Nursing Education, Online

All students must earn a ‘B’ (3.0) or higher in all NUR courses within the MSN program; if a lower grade is earned in any NUR course, the course must be repeated. 

The following grading system is applied to all nursing courses in this major. There is no rounding of grades: 

A = 90-100 
B = 80-89.99 
C = 75-79.99 
F = 74.99 and below

Anyone desiring entrance into this major must first gain admission to Penn College. Acceptance into this selective admission major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission. Details are available on the Selective Admission Criteria and Process webpage.

Child abuse clearances and criminal background checks are required by some agencies involved in clinical practice experiences. Agencies can prohibit students from participating in clinical experiences at their sites if a criminal record exists or a positive drug test is noted. By virtue of contract for Pennsylvania College of Technology, when students are at a clinical site, agencies have the right to ask for random drug testing. Inability to complete clinical, fieldwork, or intern educational experiences will result in the inability to meet course and program outcomes. For additional clarification, students can speak with their program director. 

The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing advises that a drug-related conviction and/or conviction of a felonious act or two misdemeanors might result in denial and/or revocation of a license to practice nursing. In accordance with the professional Nurse Law, Act of 1951, P.L. 317, No. 69, as amended, the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing shall not issue a license to an applicant who has been convicted of a felonious act prohibited by the Act known as “The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and cosmetic Act” or convicted of a felony relating to a controlled substance in a court of law of the United States or any other state, territory or country unless a least 10 years have elapsed from the date of the conviction.

Penn College complies with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Pursuant to this Act, all forms of marijuana, including medical marijuana, are classified as prohibited controlled substances. Additionally, alcohol, illegal drugs, and legal drugs obtained without a prescription or which may impair a student’s ability to perform his/her educational responsibilities are strictly prohibited. Students are subject to drug screening at various phases of the program. Please note that a positive drug screening for marijuana will be deemed a positive test and will result in a student being dismissed from the program, even if the student has been lawfully certified to use medical marijuana and/or possesses a valid medical marijuana identification card issued in accordance with applicable state law.

Effective November 19, 2021, the masters nursing program at Pennsylvania College of Technology located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania is a candidate for initial accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. This candidacy status expires on December 31, 2023.

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 
(404) 975-5000 
http://www.acenursing.com/candidates/candidacy.asp

Note: Upon granting of initial accreditation by the ACEN Board of Commissioners, the effective date of initial accreditation is the date on which the nursing program was approved by the ACEN as a candidate program that concluded in the Board of Commissioners granting initial accreditation

Refer to the estimated expenses and equipment costs for a complete list.

Students must have access to a computer with consistent Internet access. Technical requirements are as follows: 

• Windows 11 or higher (recommended).
• Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended).
• 8+ GB RAM (recommended). 
• 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended).
• Laptop/computer must include a webcam and microphone (required).
• Laptop/computer must include a wireless network card (required).
• Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required).
• Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services Service Desk available for assistance).
• Chromebooks and other devices running Chrome OS are prohibited. 

The transfer of graduate level nursing credits will be evaluated on an individual basis. Students must have a minimum grade of 'B' (3.0) in courses transferred into the major. A maximum of 7 credits at the graduate level may be transferred into this major.

• Program Review Executive Summary
• Students must meet the Essential Functions for Nursing as established by the Nursing Program, as well as health and safety requirements including, but not limited to, immunizations (MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, annual influenza vaccination, PPD), medical examination, 10 panel drug screen, CPR certification, and background clearances as established by clinical affiliation agreements. Some clinical sites may have additional health and immunization requirements that are not part of the current program requirements, for example, COVID-19 vaccination.

Contact the Program Director:

Amber Morgan; Kelly Bidlespacher
nursingadministration@pct.edu 
570 320 2400 ext. 4525

Nursing Advisory Committee Members