Vocational Nursing - VN
The Health and Safety Sciences department is no longer accepting application for the Fall 2025 semester.
* Beginning January 2026, applications for admission will be online only. *
The Vocational Nursing Program is a 12-month course of study leading to a certificate in Vocational Nursing. Upon completion of this program, the student is eligible to take the NCLEX-PN, the licensure examination required by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians to practice vocational nursing.
The vocational nursing program will be accepting packets for August 2025 enrollment (fall semester) from February 3 - February 27, 2025. At the conclusion of the enrollment period, all complete applications will be screened using the multi-criteria points system and placed into the program according to highest points. Order of application by date will apply when point number is the same (ex. If two applicants have the same number of points, the applicant who applied at an earlier date will be admitted. Ten percent of those admitted for enrollment will be selected using a lottery system.
Students must submit the enrollment form, an official high school transcript showing graduation date or an official copy of GED results, and an educational planning and evaluation form completed by a Antelope Valley College counselor if any college courses pertaining to vocational nursing were completed, within one year prior to the date of submitting the enrollment form. Official college transcripts are required for any courses that pertain to the vocational nursing certificate, i.e., BIOL 100 (Elementary Anatomy and Physiology), PSY 101 (General Psychology) and NF 100 (Nutrition).
(CHANGE TO ADMISSION PROCESS) *** Starting in the February 2026 application period, for August 2026 enrollment (2026 Fall semester), AVC is now requiring completion of the ATI TEAS (v7) exam as part of the Vocational Nursing Program application process. This is a new requirement. The ATI TEAS score will be used as one of the criteria in our multi-criteria screening tool to help select applicants for admission to the VN Program. There is a cost associated with taking the TEAS, which the VN applicant is responsible for. The ATI TEAS score must be on file in the Health and Safety Sciences Division (Nursing Department Office) when your application is submitted for consideration for admission to the VN Program. The minimum score required is at least a 62%. Students will have two attempts to achieve the minimum score. If both attempts are below the 62%, applicants will be disqualified from applying to the Vocational Nursing Program at AVC. Students will be required to take the most current version of the TEAS, which currently is v7. Should the Version change, students will have to retest if they have not been admitted into the program.
All students will be required to attend a mandatory student orientation, complete a background screen (including social security number verification), and physical examination, including drug and alcohol screening. Instructions will be sent to students who are offered spaces in the program.
What to know before you apply:
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Beginning January 1, 2026, the Health and Safety Sciences Office will no longer accept physical applications. This process will be online only.
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You must sit with an AVC counselor and receive a completed educational plan. ( All pre-requisite courses must be completed. All substitutions/equivalencies must be approved. Any courses noted as in progress or pending approval will disqualify your application). This form is required to apply. You will be prompted to upload a copy when submitting your application.
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Counseling WILL NOT schedule students for an educational planning and evaluation of transcripts two weeks from the application deadline. Please do not wait until the last minute to schedule this appointment if you are trying to apply by the deadline.
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High School Graduation or GED Completion is a requirement for this program. You will have to send your official electronic transcripts showing graduation of high school or GED completion. We do not accept certificates of completion or diplomas.
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We no longer will accept physical transcripts and will only accept official electronic ones. This means you will have to request them through your institution or parchment. We will only accept transcripts during the application period. We will not accept ANY electronic transcripts directly from the student. They must come from the official institution. All required courses must be completed, we will not accept any noted as "In progress". If you are trying to receive credit for a degree, it must be posted on your transcript. We do not accept diplomas.
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You will have to send transcripts from ALL colleges where pre-requisites were completed INCLUDING AVC. If you did not take any courses at AVC you do not need to provide a transcript. The link to purchase your electronic transcript from AVC only is noted below.
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If you attended high school or college outside of the United States and would like to use those courses for credit, you will have to have your transcripts evaluated by a NACES approved agency.
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You can apply to the program without your TEAS however you will not be offered admission until you have completed this requirement. If you are applying and choose to request a one time code to test at no cost to you, one will be provided. You must receive at least a 62% on the TEAS. If you are unsuccessful on the first attempt, you will have to pay to retest. If you are unsuccessful on both attempts, you will be disqualified from our program. Please note, if you are requesting a code, you are not guaranteed to receive it before the deadline to be considered for admission until the following year.
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Only submit ONE application. Submitting multiple does not make the chances of acceptance higher but will make the screening process take longer.
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You must have an AVC email address in order to complete the online application. If you are having issues with your email, please contact ITS at help@avc.edu
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Once you submit, keep a copy of the response email informing you it has been submitted. Technical difficulties can occur. This is your proof that you submitted within the application window.
Please note, we will not accept any documents (forms, transcripts, educational plans etc.) before the application period begins or after it has closed. Any items received outside the application period will not be considered or saved.
Link to purchase AVC Electronic Transcript: https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/34993/institution
Application:
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Link to Online Application: Fall 2026 (Will Open February 2, 2026 at 7:30 am and close February 27, 2026 at 6:00 pm)
Requirements of Program if Offered Admission
Students who are offered a space in the program are required to adhere to the background, physical and vaccination guidelines set forth within the clinical affiliation agreements AVC Health programs have with various hospitals and doctors office's. If you fail to meet those requirements, you will not be able to proceed in the Vocational Nursing Program.
Students must complete the following:
1. Full physical exam with vision, hearing CBC and urinalysis. Student must also be able to participate in the following activities without restriction:
- Maintain emotional stability and to understand how to cope with stress during crisis situations.
- Exhibit written and verbal communication skills.
- Use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear and smell.
- Walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl. Occasionally to sit and climb or balance, push, pull or bend.
- Lift and/or move up to 30 pounds; perform all direct patient care activities, transferring, bathing, ambulating, and feeding procedures.
- Manipulate various sizes of equipment and supplies; perform CPR and charting activities.
- Use close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and adjust focus.
2. Proof of vaccination against Measles, Mumps and Rubella (two doses) within the last five years OR proof of immunity (titer) within the last year.
3. Proof of vaccination against varicella (two doses) within the past five years OR proof of immunity (titer) within the last year
4. Proof of vaccination against Hepatitis B (3 doses) within the past five years OR proof of immunity (titer) within the last year.
5. Two step TB test, chest x-ray or Quantiferon blood test within the last year (TB Test and Quantiferon blood test will have to be renewed yearly while in program)
6. Proof of vaccination against TDAP (Tetanus and Pertussis) within last ten years.
7. Seasonal Flu Vaccination
8. Covid 19 Vaccination
9. Drug Screening with Alcohol (Urine). Students must be tested for the following:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Benzoylecgonine (Cocaine)
- Cannabinoids
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Methadone
- Methaqualone
- Opiates
- Oxycodone
- Phencyclidine
- Propoxyphene
