The certificate of applied science-Practical Nursing program prepares you to sit for the national licensure examination (NCLEX-PN) and to begin a successful career as a licensed practical nurse. It is available in either a face-to-face or distance-hybrid format, and you can complete it in one year or elect to take it part-time in two years if you want to keep working.
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Step 1: Complete all prerequisites with at least a C (not a C-) grade and be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework of 2.5.
Step 2: Collect official transcripts if all prerequisites were not taken at Great Falls College
Step 3: Be admitted to Great Falls College and have a complete admissions file before applying to the program.
Step 4: Submit the program application (instructions in application).
Application opens March 3 (delayed from Feb. 14) and application packets are accepted on an ongoing basis but must be dropped off or postmarked on or before May 30 to meet the priority deadline to get into the Practical Nurse program for the upcoming semester. Only complete application packets will be processed, so do not send items separately.
| NRSG 130 | Fundamentals of Nursing |
| NRSG 135 | Pharmacology for Practical Nurses |
| NRSG 142 | Nursing Care of Women and Children |
| NRSG 148 | Leadership Issues for Practical Nurse |
Demand continues to grow across Montana and the United States for educated and highly skilled nursing professionals. Many LPNs (about 38%) work in residential care facilities helping older individuals. They also find jobs in state and local hospitals, physician offices, home healthcare service and government agencies.
| Job Title | Median Wage | Annual Job Openings | Expected Growth |
| Practical Nurse | MT: $45,330 US: $47,480 |
MT: 2,437 US: 721,700 |
MT: 10.9% US: 9.1% |
We get a lot of hands-on experience and lots of feedback from the professors as well. I’d absolutely recommend this program just because of the flexibility, and they put the students first.
Step 1 Qualify: Complete pre-requisites (all courses must be completed with at least a C (not a C-) and a minimum cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework of a 2.5 while being in good academic standing.
Link to chart of prereqs for PN program
Step 2 Decide how you’d like to take the program: You will need to choose whether to take the program face-to-face on the Great Falls College campus or complete it in a distance-hybrid format. In the distance format, you can “live-stream” classes on a platform such as WebEx and participate real time with your classmates and instructor or you can elect to watch a recording of the classroom material at your convenience. Clinical hours are completed close to the student’s home community, but require student initiative in identifying clinical locations, and nurse preceptors willing to work with the student once accepted into the program. Clinical sites must be in Montana. Distance students are required to attend classes face-to-face a few times at Great Falls College (a four-day orientation in August and one full week (Monday through Friday) each month from September-January and May.
You also have the choice of taking the program full time over two semesters (one year) or part time over four semesters (two years). The full-time track means a commitment of about 50-60 hours per week to successfully complete the program.
Step 3: Apply for the certificate of applied science-Practical Nursing program
To APPLY NOW please download the application and send all application items as a completed packet. Items sent separately and at random are easily lost or misfiled. We are not responsible for any late, lost or misfiled information. Please only send required documentation as other supplemental items will be discarded. Application packets can either be mailed to the Nursing Program or hand-delivered to the Health Science Administrative Assistance at Great Falls College.
Contact Information
Health Science Administrative Assistant
Room R227
406.771.4350
Mailing Address:
Practical Nursing Admissions Committee
Attention: Practical Nursing Program
Great Falls College MSU
2100 16th Avenue South
Great Falls MT, 59405
Step 4: Take the program
Step 5: Graduate and sit for the NCLEX-PN exam and go to work as a practical nurse
Both LPNs and RNs provide essential nursing care, but RNs usually have more autonomy and responsibility. LPNs typically handle basic nursing care and support RNs and physicians. RNs often work in hospitals, while LPNs frequently work in residential care facilities. The demand for both roles is increasing, especially in settings serving aging populations and outpatients.
Montana Board of Nursing Approval
In order for a nursing graduate to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam, the nursing program needs to be regionally approved by the presiding Board of Nursing and needs to meet the curriculum requirements for that particular state. The certificate of applied science Practical Nursing program is based on statewide curriculums and is fully approved by the Montana Board of Nursing, meeting all the requirements to make students eligible to take the appropriate licensing exam (NCLEX-PN).
National Accreditation
Great Falls College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education. The Practical Nursing program began in the spring of 2017. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the goal of accreditation is to assess and ensure the quality of academic programs at institutions of higher education is acceptable. This accreditation process is completed by an accrediting agency, a private educational association of regional or national scope. As a fairly new program, Great Falls College’s LPN program is not yet nationally accredited. However, Great Falls College LPN graduates do not have any state limitations on employment. Once graduates pass the NCLEX exam, they are eligible to apply for licensure in all 50 states. Most employers do not require graduation from a nationally accredited program, with rare exceptions primarily limited to specific military installations.
Graduates who pass the NCLEX-PN exam can apply for licensure by endorsement in any state. Montana is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, allowing nurses to practice in 34 states with a multi-state license. For details, visit www.ncsbn.org/compacts.htm. They likely have additional licensing requirements to complete prior to practicing in a state outside of Montana. Students should review licensing requirements for other states at Great Falls College MSU’s
For policies regarding the Nursing Programs please view the Nursing Program Handbook.
Boards of nursing are state governmental agencies that protect the public’s health by overseeing and ensuring safe nursing practice. They establish standards for safe nursing care and issue licenses to practice nursing, monitor licensees’ compliance to state laws, and take action against the licenses of nurses who have exhibited unsafe nursing practice. Most boards also review and approve nursing education programs to ensure that graduates are eligible to take the national licensure examinations (NCLEX) and are prepared for safe, effective practice. Montana Board of Nursing Website
To be considered for placement in one of the nursing programs at Great Falls College MSU, a prospective student that is currently enrolled in, who has withdrawn from, or failed out of another nursing program will be required to provide a written, detailed explanation of the circumstances of their withdrawal or failure and a letter of recommendation by at least one current faculty member or the program director from the previous nursing program. The student is required to take part in the competitive entry process and will be considered for placement in the appropriate semester based on available space in the class and/or clinical in which they would enter. Visit the Pathways page for more information on the steps to take if you are interested in transferring into a Great Falls College nursing program.
Nursing Program Assessment Plan: Curriculum map and plan will be reviewed AY 22-23. Annual report will be submitted in May 2023.
