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Nursing Associate Degree (ADN) Program 

North Central's Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program utilizes a combination of classroom, clinical and lab experience to provide students a hands-on educational experience.

Graduates are prepared to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), which they pass at rates above the state and national average to become Registered Nurses.

ADN Program Information

The two-year, cohort-style program will accept 48 students per cohort, with one cohort starting each fall. The program runs full time and includes four semesters of nursing coursework.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  North Central's ADN program includes a competitive application process. Simply meeting the minimum parameters and applying to the nursing program does not guarantee admission. SEE THE 2024-2025 NURSING STUDENT HANDBOOK


ADN Program Application

Applications for the ADN program must be submitted by May 1 of the year of the anticipated Fall semester entry. There is no waitlist for the ADN program. Applicants who are not admitted to the program must re-apply.

North Central students* can apply to the ADN program from the NC Portal:

  1. Log in to the portal.
  2. Select "My North Central."
  3. Select the "Admissions" tab.
  4. Select the Health Science application.

*Prospective students must first complete North Central's general admission application before applying to the ADN program.


ADN Program Requirements Prior to Admission

Nursing program applicants must meet specific nursing-related admission requirements in addition to North Central's general admission requirements. Nursing students are selected in the Spring of each academic year for a Fall course start date. All nursing students are selected based on the following criteria:

Science Requirements:  

Nursing requires a great understanding of science as a whole and how it works within the human body. It is highly recommended that these nursing course requirements be completed with a GPA of 3.0 or higher due to the competitive nature of the nursing admission process. The following courses must have been completed within five years of admission to the program. Requirements prior to program admission must be completed by the end of Winter semester of the application year.

These science requirements must be completed with a GPA of 2.0 or better and no more than five years prior to admission to the ADN program.

General Education Requirements: 

Understanding of science is only part of what makes for a well-prepared nursing program candidate and a great nurse. A well-rounded knowledge of health systems, communication, psychology and written communication are also beneficial in the nursing industry.

Additional Requirement:

An additional requirement for admission into the program is the successful completion of MATH 109 or placement into MATH 120 or higher. (NOTE: These MATH courses may not be eligible for financial aid).


Acceptance Into The ADN Program

Acceptance emails are sent in mid-June to a student's @student.ncmich.edu email account. Students accepted into the ADN program are required to do the following:

1. Return your Letter of Acceptance to the Nursing Department by the deadline.

North Central Michigan College uses Viewpoint Screening to track and maintain the student requirements for the ADN program.

2. Authorize a background check.

Accepted students must authorize Viewpoint Screening to perform a background check. Michigan Public Health Act 27, 28 and 29 of 2006 require that clinical agencies perform a background check on all employees, including students who participate in clinical experiences. Certain felonies and misdemeanors may exclude a student from participating in clinical experiences and thus being part of the North Central nursing program. For an interpretation of these laws, read the Michigan Workforce Background Check Program Legal Guide

A background check costs approximately $35.

3. Set up your health portal.

Once the background check is complete, students will receive another link from Viewpoint Screening to set up their health portal with the requirements listed in this document.

NOTE: It is the student's responsibility to keep all health records and immunizations up to date and provide copies to their Viewpoint Screening health portal.

4. Attend Program Orientation.

Students accepted into the ADN program must attend the mandatory Nursing Program Orientation Session, typically held the first week of August. The exact date is included in the Letter of Acceptance.

Orientation is a one-day session for ADN students to learn about the specific expectations of the program. You will also learn helpful information about what equipment and uniforms you'll need to purchase prior to the start of the Fall semester.

Program Requirements & Suggested Course Sequences


ADN Program FAQs

Individuals may contact Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) or by calling toll free at (800) 667-7531 for information on how to obtain review materials. By logging onto ATI’s website, students can purchase various study materials from their online store. Our school library has two study guides on loan that can be checked out of the library.

TEAS TESTING DATES AT NCMC
January 21, 2025 - March 28, 2025.
Retakes: April 14, 2025 - April 17, 2025

Read the testing directions

Please arrange a meeting to speak with the program dean for more information.

Over the course of the four semesters of the nursing program, the number of days of the week range from three days a week to five days a week.  Clinical experiences are a variety of days and hours. The length of a clinical shift may vary from four hours to 12 hours depending on the rotation. Clinical experiences may also include weekends.

The average number of contact hours per semester is 15 to 18. In addition to the time spent in theory and clinical courses, it is strongly recommended that students spend an additional 2 hours per contact hour each week reading, studying, researching and practicing clinical skills in order to safely care for patients. This would add up to another 30 to 36 hours in addition to the clinical and class time, so you could compare the effort invested into the nursing program to be equivalent to that needed to maintain a full-time job.

We recommend that students do not work while enrolled in the program. However, if students absolutely must work they should plan on working no more than 12 hours a week.

North Central is fortunate to have clinical agreements in a variety of settings which allow students to see the full range of nursing experiences. Clinical sites are not only in Petoskey but at various agencies in Charlevoix, Cheboygan, East Jordan, Gaylord, Harbor Springs, Kalkaska, and St. Ignace. As a result, students are expected to have dependable transportation at all times.

However, sites change semester to semester based on availability and need.

ACEN Accreditation Information

ACEN Accreditation SealThe North Central Michigan College Associate Degree nursing program at North Central Michigan College located in Petoskey, Michigan, is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the North Central Michigan College Associate Degree nursing program has received its Initial Accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm.

52%Nursing Program Completion Rate
2023 Graduates Program Completion Rate
100%NCLEX-RN First-Time Pass Rate
2023 Graduates NCLEX RN First-Time Pass Rate
89%Nursing Program Job Placement Rate (Six Months Post-Graduation)
2023 Graduates Job Placement