Vermont State offers students a comprehensive undergraduate progressive pathway option in nursing education, composed of the Practical Nursing certificate (PN), the Associate Degree in Nursing (ASN) and the Bachelor’s degree completion in Nursing (BSN) (1+1+2).
Students admitted into either the PN or ASN programs may progress directly through to the post-licensure bachelor’s degree or may choose to stop out after receiving the PN and/or ASN credentials.
Students must declare their intent to progress on a Nursing Direct Progression form via the Nursing department no later than December 15th of their PN year. The Nursing Direct Progression Form will be available in mid-Fall semester.
Students must receive minimum grades in their PN Coursework
- The following required courses must be completed PRIOR to graduation with a final course grade of C or higher. BIO courses must be taken within the last ten years. The minimum grade for all of these courses will increase to C+ (77) for courses taken during fall 2025 and for all future terms.
- BIO 2011 Human Anatomy & Physiology Part I
- BIO 2012 Human Anatomy & Physiology Part II
- BIO 1030 Nutrition
- PSY 2070 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
- The following courses require the student to achieve a minimum final course grade of C+ (77). If a student is unsuccessful in meeting this academic benchmark, they will not progress to the subsequent term. The student can follow the processes for re-admission for the next academic year. If the course is not successfully completed on the second attempt, the student will be dismissed from the PN nursing program. A withdrawal from a course on either the first and/or second enrollment counts as a course attempt.
- The following courses require the student to achieve a final course grade of C+ (77) or higher in the classroom component AND a Pass (P) in the clinical component of the course. If the student receives a C+ (77) or higher in the classroom but does not pass clinical, the final earned course grade will be submitted to the registrar as the final letter grade achieved in the course and a No Pass (NP) will be entered for clinical. A grade of NP in clinical makes a student ineligible for progression and they can follow the re-admission policy for consideration the following year. If the student does not meet the minimum benchmark of a C+ (77) in the classroom but passes (P) clinical, the final letter grade achieved in the classroom will be submitted to the registrar. A letter grade below a C+ makes a student ineligible for progression and they can follow the re-admission policy for consideration the following year. A withdrawal from a course on either the first and/or second enrollment counts as a course attempt.
- NUR 1111
- NUR 1121
- NUR 1131
- NUR 0111 (co-req clinical course NUR 1111)
- NUR 0121 (co-req clinical course NUR 1121)
- NUR 0131 (co-req clinical course NUR 1131)
- Students must attend the Practical Nursing program in three consecutive semesters (fall, winter, spring 2). Students attending the program for fewer than three consecutive semesters may apply for Direct Progression only with approval of the Dean of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Students must request their site preferences for the ASN program on their Nursing Direct Progression form.
- Students must obtain Practical Nursing licensure (LPN) during the summer between the PN and ADN years.
Students will receive one progress update after the first PN term. Students will receive their final Direct Progression decision after the completion of the three PN terms.
Students who do not meet minimum eligibility requirements to progress from the PN to ASN will not be eligible to progress for the immediate fall term. These students may apply for a future year.
Vermont State University will assign first priority to students requesting to remain at their PN site–in order of GPA. Once the ASN slots are filled for any site, Vermont State University will try to place students in the ASN site of their next highest stated preference, if seats are available. Students whose first preference is to attend an ASN site other than that at which they took their PN program will be considered for the preferred site after qualified students attending that site for their PN have been offered a seat in that ASN program cohort. While Vermont State guarantees direct progression from the PN to the ASN program for qualified students, it cannot guarantee direct progression at the same site at which the PN certificate was obtained. Because of the competitive demand for ASN seats and the limitations of clinical ASN placements in some areas of the state, some students may have to continue their nursing studies at a site other than their first choice or the site at which the PN certificate was obtained.
- Students must declare their intent to progress on a Nursing Direct Progression form prior to May 1 for Direct Progression. The Nursing Direct Progression Form will be available in mid-Fall semester.
- Students must successfully complete their ASN program.
- Students must obtain Registered Nurse licensure (RN) during the summer after completing the ASN degree.
Additional Information
Students wishing to take off a semester or more after completing the PN or ASN program may apply for re-admittance to the nursing program through the regular nursing program admissions process, but will not be guaranteed admittance.
Our BSN program coursework is offered entirely online with additional required local precepted experiences.
This process will be reviewed and evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure viability and sustainability.
