Advanced Placement Programs

The Mt. San Jacinto College School of Nursing supports and appreciates the sacrifices that our Military Personnel have made for our country. As such, we offer an opportunity for our veterans to earn credit for their work, educational experience, and background. Students will be considered for advanced placement based on prior learning and experience. Students will be assessed cognitively, and psychomotor skills based on their knowledge and experience, or prior/current education and experience, and given credit for prior learning as appropriate. The following policy is a way to recognize our veterans for their contributions.

Admission Process

1. Meet with a Health and Wellness Pathway Counselor to review required coursework, previous coursework or experience that may be eligible for advanced placement, develop an educational plan, and get an overview of timelines associated with applying to the program.
2. Application and admission to Mt. San Jacinto College, along with completion of MSJC's enrollment process.
3. Submit proof of High School Diploma or equivalent (U.S. accredited or Naces.org evaluated) and all Official Transcripts from all Colleges and/or Universities attended to Enrollment Services.
4. Applicants must meet all general entrance requirements of the Associate Degree Nursing
   Program, including a minimal GPA of 2.5, completion of designated prerequisites and the
   Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a minimum score of 62%.
5. Acceptance of Military Challenge students into the Associate Degree Nursing Program is
   contingent upon space availability, skills competency (determined after meeting with
   Program Director), 75% or above on the Challenge Exam and 100% on a dosage
   calculation quiz.
6. Military Challenge students applying to the Associate Degree Nursing Program after
   failure at another school will need a letter from the Program Director of the previous
   Nursing School indicating that they were in good standing upon departure from that
   program.
7. Applicant must submit DD214 with Application.

Advanced Placement Challenge Process

1. All Information Workshops, Website, Brochures, meetings with Counselors, and Catalog Information will inform military students about the option for advanced placement based on their military experience and education.
   1. Recency of education and experience within the last ten years prior to applying for MSJC’s Nursing program is recommended. However, competency may be verified for each course per program policy
   2. Education and experience must meet the basic requirements per individual college guidelines
   3. Verification of Honorable Discharge as noted on (DD214), or for active-duty students, request of an official letter from the military student’s supervisor noting current honorable service
   4. Advanced Placement military students must take and pass the transition and lab course.
2. If a student with military experience is accepted into the nursing program and does not meet recency the student will be allowed to challenge the course or to complete remedial activities in the deficient area(s). The challenge or remedial activities will be provided during the Role Transition course and assigned by the Content Expert in the deficient area.
3. The Special Program Assistant will identify students with military experience once admitted into the Nursing Program from their application and arrange a meeting with the Nursing Chair/Director, or designee, to discuss advanced placement options based on previous coursework as shown on transcripts (students brings military transcripts to meeting) or prior military experience.
4. If a student with military experience does not meet recency and is not completing remedial activities they will be referred to a Health & Wellness Counselor to complete the Military Request for Credit for Prior Learning form with the student with military experience and request appropriate documentation, including military transcripts and/or experiential verification, which will be submitted to Enrollment Services.
5. Nursing Director/Chair, or designee, will review/evaluate the Military Request for Credit for Prior Learning form and indicate whether the student with military experience meets requirements to advance place and provide their decision to Enrollment Services. Special Program Assistant will communicate with the student on whether they will complete challenge exams, remedial coursework, or their previous credit will transfer.
6. If the LVN student is deemed eligible for Challenge by Examination, the Program Nursing Director/Chair, or designee, will communicate with the appropriate Nursing Faculty, and assign a Content Expert, or designee, to facilitate the appropriate challenge exam(s) and skills testing to determine competency. See examples below of Successful Benchmarks:
   1. Skills competency (if clinical course set is being challenged) – PASS (3 attempts)
   2. Written examination – score 76% or above
   3. Medication Calculation examination (if clinical course set is being challenged) – 90% score or above (3 attempts)
7. Content Expert, or designee, will provide a course outline to the student with military experience prior to competency tests.
8. The student with military experience is required to complete the competency tests in person.
9. Content Expert, or designee, will notify Program Director/Chair, or designee, the results of exams/skill tests.
10. If successful, the Special Program Assistant will notify the student via email and a new program of study will be provided by meeting with a Health and Wellness Counselor.
11. If unsuccessful, the Special Program Assistant will notify the student via email, and inform the student to take the appropriate course(s) and a new program of study will be provided by meeting with a Health and Wellness Counselor.
12. All challenge exams must be completed prior to the start of their first required course in the ADN nursing curriculum sequence.