To complete Northwestern’s nursing program in 3 years, you must take and pass these courses with a C or better and for college credit in high school:

• Introduction to General Chemistry
• Anatomy and Physiology 1 + lab
• Anatomy and Physiology 2 + lab
• Developmental Psychology
• Introduction to Ethics or Introduction to Philosophy or Introduction to the Bible

In addition to the college-level courses noted above, completing and passing a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) course is a requirement for admission into Northwestern’s nursing program.

• Northwestern does not offer a CNA course. You will need to find a school or organization near you that offers a CNA course and complete it prior to enrolling in Northwestern’s nursing program.
• You do not need to work as a CNA, but you do need to earn a C or better in the coursework and pass the lab/clinical skills portion of the course.

Taking high school courses that are foundational to the nursing profession must be a priority for you in high school if you’re considering the 3-year plan of study.

• Foundational classes include, but are not limited to: biology, grammar, speech and writing. We strongly encourage you to take courses in these areas, but they do not need to be for college credit.
• During high school, you must take a minimum of 3 years/6 semesters of the same foreign language to enroll in Northwestern’s 3-year program. You must earn a C or better in the final 2 semesters. Note that these 6 semesters do not need to be college-level courses.
  • If you do not have 6 semesters of foreign language completed prior to high school graduation, you will need to take at least 2 summer courses following your first year at NWC to be on track with the 3-year plan of study.

Taking any of the classes noted below for college credit during high school will leave you with fewer credits per semester during your 3 years at Northwestern:

• Introduction to Sociology
• Statistics (not College Algebra) or Nutrition or Cultural Anthropology or Human Geography
• Art Appreciation or Music Appreciation or History or Literary Contexts
• Introduction to the Bible or Introduction to Ethics or Introduction to Philosophy (You must take at least one of these courses during high school to pursue the 3-year plan, but you could take more so you’d have fewer credits per semester at NWC.)

Note that college-credit speech and composition courses in high school will not cross any classes off the 3-year plan of study. All NWC freshmen take a required speech and composition course, First-Year Seminar, that is specific to Northwestern.