Program Description
Make a genuine difference in the lives of others. Become a caregiver and advocate for those who need you the most. A career in Nursing is as in-demand as it is rewarding, with extensive benefits in job security, flexibility, and portability. Whether you are looking to get to work quickly through Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training or want to become a Registered Nurse, SPSCC’s extensive program options will prepare you to work in one of the world’s most necessary fields.
The Associate in Nursing Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA)/Major Related Program (MRP) Program is designed for persons interested in becoming a Registered Nurse as defined by Washington State law (RCW 18.79.040 and WAC 246-840-700).
Accreditation
The South Puget Sound Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA), located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20032, 202-909-2526.
South Puget Sound Community College's Nursing Program is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON).
Career Opportunities
Upon receiving licensure, graduates may be hired as nurses in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, medical offices, long-term care facilities, schools and community health agencies. Employment opportunities are high and well distributed throughout the state and the nation, especially in rural areas.
Degree Planning
To earn an Associate in Nursing DTA/MRP degree all courses taken must be: At college level (numbered 100 or above).
- A minimum of 75 of the 90 credits required for the degree must be from the General Education Requirements for the Associate in Arts & Science – Direct Transfer Agreement. Copies of the list are available online at https://catalog.spscc.edu/distribution-requirements/aa-as-dt-degrees/
- A class can only count once toward General Education requirements. For example, CMST& 220 Public Speaking will satisfy either Humanities or Communications course requirements, but not both.
- A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above in all college-level courses required. Note that admission to specific upper division Nursing programs is competitive; therefore, no particular GPA can guarantee admission to any specific program.
- Although this degree is a direct transfer agreement/major-related program degree, South Puget Sound Community College has provided pathways and associated recommended courses for ease of student selection based upon a student’s career interest. Please review the pathway maps for recommended courses and course sequences.
Core Requirements
- CCS 107 Healthcare Professions Exploration (5 credits)
- Communication Requirement (10 credits total)
- Quantitative Requirement (5 credits total)
- MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics (5 credits)
- Humanities Requirement (15 credits total)
- 10 credits from 2 disciplines (the other 5 credits comes from within the program). No more than 5 credits in performance/skill courses. No more than 5 credits of foreign language at the first-year level.
- CMST& 220 Public Speaking (5 credits); or CMST& 210 Interpersonal Communication: Diversity (5 credits); or CMST& 240 Intercultural Communication: Diversity (5 credits)
- Social Science Requirement (15 credits total)
- 10 credits of psychology and 5 credits of social science outside of psychology that has diversity focus.
- 5 credits from Sociology
- Natural Science Requirement (35 credits total)
- Electives (minimum number to reach 90 credits total)
- 5 credits must be from the General Education (AA). No more than 3 PE activity credits may be used.
Program Mission, Vision & Values
Mission:
The Nursing Program at South Puget Sound Community College prepares students to engage within the nursing profession, to thrive in the work force, and to further advance their professional knowledge and practice. This is achieved through an emphasis on lifelong learning, integration of technology, and information derived from evidence-based practice. Our students will be supported to be successful within the nursing program at SPSCC and provided opportunities for a seamless transition to their BSN and beyond.
Vision:
South Puget Sound Community College’s Nursing Program is recognized as a leader in the South Sound region. Partnership with local stakeholders, innovative curricular design, and inclusion of a diverse student population prepare graduates to address diverse local and global community health and wellness needs. Graduates will be prepared to pursue further education and to become nurse leaders, innovators, and creative community partners in the continually evolving nursing profession.
Values:
The values of the nursing program at South Puget Sound Community College reflect nursing and nursing education to self, each other, the program, and the community:
- Caring
- Compassion
- Accountability
- Empowerment
- Respect
- Effective Communication
- Excellence with Integrity
- Humor and Laughter
South Puget Sound Community College believes that all students need to develop a broad range of abilities that will not only make them more effective in their professional pursuits but will enhance their capacity to relate well to others in their daily lives. At the end of this program students will:
- Demonstrate the ability to assess, analyze, plan, safely implement, and evaluate nursing plans of care which address the holistic needs of diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities
- Acquire and implement new scientific knowledge and use technology to enhance nursing practice
- Communicate effectively in full partnership to facilitate delivery of care
- Participate ethically and professionally in local and global communities as an entry level nurse
The SPSCC college-wide abilities are embedded into each program:
- Analytical Reasoning
- Effective Communication
- Information Literacy
- Multicultural Awareness
- Social Responsibility
Application Process
Before applying for admission to the program, there are a few requirements to complete. It is your responsibility to ensure that all application materials and required documentation are received by the published application deadline.
- Apply to SPSCC: If you are not already an admitted student at SPSCC, you must become one. Apply online to obtain a ctcLink ID number.
- Complete the Prerequisites: Transcripts of prerequisite coursework must be received prior to the deadlines. Unofficial transcripts may be used with your application. Official transcripts will be required only from the finalists who are offered conditional program acceptance.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| BIOL& 241 | Human A & P 1 ("B+" or better) | 5 |
| BIOL& 242 | Human A & P 2 ("B+" or better) | 5 |
| BIOL& 260 | Microbiology ("B" or better) | 5 |
| CHEM& 121 | Introduction to Chemistry ("B" or better) | 5 |
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition I ("B" or better) | 5 |
| MATH& 146 | Introduction to Statistics ("B" or better) | 5 |
| PSYC& 200 | Lifespan Psychology ("B" or better) | 5 |
An additional 30 credits of general education courses are also required for graduation from the nursing program. Though not required for admission to the program, it is recommended that you take these courses prior to entry into the program. These include:
Notes on Prerequisites and General Education:
- Based on placement testing, students may need to complete basic skills and/or pre-college English and math in order to complete prerequisites.
- Although general education courses may be taken after admission to the Nursing Program, students are encouraged to complete as many of these courses as possible prior to entering the Nursing Program. Summer quarters are also good times to take general education courses.
- Communications and humanities courses may be chosen from the course list for direct transfer degrees.
3. Apply for Admission to the Nursing Program: To apply to the nursing program at SPSCC, you must submit a Nursing Program Application along with a non-refundable $35 application fee.
Application Periods:
January 4 - March 1:
Applications for Summer 2027 admission to the nursing program were accepted starting on January 4, 2027. No applications will be accepted after March 1, 2027. Coursework completed through Winter Quarter 2027 will be accepted towards admission to the program. Application materials, dates of nursing information sessions, and information about the lottery process are available on the Nursing Admissions page.
April 5 through June 1:
Applications for Fall 2027 admission to the nursing program will be accepted starting on April 5, 2027. No applications will be accepted after June 1, 2027. Coursework completed through Spring Quarter 2027 will be accepted towards admission to the program. Application materials, dates of nursing information sessions, and information about the lottery process are available on the Nursing Admissions page.
Admission Process
Qualified applicants who have met the above requirements by the application deadline are entered into the nursing lottery, which selects students for the nursing program. For the Summer cohort, five slots will be specifically drawn for students who took 20 or more credits of their prerequisites at SPSCC. For the Fall cohort, ten slots in the program will be specifically drawn for students who took 20 or more credits of their prerequisites at SPSCC. Applicants selected in the lottery process will be required to provide official transcripts, proof of immunizations, and be cleared through background checks in order to progress through the admission process.
Courses by Quarter (Pathway Map)
Check with your advisor to determine where you will start. Advisors must approve changes to academic plan.
Pre-College Level
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| 1 - 7.5 |
| Applied Math I | |
| Applied Math II | |
| Contextualized Math I | |
| 1 -10 |
| ESOL Level I (Beginning Literacy) | |
| ESOL Level II (Low Beginning) | |
| ESOL Level III (High Beginning) | |
| ESOL Level IV (Low Intermediate) | |
| ESOL Level V (High Intermediate) | |
| ESOL Level VI (Advanced) | |
| ABE Language Arts III (Low Intermediate Language Arts) | |
| ABE Language Arts IV (High Intermediate Language Arts) | |
| ABE Language Arts V (Adult Secondary Level Language Arts) | |
College Level
This degree is a total of 138 credits.
CCS 107 Healthcare Professions Exploration is a required course for all students. Skip if already taken in Pre-College.
Advising Notes
***Required indicates that students must take one of the specific courses listed. Any substitution would require Advisor and Department approval.
***Recommended indicates that Pathway faculty recommend the courses listed, but other courses may fulfill the degree requirement. Students should consult with Advisor about additional course options.
Pathway Notes
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| AMATH 097 | Corequisite Intermediate Algebra | 7 |
| ENGL 090 | Integrated Reading and Writing I | 5 |
| or ENGL 095 | Integrated Reading and Writing II |
| CCS 107 | Healthcare Professions Exploration | 5 |
| CMATH 146 | Clippers Introduction to Statistics 1 | 7 |
| ENGL 098 | Transitional English Composition | 5 |
| or ENGL& 101 | English Composition I |
| BIOL& 160 | General Biology W/Lab | 5 |
| CHEM& 121 | Introduction to Chemistry | 5 |
| PSYC& 100 | General Psychology | 5 |
| ENGL& 102 | Composition II | 5 |
| BIOL& 241 | Human A & P 1 | 5 |
| NUTR& 101 | Nutrition | 5 |
| 5 |
| Public Speaking | |
| BIOL& 242 | Human A & P 2 | 5 |
| BIOL& 260 | Microbiology | 5 |
| PSYC& 200 | Lifespan Psychology | 5 |
| NURS 111 | Integrated Nursing Care I | 3 |
| NURS 112 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment I-Lab | 3 |
| NURS 140 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment I-Clini/Sim | 2 |
| PHIL 235 | Ethics and Policy in Health Care I: Diversity | 2 |
| 5 |
| Spanish for Healthcare Workers | |
| Introduction to Philosophy | |
| Ethics | |
| Science, Technology, and Human Values | |
| NURS 121 | Integrated Nursing Care II - Theory | 5 |
| NURS 122 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment II-Lab | 2 |
| NURS 141 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment II Clinical/Simulation | 3 |
| NURS 113 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| NURS 131 | Integrated Nursing Care III - Theory | 5 |
| NURS 132 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment III-Lab | 2 |
| NURS 142 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment III Clinical/Simulation | 3 |
| PSYC 235 | Psychosocial Issues in Health Care I | 2 |
| NURS 211 | Integrated Nursing Care IV - Theory | 4 |
| NURS 212 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment IV-Lab | 2 |
| NURS 240 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment IV-Clinical/Simulation | 3 |
| PSYC 236 | Psychosocial Issues in Health Care II | 3 |
| NURS 221 | Integrated Nursing Care V-Theory | 4 |
| NURS 222 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment V-Lab | 2 |
| NURS 241 | Integrated Nursing Care & Assessment V-Clinical/Simulation | 3 |
| PHIL 236 | Ethics and Policy in Health Care II: Diversity | 3 |
| NURS 231 | Nursing Transition Into Practice | 3 |
| NURS 232 | Preceptorship | 6 |
| NURS 233 | Capstone Project | 3 |
