Health Sciences Programs FAQs - Associate Degree Nursing (RN)

State regulations for RN licensure requires you show proof (documentation) of high school graduation or an equivalency. High school graduation equivalencies include any of the following: 

• A transcript showing completion of a California High School Proficiency Examination;
• a verified copy of GED test results; or
• a college transcript showing date of graduation for a college degree.

Yes. You must submit official transcripts from all colleges you have attended.

No. A transcript of your Shasta college work will be obtained from the Admissions and Records office and made an official part of you application packet.

No. You must submit separate packets for each program to which you are applying.  Programs have different prerequisite requirements and different application processes. Materials cannot be transferred to another application packet.

If you are requesting official transcripts from high schools and colleges, be sure to request one for each application packet. Remember, official transcripts are those which have been received from another educational institution in a sealed envelope and remain unopened. Once an envelope containing a transcript is opened (seal broken), the transcript cannot be accepted by Shasta College.

Student information changes periodically. The new application ensures we have the most current information about a student related to their education record and personal contact information.

No. Your previous enrollment packet and documentation was not maintained by the college. You must submit a new application with new official documents enclosed. Records cannot be submitted separately.

Yes, an application packet will need to be submitted each application period you want to apply for until you are invited to enroll in the program.

However, previously qualified applicants do not have to resubmit transcripts or immunization/titer records!

Your grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted.  Your grade point average may range from 0.0 to a 4.0.  For example:

A = 4 grade points

B = 3 grade points

C = 2 grade points

D = 1 grade point

WF/F = 0 grade points   

To get the example students' GPA, the total grade points are divided by the total credit hours attempted.

We accept all equivalent courses from regionally accredited institutions for the theory component.  However, all science lab courses must be face-to-face courses. Equivalent courses are judged on the basis of content and unit value. 

No. All prerequisite courses and graduation requirement courses must be completed and posted on your official transcript prior to applying to the program. No in-progress courses will be accepted.

If your application is disqualified due to lack of documentation, not having the prerequisite courses required, or not having completed graduation requirements, you will be notified by the Admissions and Records Office when your enrollment packet is reviewed.

The application acceptance letter from Admissions and Records Office will be sent out by September and is not an invitation into the ADN Program.

Applicants who have been selected to enroll in the program will be sent an Enrollment Invitation Letter via email from the Health Sciences Division Office by the last Friday in October.

Upon graduation from the program, students apply to take the NCLEX-RN - the state licensure exam through the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).  The BRN publishes the NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates for each of the schools in the state who have a registered nursing training program.  The first-time pass rate reflects the percentage of graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN exam the first time. 

TEAS stands for Test of Essential Academic Skills and provides information about a prospective nursing student’s abilities in the basic academic skills of Reading, Math, Science, and English Language Usage.  Shasta College’s Associate Degree Nursing program uses the TEAS as our pre-enrollment diagnostic measure of basic skills. The scores are used to assess whether the nursing student applicant has the basic skills in the identified areas to be successful in the program. 

Students who do not achieve the composite cut score of 62% on their first attempt at taking the TEAS exam, will be ineligible to apply to the program. Shasta College allows a maximum of three (3) attempts. Exams must be taken with a minimum of 90 days between testing; exams taken less than 90 days after the previous exam are counted as an attempt, but the score is not used for application purposes and will not be reviewed.

Please review our TEAS Guidelines for more information. Students would do not achieve the 62% in each category must make an appointment with the Health Sciences Division for remediation prior to program application.

Catalog rights refer to the graduation requirements that are in effect at the time a student initially enrolls for classes with Shasta College. As long as a student takes courses each semester with a break of no more than two consecutive semesters, the student will have the “right” to graduate with the requirements that were in effect at their initial enrollment. If a student has a break in enrollment for more than two consecutive semesters (summer sessions are not included), they will be responsible for meeting the graduation requirements of the catalog when they re-enroll for additional courses.   

Approved courses are listed in the college catalog in Chapter 3 in the section describing General Education requirements for an Associate Degree.  When choosing which courses for which you are responsible, you will need to refer to the catalog that applies to your enrollment.  

Application Information Sessions are typically held in-person held in person at Shasta College's Downtown Campus.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, information sessions will be held via Zoom. Links to the information session Zoom are found on the ADN Information Session & Application Eligibility Requirements page. 

All dates for information sessions will be posted on our website with enough notice for you to make arrangements to attend.

Otherwise, to obtain the information presented at the Information Session, you may schedule a phone appointment with the Health Sciences Counselor. You may schedule an appointment online here or by calling (530) 339-3600.