection process and HSRT exam invitation dates will be scheduled.
• Mid to late April 2024: applicants invited to take part in phase II and sit for the HSRT exam (previous attempts at the HSRT cannot be used).
• Mid-May, 2024: Top-scoring applicants in phase II will be offered placement in the Nursing Program.
• Late June 2024: Mandatory in-person orientation #1 and post-selection phase III requirements must be fulfilled (see phase III details above).
• September 2024: Mandatory in-person orientation #2 and program begins.

Computer Literacy

Nursing students must be computer literate. You must be proficient in word processing, spreadsheets, data entry, internet use, email, and basic computer terminology. We do not require proof or documentation of computer literacy. It is your responsibility to be prepared to use computers before starting the program.

About OCNE

PCC is a member of the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE). This is a statewide coalition of nursing educators and programs. OCNE schools have the same prerequisites and comparable application processes for students. OCNE schools include OHSU, PCC, Umpqua Community College, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Rogue Community College, Lane Community College, Clackamas Community College, Mount Hood Community College, Columbia Gorge Community College, Clatsop Community College, and Blue Mountain Community College.