El Centro College’s Vocational Nursing program features a 12-month curriculum leading to a certificate of completion. Courses are completed in two 16-week academic semesters and two five-week summer semesters.
The program includes classroom and laboratory work on campus as well as clinical experience at various area health care facilities.
Clinical rotations may take place at:
Students will need to plan two to three hours of studying and preparation time weekly for each class and/or clinical experience.
The demands of nursing courses are such that students may not be able to work full time while enrolled in these courses. Courses are offered during daytime hours only.
The program’s clinical experience requires that students be physically able to care for sick patients. This involves lifting, moving, bathing and transferring patients into and out of bed. Students will be exposed to patients with infectious diseases.
Students who complete the program receive a Vocational Nursing certificate and are eligible to take the Licensing Examination for Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN) in order to become licensed vocational nurse (LVN) within the guidelines set by the Texas Board of Nursing.
How to Get Started
If you are not already enrolled at DCCCD, you’ll need to complete the regular DCCCD admission process at El Centro College before you can apply for admission to the Vocational Nursing program. If you haven’t finished high school yet, you must also have earned a General Education Development certificate before applying for admission to the Vocational Nursing program.
Acceptance to the Vocational Nursing program is via a competitive selection process based on grade point average of prerequisite courses.
- Learn about the application process: By submitting complete application materials, you will be expected to be familiar with the application requirements and process. Check out admission requirements in the Vocational Nursing information packet (PDF – 306KB). You must meet all of the assessment testing and application requirements before you may submit an application packet for admission to the program.
- When to apply: The application filing period for Vocational Nursing is Jan. 1-May 31 for fall admission. Students will be notified of acceptance by July 1.
- How to apply: Applicants to the Vocational Nursing program must compile all required materials and submit the materials in a 9" x 12" envelope to the Health Occupations Admissions Office at El Centro College on or before the application filing deadline. Incomplete packets will be returned to the applicant. Application requirements are detailed in the information packet (PDF – 306KB).
Program Information Sessions
Attendance at an information session is mandatory and will address program admission, application and acceptance policies in detail. No advance reservation is necessary to attend an information session.
Unless otherwise noted, all information sessions are held at the Center for Allied Health and Nursing in the Paramount Building, located in the West End of Downtown Dallas at 301 North Market Street.
Information sessions begin promptly; please allow extra time for parking and locating the assigned room. Individuals who are more than 15 minutes late to an information session will not have their attendance recorded and may only receive limited handout materials at the discretion of the presenter.
Get the information session schedule:
- Online
- In person at the Health Occupations Admission Office on the first floor of the Center for Allied Health and Nursing in the Paramount Building, located in the West End of Downtown Dallas at 301 North Market Street. Please note that this building is located one block northwest of the main El Centro campus.
- By calling 972-860-5000
More questions? Look at our frequently asked questions.
Criminal Background Check/Drug Testing
All students enrolled in Health Occupations programs are required by the Dallas/Fort Worth Hospital Council member facilities to undergo a criminal background check and drug testing prior to beginning their clinical experience. This procedure is conducted after students have been accepted to their respective program and costs approximately $85. For more information on the criminal background check and drug screening, see the Vocational Nursing information packet.
Tuition
Dallas County residents pay $135 per three-hour class — that’s $45 per credit hour, or less than $550 for a full semester load of 12 credit hours.
Compare that to what you’d pay elsewhere! See DCCCD tuition rates for tuition according to your place of residency.
Rising Star Program
If you are a Dallas County high school graduating senior, you may qualify for Rising Star funds to help pay for this program. The Rising Star program offers academic support services and up to $4,000 for tuition and books, if you have established financial need.
Courses Offered (Curriculum)
Our catalog provides detailed information about the courses we offer and the courses required for our certificate:
LVN-RN Advanced Placement “Bridge” Program
A licensed vocational nurse may complete the Associate Degree Nursing program via the LVN to RN Advanced Placement (“Bridge”) program at El Centro College.
Acceptance to the Bridge program is via a competitive selection process based on grade point average of primary prerequisite courses. The LVN to RN information packet details the procedure for program application. Admission to this program is open to applicants who have not previously been enrolled in an Associate Degree Nursing program, although an applicant may petition the dean for admission consideration.
Applicants must complete all entrance requirements as outlined in the information packet and must possess a current Texas LVN license. The clinical skills expectations of the program require applicants to have had at least six months’ recent work experience as an LVN in a hospital medical/surgical environment prior to admissions.
LVNs who are accepted to the Bridge program enroll in three advanced placement or “bridge” courses: a three-credit-hour lecture course, a one-credit-hour skills component, and a one-credit-hour clinical component that involves two full days of classes for the first semester of the Advanced Placement program. After successful completion of the “bridge” semester, the student enters the final two semesters of the traditional Associate Degree Nursing program. At the completion of the program, 19 additional credit hours are awarded for the first two semesters of the traditional Associate Degree Nursing program.
Accreditation
All seven DCCCD colleges are individually accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Why is accreditation important? Being accredited means that a college has met certain standards of quality set by an independent accrediting agency. Attending an accredited institution is the best way to ensure your degree (and all the hard work that went into it) will be recognized by other colleges and universities when you transfer and by future employers. Federal financial aid is only available to students of accredited colleges and universities.
El Centro’s Vocational Nursing program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission Inc. (3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500; Atlanta, GA. 30326; phone 404-975-5000; fax 404-975-5020).
Transferring From DCCCD
Degrees and certificates in our Nursing programs are designed for direct entry into the workforce. However, if you are interested in earning a degree at a four-year institution, please visit the Transfer Services website for guidance on the transfer process.
DCCCD has a concurrent enrollment agreement with the University of North Texas System Center in Dallas. This enables DCCCD students who meet the UNT admission requirements or complete the Associate in Applied Sciences degree to be automatically admitted to the University of North Texas.
A student may apply for concurrent admission status at the time of first enrollment in DCCCD courses or at any later time during DCCCD enrollment by completing a UNT concurrent admissions application. For more information, call DCCCD Transfer Services at 214-860-2185 or contact the UNT System Center at 972-780-3635.
Related Programs at DCCCD
Not sure exactly what you want to study?
You may also want to explore some other health-related programs we offer, such as Associate Degree Nursing, Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Radiologic Sciences.
Faculty Profiles
Our Vocational Nursing faculty have not only degrees and certifications in their field but also on-the-job experience, making them able to relate to the challenges you’ll face in the workplace. Our faculty members work closely with you one-on-one, encouraging you and helping you to prepare for your career in nursing.
See profiles of some of our Vocational Nursing faculty.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our Vocational Nursing program that aren’t answered on our website or in our frequently asked questions, please feel free to contact us.