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Attend an event or schedule a campus tour/program shadow.
From submitting your application to admission to registration, Northwood Tech is available to help guide you through the admissions process. To help you successfully complete this program, Northwood Tech has developed a set of program requirements and technical standards. For students with a disability, reasonable accommodations are available to help you be successful in the program of your choice.
Admission Requirements
The first step to get admitted is to fill out a Northwood Tech application, and Northwood Tech will guide you from there. If you're not quite ready to become a student, visit a campus to get the full Northwood Tech experience. A campus tour will give you the opportunity to meet staff, instructors and students, tour the campus and get a real feel for the campus culture.
Nursing - Associate Degree (pre) Admission Requirements
- Complete Online application form
- Complete Accuplacer entrance assessment to determine placement (waiver may apply with acceptable alternative test scores and/or postsecondary degree completion); NOTE: required Accuplacer entrance assessment scores for core Nursing coursework are higher than pre-Nursing scores.
- Review and sign Background Check Disclosure
- Out-of-State applicants sign a Professional Licensure Disclosure
- Complete admissions meeting with a Northwood Tech counselor
Nursing - Associate Degree Program-Specific Requirements
Pre-Nursing students must complete the petition process to be eligible for the core Nursing program. In addition to the requirements above, students in this program must:
- Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 or better
- Complete a Nursing Assistant course with a grade of 2.0 or better
- Complete priority petition for admission forms:
- Submit an official high school (or HSED/GED) transcript with graduation date.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- Northwood Tech transcripts to verify course completion (priority admission is given to students who have completed the ADN program-required General Studies courses)
- Review and sign Background Check Disclosure
- Complete and sign Intent to Enroll form
- Submit an official high school (or HSED/GED) transcript with graduation date.
- Prior to attendance in core Nursing coursework, student must:
- Submit Background Check fee
- Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable), and other states if applicable
- Complete physical exam and health requirements, including immunizations
- Possess current certification of “BLS Basic Life Support”
- Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement
- Participate in a mandatory program orientation session
Please refer to the 2025-26 Requirements & Application page for FY26 Nursing-Associate Degree Additional Program Information.
2025-2026 Nursing-Associate Degree Program Additional Information will be available April 2025.
Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) to Associate Degree Nurse (ADN)
If you are a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and are interested in becoming a registered nurse (RN), Northwood Tech offers an LPN to ADN track. The LPN to ADN pathway provides advanced standing from an accredited program for nursing courses in ADN semesters one and two of the Northwood Tech ADN program. Additionally, credits may be transferred from the practical nursing program if the General Studies and/or elective credits were at an associate degree level. Contact the campus admissions advisor for more information.
Nursing - LPN to ADN Admission Requirements
- Complete Online application form
- Complete Accuplacer assessment to determine placement (waiver may apply with acceptable alternative test scores and/or postsecondary degree completion)
- Submit an official high school (or HSED/GED) transcript with graduation date.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 or better
- Submit a copy of current, unrestricted active LPN license from U.S. State Boards of Nursing. Applicants without a U.S. issued state board of nursing license will need to apply and obtain a license from the state in which they reside.
- Submit an official LPN transcript from a program that was accredited at the time of graduation.
- Send statement of good standing from Dean of Nursing or Nursing Program Director at most recent college attended core (nursing core)
- Review and sign Background Check Disclosure
- Out-of-State applicants sign a Professional Licensure Disclosure
- Complete admissions meeting with a Northwood Tech counselor
- Confirmation of admission from the Northwood Tech Counselor, who has confirmed the
following:- Have completed and passed or received transfer credit for the following general education classes: English Composition 1, General Anatomy and Physiology, Advanced Anatomy and Physiology, Developmental Psychology, and Oral/Interpersonal Communication. NOTE: Intro to Sociology, Intro to Psychology, Microbiology, and elective courses are not prerequisites to the progression path, but are strongly recommended for completion prior to entering clinical courses.
Program-Specific Requirements
- Successfully complete the LPN to ADN Module
- Possess current certification of "BLS Basic Life Support"
- Complete physical exam and health requirements, including immunizations
- Prior to attendance in core Nursing coursework, student must:
- Submit Background Check fee
- Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable) and other states if applicable
- Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement
2025-26 LPN to ADN Additional Program Information will be available April 2025
Nursing - Associate Degree Transfer Student Requirements
Students must have completed at least one transferrable clinical or skills-based nursing course from an accredited ADN program to qualify for transfer into the ADN program at Northwood Tech. There is no time limit for course transferability. If students have not yet entered a clinical or skill based nursing course, they must apply to the generic track of the ADN program. Due to the limited availability of clinical slots for transfer students, transfers are admitted on a space-available basis.
Please refer to the 2024-25 Requirements & Application page for FY25 ADN Transfer Student Additional Program Information.
2025-2026 Nursing-Associate Degree Program Additional Information-Transfer Track will be available April 2025.
2025-26 Northwood Tech/UWEC Nursing Alliance
- 2025-26 Northwood Tech/UWEC Nursing Alliance information will be available April 2025.
Admission Requirements
All Admissions Requirement items much be submitted together in one packet to the UWEC Nursing Alliance Program Director by the deadline listed on the Intent to Enroll Checklist.
- Complete Intent to Enroll Checklist
- Complete and submit Northwood Tech application form (paper only)
- Submit an official high school (or HSED/GED) transcript with graduation date.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- If you are a current high school student, you can be admitted with an unofficial, or official, current transcript. Your final official transcript with graduation date must be submitted prior to the program starting or you will be withdrawn from the program.
- Submit official in-progress/current UWEC transcript
- Submit official college transcripts for other schools attended - if applies
- Review and sign Background Check Disclosure
- Out-of-State applicants sign a Professional Licensure Disclosure
Program-Specific Requirements
Prior to class start you must submit completion of the following items to your program advisor:
- Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 (C) or better
- Complete a Nursing Assistant course with a grade of 2.0 (C) or higher
- Provide end-of-term official UWEC transcript to verify successful completion of all in- progress courses
- Participate in a mandatory orientation and complete/submit the following items by the dates provided at the orientation:
- Background Check fees (to Castle-Branch and/or Student Services for MN Caregiver if applicable)
- Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable), and other states if applicable
- Complete physical exam and health requirements, including immunizations
- Possess current certification of "BLS Basic Life Support"
- Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement
- Complete and sign the Authorization to Release Student Record Information between UWEC and Northwood Tech
2025-26 ADN Priority Petition Process
ADN Priority Petition Process
ADN Priority Petition for Fall 2025 Start will be March 27-April 3, 2025. Check back in March 2025 for updated information.
ADN Student Handbook
- 2025-26 Health Sciences & Nursing- Associate Degree Student Policies will be available August 2025
Associate Degree Nursing Orientation
- 2025-26 Nursing-Associate Degree Orientation documents will be available April 2025.
Nursing-Associate Degree (ADN) Withdrawal
- Instructions for Withdrawal from ADN Core Courses
- If you are at this webpage, it means your ADN Academic Advisor has been notified that you dropped your ADN course (543-xxx) courses.
- If you are withdrawing from your ADN core (543-xxx) courses, the ADN program would like to gather data regarding your decision to withdraw. This data is useful in the ADN planning process. Thank you for providing this information.
- Please carefully review the Withdrawal from the ADN Program form. You may complete the form electronically and email to lorraine.sacinomurphy@NorthwoodTech.edu or print and mail this form within one month of your exiting the program to the following address:
- Lorraine Sacino Murphy
- Northwood Technical College
- 1900 College Dr
- Rice Lake, WI 54868
- If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Lorraine Sacino Murphy, Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director, at lorraine.sacinomurphy@NorthwoodTech.edu or 715.788.7089.
- If you are at this webpage, it means your ADN Academic Advisor has been notified that you dropped your ADN course (543-xxx) courses.
ADN Reentry Students
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Process for ADN Reentry Students
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If you are an ADN student who has failed or withdrawn from a core nursing course you are now considered a Reentry Student with the ADN program. Due to limited enrollments allowed for clinical sites and available classroom space and resources for theory courses, reentry students must be prioritized for reentry into the ADN core courses.
A student who fails to earn a passing grade or withdraws from a nursing core course must complete the following forms:
Student Program Readmission Request Form (E4)Students must meet with the Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director and submit both forms within ten (10) days of withdrawal or failure. The Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director will forward both forms to the ADN Program Coordinator and a campus counselor to help ensure successful reentry.
Please note that while you may not be eligible to continue with core nursing courses at this time due to pre/corequisite requirements, you are still eligible to take general studies or elective courses required for graduation from the ADN program.
Students will receive notification of their reentry status six (6) weeks prior to the start of the Fall semester and three (3) weeks prior to the start of the Spring semester they would like to reenter. There must be space available in the theory and skill courses, as well as clinical facility availability for a student to be able to reenter.
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A reentry student may not register for nursing core courses until approved to do so by the Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director and until all prerequisite core technical courses are completed.
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If you are planning on retaking coursework through another WTCS college, you must still complete and return both forms. This will ensure that you will still be considered for reentry priority status.
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If you are offered an opportunity to return and you decide to postpone your reentry to the ADN program, you will forfeit your priority reentry status and will not be eligible for reentry until after other students waiting to reenter (LPN to ADN, transfer) have had the opportunity to reenter.
All reentry students are required to resubmit a Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check and a National Criminal Background Check which must be completed. In additional to that, if you are a New Richmond or Superior student, you are also required to resubmit a Minnesota Caregiver Background Check. Background Check forms and information can be found on the ADN Program Webpage, Requirements & Application, scroll down to Orientation.
In order to be considered for reentry, the student must be current on all clinical requirements and verifications.
If you have any questions, please contact the Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director.
Lorraine Sacino Murphy, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE
Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director
Northwood Technical College
1900 College Dr
Rice Lake WI 54868
715.788.7089
lorraine.sacinomurphy@NorthwoodTech.edu
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Technology Requirements
If using Macintosh or Linux based computers, coursework must be submitted using your Office365 tools provided with your Northwood Tech email account. It is important to verify with your Program Faculty if non-Windows based computers are acceptable in the program.
Get the Northwood Tech experience
Attend an event or schedule a campus tour/program shadow.
