Why Nursing?
The program, offered at four college sites, prepares students to apply for the NCLEX-RN examination and to assume an entry-level position as a registered nurse. Program learning experiences prepare graduates for professional nursing practices as defined and delineated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. The program consists of courses in liberal arts and selected sciences, as well as nursing.
The CCAC Associate Degree Nursing program prepares graduates for entry-level practice in the current and emerging global health care delivery workforce. The program creates a dynamic, diverse and supportive student-centered environment for learning. The concept-based curriculum, along with the active engagement of the student in the learning process, provides quality preparation for academic, professional and personal success.
Admission to Nursing
Every Nursing and Health Sciences program at CCAC has specific admissions requirements and career accreditation.
For Nursing, there are specific course requirements and academic thresholds that must be met before a potential applicant can be considered for the program. To view all admission requirements, visit our Nursing Admissions page.
The Nursing Application Is Open!
STOP! HAVE YOU COMPLETED CCAC's GENERAL APPLICATION FIRST? DID YOU GET A STUDENT ID#?
If yes, please continue. If no, please complete the CCAC General Application at discover.ccac.edu. Please use this link for the General Application instructions.
Once you have completed CCAC’s General Application and the prerequisites necessary for Nursing Admissions, you will be ready to complete the Fall 2025 Nursing Application, available beginning January 15, 2024, with a priority deadline of April 18, 2024.
Nursing Application Instructions
Students interested in applying must be accepted to the general college and have a student ID number. The process requires two separate applications (General and Nursing).
All applicants must meet all admission criteria by the deadline of the application period for which they are applying. Transcripts, exams scores, etc. must be on file with the CCAC Registration office by that same deadline.
Students admitted into the program are admitted tentatively. Admission to the program is not fully granted until students pass a criminal background check, drug testing, a physical and other clinical requirements. The Nursing Department cannot prereview any charges. Please check our Criminal Offense Chart for guidance.
To Apply:
- Please visit this link:
https://ccac.edu/academics/programs/nursing-and-allied-health/nursing/index.php.
You will click on the blue banner that indicates that the CCAC Nursing Application is currently OPEN. If you have not completed the CCAC General Application, STOP HERE! - Please be sure to enter correct contact information. (CCAC student email accounts all end in @ccac.edu; it is best to use your CCAC email on the Nursing application.)
- Log in. Change the password if you are unable to recall what you used when you completed the General Application. If you are locked out of your account, contact one of our general Admissions offices for assistance.
- Choose "Create a New Application."
- Choose "Click Here to Begin a Nursing Application."
- Under Enrollment Information, select " > Fall 2025: Nursing/Allied Health Applications > Nursing Applicant." Be sure that the enrollment term that you selected earlier also matches the anticipated entry term box that you will select further on within the form. If you do not select the correct term for which you are applying, you may not be directed to the correct campus placements available for the specific semester for which you are applying.
- Select your Nursing track. There are two options: "RN" or "LPN-RN." Important! If you are an LPN looking to apply for the LPN-RN Transition program, you must choose the appropriate track. Otherwise, you will be evaluated as a general first-year student.
- Be sure to input your correct Student ID. Applicants with missing or incorrect IDs may not be located in the system, which may result in their removal from consideration.
- Complete the Nursing application and submit.
An email confirmation, specifically stating that you have applied to the Nursing program and that your application is under review, will be sent automatically. All applicants will receive this confirmation. If you believe that you have applied but have not received this email, please contact nursingadmissionprospects@ccac.edu.
Application Assistance: Students experiencing technical difficulty with the application should contact the CCAC ITS ServiceDesk at 412.237.8700 or help@servicedesk.ccac.edu.
Accreditation
Number of Programs Offered: 1
Program Type: Associate
Date of Last Review: October 5–8, 2020. The approval decision was rendered March 2021.
Date of Next Review: Fall 2028
The program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
The Associate nursing program at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at https://www.acenursing.org/acen-programs-05202024/community-college-of-allegheny-county.
The program is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Middle States Accreditation
In addition to the accreditation by ACEN, CCAC's Nursing program is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Status: Accreditation Reaffirmed
Last Reaffirmation: 2018
Next Self-Study Evaluation: 2025–2026
For more information, visit CCAC's institutional page.
Middle States Action Letter, June 2017
Scholarships for Nursing
CCAC offers access to a variety of scholarships specifically for Nursing students through The Pittsburgh Foundation. In addition to these external scholarships, CCAC Foundation scholarships are also available for Nursing students. For more information regarding each of these scholarships, visit our Nursing Scholarships page.
Nursing Program Student Manual
Information in this Nursing Program Student Manual will be reviewed periodically by the Nursing faculty. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of policy changes, additions or deletions. All students enrolled in the Nursing program are expected to adhere to the policies, procedures, and guidelines in effect for the current semester. This Nursing Program Student Manual and the CCAC Student Handbook should be read carefully as the information they contain is essential for your success at the college.
What Type of Program Are You Looking For?
Nursing, A.S. (575.2)
The CCAC Associate Degree Nursing program prepares graduates for entry-level practice in the current and emerging global health care delivery workforce. The program creates a dynamic, diverse and supportive student-centered environment for learning. The concept-based curriculum, along with the active engagement of the student in the learning process, provides quality preparation for academic, professional and personal success.
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″The classes are smaller, so there is more personalized interaction. Faculty support your success and, if they aren't able to help, they know the college resources who can.″
CCAC Nursing Program Outcomes
To view the End of Program Student Learning Outcomes, click here.
For data on the NCLEX-RN pass rates, completion rates and job placement rates, view the tables below.
| Class Year | Pass Rate |
|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | 89.21% |
| 2021–2022 | 85.44% |
| 2020–2021 | 88.92% |
| 2019–2020 | 95.41% |
| 2018–2019 | 94.69% |
| 2017–2018 | 95.16% |
| 2016–2017 | 92.03% |
| 2015–2016 | 90.74% |
| 2014–2015 | 88.56% |
| 2013–2014 | 71.97% |
| 2012–2013 | 82.25% |
| Class Year | Completion Rate |
|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | 54.20% |
| 2021–2022 | 52.40% |
| 2020–2021 | 70.79% |
| 2019–2020 | 73.31% |
| 2018–2019 | 72.73% |
| 2017–2018 | 62.30% |
| 2016–2017 | 56.64% |
| 2015–2016 | 59.80% |
| 2013–2014 | 52.54% |
| 2012–2013 | 50.19% |
| 2011–2012 | 79.49% |
| 2010–2011 | 70.79% |
| 2009–2010 | 70.17% |
| Class Year | Placement Rate |
|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | 94% |
| 2021–2022 | 94% |
| 2020–2021 | 90% |
| 2019–2020 | 82.52% |
| 2018–2019 | 90.18% |
| 2017–2018 | 87.73% |
| 2016–2017 | 85.63% |
| 2015–2016 | 70% Fall 2015 Graduates |
| 2014–2015 | 70.1% |
| 2013–2014 | 78.64% |
| 2012–2013 | 73.35% |
| 2011–2012 | 77.88% |
Nursing at CCAC Campuses
This campus is conveniently located on Pittsburgh's North Shore. It is easily accessible by public transportation and is close to many of the city's attractions, such as Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, the National Aviary and the Andy Warhol Museum. Allegheny Campus accepts Nursing admissions in the fall and spring semesters.
This campus is located in suburban Monroeville and can be accessed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Routes 48 and Business 22. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) also serves the school.
Boyce offers day and evening courses. All of the nursing courses at the Boyce Campus are web-enhanced. Boyce Campus accepts Nursing admissions in the fall and spring semesters.
Example clinical sites include Allegheny Valley Hospital, UPMC Magee Womens Hospital, Forbes Hospital, UPMC Shadyside, UPMC St. Margaret, Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital, LifeCare Hospitals, and the Veterans Administration Hospital.
Located in the North Hills on Route 19 near Camp Horne Road in an all-inclusive campus building, North offers day and web-enhanced courses and accepts Nursing admissions in the fall semester only.
Examples of clinical sites for clinical experience include UPMC Passavant–McCandless, UPMC Passavant–Cranberry, UPMC Mercy, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
Located in West Mifflin on Route 885, not far from the former Century III Mall, South is served by several Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) bus routes. South offers day and evening courses and accepts Nursing admissions in the fall semester only. Some courses are web-enhanced.
Examples of clinical sites include Jefferson Hospital, UPMC McKeesport, UPMC Mercy, St. Clair Hospital, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and The Children's Institute.
Nursing Graduate Information
You will receive a detailed letter and packet of information by mid to late March for May graduates and by late October/early November for December graduates. This will explain the process for applying for your RN licensure exam and temporary practice permit (TPP).
This is how it works:
- If you haven't applied for graduation, go to your Registration office to complete your application. The Registration office will hold these applications until final grades are posted.
- Final grades are posted for the semester.
- The Registration offices will evaluate all graduation applications and post degrees on our student system for those applicants meeting all the graduation criteria. Nursing students are not the only students graduating. This process involves students graduating from all disciplines. It takes at least four to six weeks from the date final grades are posted.
- The Dean of Nursing's office will be notified when all nursing students who have applied and met the criteria have been certified.
- The information is sent to the State Board of Nursing electronically. This is about a two-to-three-day process.
- You can apply for a TPP early; however, the state board will put your application in a pending file until they receive the information we supply electronically.
- Once we give them this information, they will process your application(s) for the exam/TPP.
Please be patient: We do everything possible to expedite this process.
Please refer to the State Board of Nursing's Letter to the Student for more information regarding the NCLEX procedure.
Preceptor Orientation and CEUs
Interested in becoming an instructor in nursing and earning continuing education units (CEUs)? Unsure where to begin? Consider signing up for the NUR 250–Leadership and Management Concepts training course below!
Nursing Essential Functions
In order to meet the program competencies—and for successful completion of the objectives
for each nursing course—a student
must be able to:
- Move freely to observe and assess patients and perform emergency patient care, which includes having full manual dexterity of the upper extremities, including neck and shoulders; unrestricted movement of both lower extremities, back and hips in order to assist in all aspects of patient care; and the ability to touch the floor to remove environmental hazards (i.e., patient hygiene, application of restraints, and nursing procedures such as urinary bladder catheterization and parenteral injections)
- Lift and/or support at least 50 pounds in order to reposition, transfer and ambulate patients safely
- Demonstrate tactile ability sufficient to assess a patient's pulses as well as changes in a patient's physiological status (i.e., changes in skin temperature, edema, etc.)
If a student should present with any physical limitation, each case will be reviewed on an individual basis. Reasonable accommodations will be made if possible.
- Visually observe changes in a patient's status, as well as unsafe environmental conditions, and have visual acuity with near clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and with far clarity of vision at 20 feet or more
- Hear the sounds of spoken verbal communication, as well as the sounds that indicate changes in the patient's physiological condition (i.e., breath sounds, blood pressure, apical pulse), and speak to focal clients and members of the health team utilizing effective verbal communication skills
- Smell odors that indicate changes in the physiological status of the patient or unsafe environmental conditions
- Read and cognitively comprehend written course materials, patient care documents, and health care institution policies and procedures
- Write utilizing a legible and concise documentation style that is readable and in the English language
- Calculate accurately in order to administer correct medication dosages, count a pulse, count respirations, and determine intake and output
- Demonstrate cognitive learning in relation to new procedures through clinical application
- Interpret physician orders accurately through verbal and written communication, and carry through with appropriate psychomotor clinical application
Contact Information
Kathy Hacker
-
Director of Nursing Admissions, Recruitment & Community Engagement - 724.325.6776
- khacker@ccac.edu