Nursing Admissions

SCC is excited to help you fulfill your dream in the health care field. Whether you are just beginning or need to finish up, SCC can help you along your career path. Admission to the Nursing program is a two-step process. You must first complete the general admissions process to be accepted as a Health Science student. More details can be found below.

Nursing Admissions

Thank you for your interest in Salem Community College's (SCC) Nursing programs! Please review the information on this website to assist you with the application process for SCC's Practical Nursing Certificate (PN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Please note, this information is applicable to the 2024-2025 cohort (start date Summer 2024). Requirements may change each year.

If you have any questions, please contact admissions@salemcc.edu.

Two-Step Application Process

More detailed information about each step is explained at our Nursing Information Sessions. It is recommended that you attend one of these sessions.

STEP 1 General Admissions

✓ Submit your general application online (choose Health Science as your major).

✓ Submit official high school transcript or proof of GED.

✓ Satisfy placement test requirements (Accuplacer, High School GPA, etc.).

✓ Submit all official college transcripts (if applicable).

STEP 2 Selective Admissions

✓ Create your nursing portfolio with all requirements (see Nursing Information Session documentation).

✓ Satisfy the prerequisite requirement for Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 220).

✓ Schedule and complete any required testing (ATI TEAS).

✓ Submit your nursing portfolio before deadline.

Nursing Admissions F.A.Q.'s.

Thank you for your interest in Salem Community College’s (SCC) Nursing program! Please review this list of frequently asked questions to assist you with the application process for SCC’s Practical Nursing Certificate (PN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Please note, requirements may change each year.

Have a question that is not in this section? Please contact Admissions or Nursing.

E: admissions@salemcc.edu
E: nursing@salemcc.edu

    Admission to the Nursing program is a two-step process. You must first complete the general admissions process to be accepted as a Health Science student at SCC. This is a required step in order to apply to either the Practical Nursing (PN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Then, you must prepare a Nursing Portfolio and submit it by the designated deadline. More details can be found in the Nursing Admissions Booklets, which are located in the left-hand menu at www.salemcc.edu/nursing. Please also view our Nursing Admissions Tutorial videos.

    Admission to the Nursing program is a two-step process and therefore requires two official transcripts. One transcript is received and evaluated by the Admissions Department to determine your college-level placement in order to be admitted to SCC as a Health Science student. The second is required in your Nursing Portfolio as the Nursing Department uses official transcripts in determining an applicant's score on the Nursing Rubric.

    There is not a minimum GPA required to be admitted into the program. Acceptance to the Nursing program is determined by a point-based rubric which you can locate on this page. See Nursing Forms section.

    General education courses are embedded into the Nursing program, and therefore do not need to be completed prior to applying. However, completion of certain courses (ENG101, ENG102, BIO220 and/or BIO221) prior to submitting your Nursing Portfolio will add extra points to your rubric score (rubric can be found at www.salemcc.edu/nursing). Students applying to either the LPN or ADN program must meet Anatomy and Physiology pre-requisites to enroll in BIO220 at time of acceptance into the program. More details can be found in the Nursing Admissions Booklets, which are located in the left-hand menu at www.salemcc.edu/nursing. After you have been accepted for General Admissions into the Health Science program, you can meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss courses that you may want to enroll in prior to applying for the Nursing program.

    SCC offers two Nursing programs. The first is the Practical Nursing certificate program, which is for students who do not hold an active LPN license. Completion of this program prepares you to sit for your NCLEX-PN licensure examination. The second is the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program which is our LPN to RN program. Students must hold an active LPN license in order to be considered for admission into this program. Completion of the ADN program prepares you to sit for your NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

    Yes, the ATI TEAS is required in order to apply for both the LPN and ADN programs. More details including minimum required scores can be found in the Nursing Admissions Booklets, which are located on this page. See the Nursing Forms section.

    No, current LPN’s do not need to take BIO150. You can enroll directly into BIO220 (A&P I).

    Nursing applicants have a five (5) year time limit for Anatomy & Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology II. If Anatomy & Physiology I and/or Anatomy & Physiology II was completed at Salem Community College or a regionally accredited institution. Applicants can meet the five (5) year time limit by enrolling in the courses again. Please note: Microbiology does NOT have a time limit.

    Please review the Cost Sheets located under the Nursing forms section on this page. Note, if you transfer in or complete any of the general education courses listed on the cost sheet prior to enrolling in the Nursing program, your cost may be reduced.

    The best way to learn more about the Nursing program is to join us for a Nursing Information Session. Dates and registration can be found on the Nursing Information Sessions page. You should also review the Nursing Admissions Booklets which are located on the Nursing Forms section of this page. 

    Yes, ATI TEAS test scores are valid for two calendar years. You must pay to have an official ATI test score transcript sent to Salem Community College in order for it to be considered with your Nursing Portfolio.

    The TEAS may be taken up to 3 times per calendar year. Test dates must be at least 45 days apart.

    You can locate additional information about the ATI TEAS including SCC’s scheduled test dates on the SCC TEAs section of the website. You must register for your test at www.atitesting.com.

    The minimum TEAS total, reading and math score for PN applicants is 50%. The minimum total score for ADN applicants is 60%. The minimum reading and math scores for ADN students is 50%.

    The Accuplacer is a placement test for English and math used for general admissions. You may or may not need to take the Accuplacer depending on your previous high school and college coursework. Admissions will assist you with determining if you need to complete the Accuplacer. The ATI TEAS is designed to specifically measure academic preparedness of nursing and allied health candidates. All students applying to the PN or ADN program at SCC must take the ATI TEAS as a requirement for their Nursing Portfolio.

    The deadline to submit your Nursing Portfolio in order to be considered for the 2024-2025 Nursing program is March 1, 2024 by 3:00PM. More details can be found in the Nursing Admissions Booklets, which are located in the left-hand menu at www.salemcc.edu/nursing.

    SCC does accept transfer credits from other institutions. Once you submit all of your transcripts to SCC for general admissions to the Health Science program, the Registrar will complete a personalized transfer credit evaluation for you to determine which credits from your previous college(s) will transfer. Generally speaking, courses may be transferrable if they were completed at an institution that is regionally accredited, you received a grade of “C” or higher, and the course content is essentially equivalent to a similar course at SCC that is applicable to your program of study. Additional details about transfer credits can be found in the College Catalog. Note, Anatomy & Physiology courses have a 5-year time limit.

    Students are admitted into the Nursing program once per year. The Practical Nursing (PN) program is 44 weeks and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program is 37 weeks. You can locate the curriculum for each program in the Nursing Admissions Booklets and College Catalog.

    Yes, the Practical Nursing program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. The Associate Degree in Nursing program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Salem Community College is accredited by the Middles States Commission on Higher Education.

    Transcripts from countries outside the United States must be translated into English and evaluated before they can be included in the Nursing Portfolio. Applicants must request a general evaluation of their high school transcript and a course-by-course evaluation of their college transcript(s) by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at www.naces.org.

    Please submit the submission packet, which is located on the Nursing Admissions page of the Salem Community College website. It is also highly recommended that you attend a Nursing Information Session where you will have the opportunity to ask questions. You can register to attend a session at www.salemcc.edu/nursinginfo.

    You can review the Nursing Information Session Powerpoint here:

    Portfolios for the 2024-2025 Nursing Program can either be dropped off on-campus to Admissions (Donaghay Hall Room 101) or mailed to:

    Salem Community College
    Admissions Office
    Nursing – PN or ADN
    460 Hollywood Avenue
    Carneys Point, NJ 08069

    Complete portfolios submitted in person or by mail must be received in the Admissions office in Donaghay Hall, by the deadline. Portfolios postmarked by the deadline will NOT be considered. Once submitted, new documentation may NOT be added to the nursing portfolio. Remember to allocate sufficient time to gather all documentation.

    You may contact New Jersey Board of Nursing at:

    124 Halsey Street
    Newark, NJ 07102
    973.504.6430