Health Science Selective Admission Programs
Associate Degree Nursing
Enrollment in the clinical portion of the associate degree nursing (ADN) program is limited by the availability of staff and facilities. To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete and submit an application for admission and provide proof of residency
- Complete and submit an application for the ADN clinicals by February 1 preceding expected fall semester entrance and September 15 for expected spring semester entrance. Clinical applications are available online at www.frederick.edu/nursing. Residents of Frederick County are given priority consideration for admission.
- Register and complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) before application deadline. Information on ATI TEAS may be found at www.frederick.edu/nursing. Complete ATI results must be submitted with application for consideration.
- Submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities to the Welcome Desk/Registration & Records Office or electronically through an approved vendor.
- Complete FCC’s assessment testing unless otherwise exempted.
- To be included in the pool of applicants for admission to the clinical portion of the nursing program (ADN), students must complete all required developmental coursework, complete BSCI 201 Anatomy and Physiology I, BSCI 202 Anatomy and Physiology II, and BSCI 223 Microbiology for Allied Health by the end of the semester in which they are applying and send all official college transcripts from other colleges and universities to Registration and Records by February 1 for day option and September 15 for evening/weekend option.
- A point system is used to select candidates for admission to the clinical portion of FCC’s nursing programs (ADN and Transition-to-RN Program). Each program has its own separate pool of applicants, and students may apply only to one program in any given semester. Points are assigned for non-clinical courses completed, residency, a math aptitude test (if applicable), cumulative grade point average (GPA) and grades in the prerequisite science courses.
Any course(s) being repeated must be completed by the end of the January term in order to count in the GPA calculation for the day option or summer semester for the evening/weekend option. If a student is completing a prerequisite science course during the application semester, the midterm course grade will be applied to the point scale (including transfer courses). Students will be allowed to repeat any pre-requisite science course one time only, including withdrawals, audits, and transfer credit, within 5 years of the application deadline. All science prerequisites must be completed within 5 years of application. - The students with the highest point total are offered admission to the clinical portion of the ADN program. Students with equal point totals will be ordered by GPA from highest to lowest. If an accepted student declines his/her seat in the program or fails to meet the spring or summer course requirements, the next eligible student with the highest score is offered admission to the program.
- Once grades have been posted in May for day option and January for evening/weekend option, transcripts for those accepted conditionally will again be evaluated. Any student who dropped a course or failed to earn a “C” or better will be re-evaluated. If, after re-evaluation, a student’s new point total falls below the cut-off score for the ADN clinical class, he/she will not be eligible for the clinical portion of the program and the next qualified candidate will be admitted.
- A student who fails NURS 101 Introduction to Clinical Nursing and wants to return to a future clinical class will be offered the opportunity to join the pool of applicants for the following year.
For information on the Criteria for Admission for the Transition-to-RN Program, contact the Health Sciences Advisor, 240.629.7935 or the Director of Nursing Education, 301.846.2607.
Criteria for Admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program
| Criteria | Possible Points |
|---|---|
| BSCI 201 (Anatomy and Physiology I) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| BSCI 202 (Anatomy and Physiology II) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| BSCI 223 or BSCI 263 (Microbiology) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| Cumulative GPA (including transfer credits) • 3.500 or higher: 2 points • 3.000 - 3.490: 1 point |
2 |
| Prerequisites completed or in progress: • ENGL 101 |
1 |
| • Mathematics General Education course | 1 |
| • PSYC 101 General Psychology | 1 |
| • SOCY 101 Introduction to Sociology | 1 |
| • EDPS 210 (Human Growth & Development) | 1 |
| • Arts General Education course | 1 |
| • Humanities General Education course | 1 |
| • Communication course: COMM 103 or COMM 105 or COMM 107 | 1 |
| Frederick County Resident, Active Duty Military, Military Veteran, or Legal Dependent of | 3 |
| Total Possible Points | 37 |
Note: BSCI 201 Anatomy and Physiology I, BSCI 202 Anatomy and Physiology II, and BSCI 223 Microbiology for Allied Health/BSCI 263 Elements of Microbiology may each be repeated only once, including withdrawals, audits, and transfer credits within 5 years of the application deadline. Students repeating any of these courses more than the allowed number of attempts will not be awarded any points for the applicable course, regardless of grades earned.
All sciences must be completed with a grade of “C” or better within 5 years of the application deadline.
Criteria for Admission to the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Program
| Criteria | Possible Points |
|---|---|
| BSCI 201 (Anatomy and Physiology I) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| BSCI 202 (Anatomy and Physiology II) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| BSCI 223 or BSCI 263 (Microbiology) • 8 points for A, 7 points for B, 6 points for C » midterm grades are counted for courses in progress • course must have been completed within 5 years of the application deadline |
8 |
| Cumulative GPA (including transfer credits) • 3.500 or higher: 2 points • 3.000 - 3.490: 1 point |
2 |
| Prerequisites completed or in progress: • ENGL 101 |
1 |
| • Mathematics General Education course | 1 |
| • EDPS 210 (Human Growth & Development) | 1 |
| Frederick County Resident, Active-Duty Military or Legal Dependent, or Veteran | 3 |
| Total Possible Points | 32 |
Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
- Apply to the College: Apply to FCC and declare Pre-Health Professions: PTA as your major.
- Complete Placement Tests: Complete FCC placement tests as needed - consult with Admissions or Advising.
- Submit Official Transcripts: Send official college/university and high school transcripts, SAT & ACT scores as well as any CLEP, IB or AP scores to the Registration and Records Office.
a. Minimum un-weighted 2.5 GPA from high school transcripts OR cumulative of college work (at least 12 credits)
- Apply for Financial Aid: Apply for Financial Assistance – Submit the FAFSA and apply for scholarships.
- Complete Pre-Admission Courses: Complete the following requirements with a grade of C or better*:
*Final pre-admission courses, including sciences, can be in progress the semester application is submitted or planned for summer semester. Student must pass BSCI 150 Principles of Biology I and MATH 120 Statistics or higher with a C or better prior to admission.
- Complete the TEAS: Prior to applying to the PTA program, complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) and earn a score that qualifies your application for review.
- Minimum qualifying TEAS Score:
- Overall score in the proficient range or above (minimum 58.7% overall)
- Register for the TEAS through atitesting.com. Students can take the TEAS at FCC's Testing Center.
- Submit application and qualifying TEAS Score to the PTA program (scores must be within the last 2 years).
- Essay: Students will respond to an essay prompt at the testing center after the completion of their TEAS exam. If the TEAS exam was taken at another facility, the student can arrange to complete the essay through the FCC Testing Center prior to the application deadline. The essay is rated according to a rubric that is posted on the FCC PTA webpage. The points are added to the student's overall score for ranking all qualified applicants.
- Complete Observation Hours: Submit signed Observation Forms with 30 hours of observation time with a PT or PTA in at least two different types of facilities. (Due to COVID-19 for June 2022 cycle, all observation hours are waived for application.)
- Complete Service Hours: Submit Service/Volunteer Hours form with at least 20 hours of volunteer service hours in the last year January 2021 through May 2022. (Due to COVID-19 for June 2022 application cycle, all service/volunteer hours are waived for application.)
- Additional points will be awarded for volunteer hours over 30 hours (students can still earn additional points for the June 2022 application cycle).
- Work Experience: No work experience is required for application, but related work experience as a Physical Therapy tech or aide, Athletic Trainer, Exercise Physiologist, Massage Therapist, or CNA qualifies the applicant for additional points on their application. The hours must be completed in the past year (January 2021 - May 2022) and the work experience must be documented on the Employment Verification Form.
- Read Essential Functions for a PTA Career (on FCC PTA webpage): Students will need to attest to being able to perform the physical tasks, observational skills, behavioral responsibilities, and cognitive abilities necessary to be a PTA. The information to review is located on the FCC PTA webpage under Prospective Students.
For those students who have submitted all documentation and met the above criteria, a point system is used to select candidates for admission to the technical portion of FCC’s PTA program. Points are assigned for grades in the general education courses completed by time of the application, work experience, service/volunteer hours, and previous degrees. The students with the highest point total are offered admission to the program. If an accepted student declines his/her seat in the program or fails to meet summer course requirements, the next eligible student with the highest score is offered admission to the program.
Completion of additional program courses (see criteria table below) by the June 1, 2022 application deadline is highly recommended as this adds points to a student's application and makes the student more competitive for admission.
Criteria for Admission to the PTA Program
| Criteria | Possible Points |
|---|---|
| Medical Terminology (MEDA 109)1 |
6 |
| English Composition (ENGL 101)1 |
6 |
| General Psychology (PSYC 101)1 |
6 |
| Statistics or higher (MATH 120 or higher)1 |
6 |
| Principles of Biology (BSCI 150)1 | 6 |
| Anatomy & Physiology I (BSCI 201)1 |
6 |
| Anatomy & Physiology II (BSCI 202)1 | 6 |
| Small Group Communication (COMM 105)1 |
6 |
| Earned Associate’s Degree | 3 |
| Earned Bachelor’s Degree or higher | 6 |
| Volunteer Experience – over 30 hours 20 hours = required 30 hours = 1 points 40 hours = 2 points 50 hours = 3 points 60 hours = 4 points 70 hours = 5 points 80 hours = 6 points |
6 |
| Work Experience – not required for application 200 hours = 2 points 250 hours = 3 points 300 hours = 4 points 350 hours = 5 points 400 hours or greater = 6 points |
6 |
| TEAS Test | varies |
| Essay - see rubric on PTA webpage Total points are divided by 3 |
11.67 |
| Total Possible Points | 80.67 + TEAS test score |
- 1
Points for courses are awarded based on grade earned: A = 6 points, B = 4 points; C = 2 points.
Effective April 26, 2022, the Frederick Community College PTA Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703.706.3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Amelia Iams, PT, DPT at 301.846.2644 or email aiams@frederick.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate 25 students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
Respiratory Care
To be included in the pool of applicants for admission to the clinical portion of the respiratory care program, a student must request consideration through the Health Science Department by June 1. In addition, you must:
- Complete all required developmental coursework prior to applying to the program.
- Complete BSCI 201 Anatomy and Physiology I with a “C” or better prior to applying to the program.
- Be in good academic standing (no academic alert, no academic probation).
- Have a GPA of at least 2.000.
- Have all official transcripts from other colleges/universities sent to Registration and Records by June 1.
- Apply for admission to Frederick Community College.
- Meet with the allied health advisor.
Points will be assigned only to those students who have returned the “Student Application for the Respiratory Care Clinical Class” and met the above criteria. The point value for non-clinical courses completed and residency are shown on the “Criteria for Admission to the Respiratory Care Program” sheet.
The students with the highest point total will be accepted conditionally into the clinical portion of the program and will be informed of their status by June 30.
Criteria for Admission to the Respiratory Care Program
| Course | Points |
|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | 1 |
| PSYC 101 | 1 |
| BSCI 201 2 points if passed first time course is taken, 1 point if passed second time course is taken, 0 points if passed on three or more attempts. Only “C” grade or better is accepted as passing for Respiratory Care program. |
2 |
| BSCI 202 2 points if passed first time course is taken, 1 point if passed second time course is taken, 0 points if passed on three or more attempts. Only “C” grade or better is accepted as passing for Respiratory Care program. |
2 |
| BSCI 223 | 2 |
| MATH 120 or higher | 2 |
| COMM 105 | 1 |
| PHED, HLTH, or NUTR Elective | 1 |
| GPA: 3.000 or higher | 1 |
| Job Shadow (observe a therapist) | 1 |
| Residency – Frederick County, Carroll County, Howard County, or Military Veteran1 | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
- 1
Residents of Carroll and Howard Counties are awarded the same point for residency as Frederick County residents, as part of the Mid-Maryland Allied Healthcare Consortium Agreement.
Surgical Technology
Enrollment in the clinical portion of the program is limited to 20 students in each of two starting dates, fall and spring. To be considered, you must:
- Complete and submit a FCC application for admission and submit proof of residency if required.
- Complete an online application for the ST program. All applications will be reviewed and seats will be offered according to the point scale and application date. First consideration is given to those students who submit an application by the first consideration date for the fall or spring classes. Refer to the online application.
- Minimum skill levels in the areas of reading, writing, math, and allied health science are necessary for an application to be considered. Students may meet these requirements by taking the placement assessments and meeting the minimum skill levels or by taking appropriate developmental course work in these subjects.
- Students must achieve a “C” or higher in any class they plan to apply toward ST program requirements.
- A point system is used to determine selection to the program. Points will be assigned only to those students who have returned the Application for Admission to the Surgical Technology Class.
- When there are more qualified applicants than there are seats in the program, those with the highest points will be offered seats first. Other qualified applicants will be offered seats as they become available. It is highly recommended that you participate in the job shadowing experience. Those with documented job shadowing will be given priority.
Note: Currently Certified Registered Central Service Technicians (CRCST) from the International Associate of Healthcare Central Service Material Management organization are eligible to be awarded 6 credits in the Surgical Technology Program: MEDA 109 Medical Terminology-3 credits and Elective-3 credits.
Currently Certified Surgical Technologists (CST) through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting are eligible to be awarded 35 departmental credits according to the terms of the Evaluation of Credit Through Credential Assessment or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Agreement.
Currently Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) through any state nursing board are eligible to be awarded 6 credits in the Surgical Technology Program: MEDA 109 Medical Terminology-3 credits and Elective-3 credits.
Evaluation and award granted according to the terms of the Evaluation of Credit through Credential Assessment or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Agreement.
Criteria for Student Selection into the Surgical Technology Class
All courses to be applied towards the AAS in Surgical Technology must be a "C" grade or higher.
| Criteria | Possible Points |
|---|---|
| Biology Gen Ed Core: BSCI 201 Anatomy & Physiology 4 credits Must complete prior to the application: 4 points for completed 2 points for course in progress Limit of one repeat to receive points. |
2-4 |
| Biology Gen Ed Core: BSCI 202 Anatomy & Physiology II 4 credits Must complete prior to the application: 4 points for completed 2 points for course in progress Limit of one repeat to receive points. |
2-4 |
| Communication Gen Ed Core: COMM 103, COMM 105 or COMM 107 3 credits Must complete prior to the application. |
1 |
| Departmental Requirement: Medical Terminology MEDA 108 or MEDA 109 1 or 3 credits May be in progress at time of application (1 point) |
1 |
| Electives, 6 credits total May be in progress at time of application (1 point) |
1 |
| English Gen Ed Core: English composition/ENGL 101 3 credits Must complete prior to the application. |
1 |
| Mathematics Gen Ed Core 3 or 4 credits Must complete prior to the application. |
1 |
| Physical Education, Health, or Nutrition 1 or 3 credits May be in progress at the time of application (1 point awarded) |
1 |
| Psychology or Sociology Gen Ed Core: PSYC 101 or SOCY 101 3 credits Must complete prior to the application. |
1 |
| Previous degree completion | 4 |
| Pre-Health Surgical Technology listed as applicant's major field of study. | 2 |
| All original transfer transcripts received and read by the FCC Registrar prior to the first consideration date for each course to be applied. | 3 |
| Job shadowing completed and reflection received prior to the application first consideration date. October 15 (spring) and April 15 (fall) |
2 |
| Frederick County Resident Included are Howard and Carroll Consortium transfer students. |
2 |
| Total Possible Points | 28 |
| Minimum points to receive contingent acceptance | 13 |
Non-Health Selective Admission Program
ASL Interpreter Preparatory Program (IPP)
Enrollment in the associate of Arts and Science in ASL Interpreter Preparatory Program and certificate is limited to those accepted into the program (max of 16 students per cohort). To be considered for admission, a student must:
- Complete and submit a College application for admission and provide proof of residency.
- Complete and submit a separate application for the IPP to the ASL/IPP Program Manager by August 1st (for Fall admission) and January 1st (for Spring admission). Applications can be found at: https://www.frederick.edu/programs/arts-humanities/sign-languageinterpreter-preparatory-program.aspx.
- Submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities, and other forms of prior learning to Registration and Records by the deadline.
- Complete FCC assessment testing unless otherwise exempted.
- Arrange for an appointment with the ASL/IPP Program Manager (required). Interpreting program requires students to take the National Certification written exam before being approved to be placed on internships. In order to apply and be included in the pool of applicants for admission to the internship portion, students must have a 3.0 or higher. Students must have a 'B' or better in core coursework by the end of the semester in which they are applying. All applications will be reviewed and applicants will be selected for interviews if all pre-program requirements are met.
For more information on these selective admission programs and other special admission programs, refer to the Admissions Policy and Procedures.