WINTER 2024 Readiness Form to Remain on the Nursing Wait List - None due at this time.

The Readiness Form: All Readiness Forms received by the deadline, allows the student to maintain their position on the Waiting List (Please refer to Policy Update effective June 30, 2018).

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Veterans/Military Personnel Policy

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Veterans/ Military Personnel Policy

In recognition of the service that Military Personnel have provided to the country and its citizens, De Anza College Nursing Department adopts the following policies:

Military personnel who have completed all the prerequisites for admission to the nursing program will be placed at the top of the waiting list.

Pathway for Military Personnel:

  • Complete all the prerequisites for admission
  • Apply to the nursing program
  • Make an appointment with the Screening and Admission Specialist in the Nursing Department for application review
  • Present documents of honorable discharge (DD214)
  • After review, if all criteria are met, will be placed at the top of the waiting list

 Military Health Care (MHC) providers who received a formal training and have appropriate practical experience may be admitted as Advanced Placement Students if they:

  • Provide documentation of recency of education and experience within the last five years qualifying them for the specific MHC provider occupation ADN,
  • Meet the De Anza College Nursing Department requirements for advanced placement.
  • Provide documentation of an honorable discharge (DD214) or current active honorable service ( letter from supervisor)
  • Met the same eligibility requirement for admission into the ADN program as other applicants, including completion of prerequisites.

MHC provider occupations with acceptable training include:

  • Basic Medical Technician Corpsman (Navy HM or Air Force BMTCP)
  • Army Health Specialist: (68 W Army Medic)
  • Air Force Independent Duty Medical technician: (IMDT 4N0X1C)
  • Other MHC providers with relevant training and experience

MHC providers applying for advance placement must provide an official transcript issued by a recognized agency describing the training and experience.  The transcripts must be forwarded by the issuing agency directly to De Anza College Admission and Record Office.  An additional copy of the transcript should be included with the nursing application and sent to the nursing program by the application deadline date.

Recognized agencies issuing military training records are:

  • Joint Services Transcript System
  • American Council of Education
  • Community College of the Air Force

De Anza College Nursing Department will evaluate an individual candidate’s knowledge and skill level in a formal test or exam in addition to review of training and experience.

  • Skill evaluation will include a formal skill testing of selected skills covered in the academic terms preceding the term in which the candidate is being admitted
  • Additional exams may be required at the discretion of the De Anza College Nursing Department, based on the evaluation of the candidate’s prior education and experience

Pathway for Military Health Care Providers:

  • Complete all the prerequisites for admission
  • Have all transcripts assessed by the De Anza College Admissions and Record Office
  • Make an appointment with the Screening and Admission Specialist in the Nursing Department
  • Provide documentation of honorable discharge (DD214)
  • Provide documentation of recency of education and medical experience within the last five years
  • Meet with the Director for assessment as an Advanced Placement Student (See Advanced Placement Policy)
  • Attend a skills lab review day and a subsequent skill evaluation test day
  • Comply with program entry requirements including health and clinical clearance, drug screen, background clearance, and current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers.

Core Science Prerequisites NOT LISTED on College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet
(Updated 6/29/15)

Students who have taken any of their Core Science prerequisites at colleges that are not listed on the College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet (CCES) from the nursing web site, must submit a general petition to the Biological, Health and Environmental Sciences Division for course(s) approval. A petition should be filled out for each of the science courses, Microbiology, Introduction to Human Nutrition, with the exception of one petition used for both Anatomy & Physiology.

A general petition can be found here. 

Readiness Forms: None Currently Due

(Updated 6/28/2023)

It's time to begin the process of selecting the RN Program WINTER 2024 starting class. ALL individuals on the RN Program Waiting List may download the Readiness Form Winter 2024, fill it out and return a copy to the Nursing Department.  Please be aware of the policy regarding remaining on the Waiting List outlined in the RN Program Waiting list Info announcement on this page.

The Winter Readiness Form must be EMAILED to the Nursing Department by None currently due. Details about returning the form are explained in the form.

The Winter 2024 Class of 20 students, along with 10 alternates, will be picked according to Waiting List order and readiness to start the program. You must turn in a Readiness form or you will not be selected. These 20 students should receive invitations via email by November 20, 2023 to attend a mandatory Orientation meeting on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 9:00 AM via Zoom. Please reserve this time in your schedule. The meeting will end at approximately 11:00 AM.

Please note that at this time, you must submit a Readiness Form every Quarter in order to remain on the Waiting List.  Students who do not submit the form will be removed from the Waiting List.

Also, selected students will only be allowed to defer entry into our program once.   If they do not enter the following Quarter, their name will be removed from the Waiting List.

Once in the program, students must complete the program within nine Quarters of their original start date (excluding Summer Quarters). 

Please note:
 Read the Social Security Number Admission Requirement announcement on the web site, if you are not a United States Citizen.

Please be aware of the Sociology or Cultural Anthropology Nursing Department requirement. It must be completed before starting the second quarter of the Nursing Program. You do not need the distraction of having to take it during the first quarter of the program.

Read the Immunizations and flu announcements on this page and start preparing now for entry into the program. Note that a physical exam will be required within one month of beginning the nursing program, so you may want to delay an upcoming physical a few months if you would have to pay for a second physical.

NEXT APPLICATION Period: NOVEMBERR 15, 2023 - JANUARY 15, 2024

(Updated 11/13/2023)

Documentation is available on the Nursing Program Information web page (see link to the left). Dates for all application periods are found on that page.

The HESI Admission Assessment Exam may not be taken any later than the application deadline, JANUARY 15, 2024. Details on the Admission Assessment Exam registration process are in the Program Information document. Please read the announcement about the exam on this page.

You will need to submit official transcripts to De Anza Admissions and Records for ALL college course work completed after JANUARY 15, 2017 outside of De Anza and Foothill Colleges, as well as any other official transcripts for classwork completed earlier needed to meet Nursing school prerequisites. All official transcripts must be submitted directly to Admissions and Records, preferably in person. You must notify Admissions and Records that you are applying to the Nursing program when you submit official transcripts. Sealed official transcripts do not need to be sent to the Nursing department with the application. See the section on transcripts in the Program Information document.

It is highly recommended that you schedule an Application Review appointment prior to mailing in your application (see Information Meetings link to the left). If you have not attended an Information
meeting in the last year, it is recommended that you attend. Eligibility rules are discussed and use of the Chancellor's Formula Worksheet is demonstrated.

If you have to get petitions approved for equivalency to the De Anza Nursing prerequisites, you should have them completed well in advance of the September 15th deadline. Instructors may not be around during Summer Break to evaluate petitions, so try to complete them before mid June.  See the College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet accessible from the Nursing Program Information web page for info about General Petitions for equivalency determination.

Check the Contact Us page on the web site for availability of nursing department staff to answer questions by email or phone.

RN Program Waiting List Information

(Updated 1/4/2021) - New version of Waiting List, policy change on list cleanup each Spring).

The RN Program Wait List.July 2023  shows applicants through April 15, 2023. The list now has 96 people on it.  If any information appears to be incorrect, please contact the Nursing Department.

Starting classes have a class size of 20. We admit a class of 20 every Fall, Winter and Spring Quarter, or 60 students per year.

Remaining on the RN Waiting List in hope of maintaining closer currency with prerequisite courses and subsequent success with the Nursing Program, DeAnza College Nursing Faculty has decided to change the deferment policy.

First:  This means that all students must submit a Readiness Form every Quarter in order to remain on the Waiting List.  Students who fail to submit the form will be removed from the Waiting List.

Second:  Selected students will only be allowed to defer entry into our program once.  If they do not enter the following Quarter, their name will be removed from the Waiting List.

Reminder:  Once in the Program, students must complete the Program within nine Quarters of their original start date (excluding Summer Quarters).

Please understand that these rules are meant to make you more successful once you enter our program.

How do RN Program starting classes get selected?


Three times per year an announcement is put up on the nursing web site asking people on the waiting list to send in a Readiness Form for an upcoming quarter. Announcements go up in September, November and March for the Winter, Spring and Fall quarter selections respectively. The announcements are put up several months before the deadline. After the announced deadline for forms, the class and alternates are selected from the people highest on the RN Program Waiting List that have turned in a Readiness Form saying they are ready to start. Alternates are used to fill vacancies in the class that may occur prior to the second day of the starting quarter. Alternates not used are returned to the Waiting List and are not guaranteed a place in the following class. They must send in another readiness form for the following starting quarter.
When will I start the RN Program? Here is how to figure out the worst case entry time.
Worst case means everyone above you on the list gets in ahead of you. Let's say that you are in position 100 on the waiting list. Since we are admitting classes with 20 students, we divide the number of students on the list through you (100) by 20 resulting in 5 full classes.

Preparation for Entry into the RN Program:

All students on the waiting list should be completing immunizations and/or documenting immunity via titer reports. Please refer to the Immunization Worksheet available on the Nursing Program Information page (link to the left), the Flu Vaccination announcement below and the general immunization announcement below. Other health requirements (physical exam and TB testing) that must be completed no earlier than one month before entry into the program will be discussed at an Orientation Meeting for the invited class and alternates. 

We also highly recommend that students be well prepared in English skills and review their biology as they approach the time of entry into the nursing program. Research has shown that good English skills (verbal & written) and knowledge of nursing prerequisite material in biology are predictors of success in two-year nursing programs.

Also please be aware that you must complete De Anza's Sociology 1 or Anthropology 2, or their equivalent, before you start the second quarter of the RN program. You should also take the time you are waiting to finish any uncompleted GE classes needed to get an A.S. degree in Nursing from De Anza. GE requirements are summarized on the Getting Started document available on this nursing web site.

Revised Admission Requirement: U.S. Social Security Number

(Updated 3/6/12)

The De Anza Nursing Department is changing its program admittance policy for students in the United States on visas to align the Department’s requirements with that of the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Currently. the BRN requires that all applicants for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, to become an RN in California, must have a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN). Some students here on visas have obtained a federal employer identification number or taxpayer number. These alternate numbers are NOT accepted by the BRN for individual RN licensure. The BRN will only process applications for the licensure exam for individuals that have a SSN.

Starting with the Spring 2012 quarter, the Nursing Department requires that all students meet the same BRN SSN requirement for admittance to the nursing program. Students without SSNs may not apply to the De Anza Nursing program. Without a SSN, students will not be allowed to take the state licensing exam, NCLEX.

Procedures for staying on the RN Program Waiting List are documented in the Waiting List announcement present at all times on the De Anza Nursing Department web site. Please contact the Nursing Department if you have further questions. Refer to the Contact Us page for contact info.

HESI Admission Assessment Exam

(Updated 10/2/18)

The exam registration process can be found in the Program Information and HESI/Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam Registration Instructions documents on the Nursing Program Information page (link to the left).

You must take the exam prior to the application period deadline. Please review the testing registration procedure in the Program Information document on the Nursing Program Information web page, even if you have previously read this material.

A 5th Edition of the HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review is available. It can be purchased online at Amazon.com and other booksellers. See the Program Information document accessible from the Nursing Program Information page of this web site for details about the book. This book is not thorough enough to be a complete study resource. You will need to study other materials, such as your Anatomy & Physiology text, to ensure success on this exam. The book has some vocabulary lists, math tables, and an overview of exam content, as well as practice questions/tests. One copy of the book is now available to checkout for 3 days by De Anza Students in the Reserved Books section of the De Anza Library (http://www.deanza.edu/library/).

Currently REQUIRED tests with scores:

  • 3 English tests (Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary)
  • Math
  • Biology
  • Anatomy and Physiology

 Suggested tests without scores:

  • Personality Profile
  • Learning Style

We recommend you take tests in the following order to ensure that you complete the required scored sections first:

  1. Required tests with scores
  2. Personality Profile
  3. Learning Style

Don't forget to bring your ID number issued to you for the exam and that you have a Photo ID that matches the information used to request the exam.

Please remember that you need to monitor the time you spend on each of the required test sections. The test is 4 hours long.

If you score less than 75% on any required sections, you only have one more chance to retake the tests (within one calendar year from your first test session). You can combine the best scores from the first and second test sessions. Please note that you must request VERSION 2 of the Exam if you have to take it again. This is indicated in the Program Information document section on registering for the exam. If you have not scored at least 75% on all required scored sections after taking the second test, you will not be allowed to apply to any De Anza College nursing program in the future.

Should you encounter any problem during the exam, bring it to the attention of test center staff, and ask for some proof from the testing site that you had a problem. Send an email as soon as possible to the Nursing Department with your name and phone number, describing the problem you had. You should also contact Evolve Reach/Elsevier Customer Service (800-950-2728) and explain the problem you encountered and ask that you want to retake the exam at no further cost.

Nursing Nutrition Prerequisite & Chancellor's Formula changed

(Original Post 10/19/09 warned of change, minor clarifications: 9/25/12)

The nursing department has changed the list of classes from other colleges that are considered equivalent to De Anza Nursing Program's required nutrition class, Biology 45 - available from both De Anza and Foothill Colleges.

Beginning with the Application Period starting on September 1, 2010, only nutrition classes considered directly equivalent to Biology 45 at De Anza or Foothill colleges will meet the nutrition prerequisite for the De Anza Nursing Programs. The College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet is found on the Nursing Program information page (link to the left). It has been updated to reflect what nutrition classes at other colleges are acceptable. Classes at other community colleges previously allowed to be paired with a college chemistry class have been removed because they are not considered equivalent to Biology 45. A petition will not be successful for these classes.

Classes from colleges not listed on the College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet can only be determined to be equivalent to Biology 45 by submitting a Petition to the Academic Council to the Biological, Health and Environmental Sciences Division office. Contact the Nursing Department for further information.

Beginning with the September 2010 application period and going forward, the following changes will also be made to the Chancellor’s Formula (described in Program Information Document):

  • The Core Biology GPA input to the Chancellor’s Formula will be computed using the grades from the following required classes: anatomy, physiology, microbiology and nutrition
  • Repeats in Biology 45-equivalent nutrition classes will be counted in the repeat count input to the Chancellor’s formula. Nutrition classes at other colleges that are no longer acceptable will not count as repeats if you now need to take Biology 45.

Flu Vaccinations for Incoming and Continuing Nursing Students

(Posted 2/7/12)

Due to requirements at many clinical sites used by the De Anza College Nursing Program, nursing students will be required to have an annual flu vaccination.

Incoming students into the program will need to show proof of immunization with the latest available flu vaccine at the time. We recommend you get your flu shot during the normal flu immunization period of the year preceding your entry into the program. For example, if you are entering the program in the upcoming winter, spring or fall quarters, get vaccinated the previous fall when the vaccine is most readily available. If you are a currently enrolled De Anza Student, you may want check with Student Health Services for availability of flu vaccine if your normal provider or drug stores have none available.

If you do not get proof of vaccination from your medical provider, a Flu Vaccine Verification Form is available for your use on the De Anza Nursing Department website Nursing Program Information page. Please download it and take it with you when you go for your vaccination. A copy of proof of vaccination must be submitted for the nursing department records when you enter the program and every year thereafter.

Pharmacology Classes

(Posted 4/9/09, Minor update 4/11/12)

The Nursing Department's pharmacology classes are intended primarily for students admitted to the Registered Nursing Program. They are designed to be taken concurrently with the other nursing program classes during the first year of the program. Students who are not planning on entering the De Anza Nursing School, and need pharmacology for other programs, may enroll in Nursing Pharmacology classes only with the approval of the instructor or the director of the nursing school.

Students who take any of the nursing pharmacology classes at De Anza without being in the De Anza Registered Nursing Program will NOT be permitted to enter the De Anza Registered Nursing Program in the future. These classes are intended to be taken along with other nursing classes in the first year of the RN Program.

Immunizations in Preparation for Entry into Nursing School

(Updated 3/2/15)

The Nursing Department Immunization Worksheet is available for those students waiting to get into our program. It has been updated to clearly list the diseases for which students need titers showing immunity. Beginning with Spring 2012, Flu vaccinations are required for all incoming and continuing nursing students. Please see separate announcement on the Flu Vaccination requirement. The worksheet can be found with other program documents on the Nursing Program Information page of this web site (see link to the left). Obtaining and/or documenting immunity to diseases other than tuberculosis may be started at any time. We require titers showing immunity taken at any time prior to starting the nursing program. We expect applicants waiting to enter our programs to establish immunity early, before admission into the program.

Student Success Center - Resources Available

(Fall 2013)

Success in the Nursing Program depends on good study skills, a thorough knowledge of the prerequisite subject matter, especially the biology courses, and good English skills. The Student Success Center offers drop-in, group and individual tutoring to help guide student success at De Anza and beyond. There are workshops are coordinated through the Academic Skills Center, which also offers self-paced classes that might be of interest to Nursing students. We encourage you to visit the Student Success Center website or drop by one of the tutorial center locations listed below to learn more. The website has phone numbers for each center.

RN Refresher Program

(Fall 2013)

Applications for the RN Refresher program are not being accepted until further notice. If resumed, it will be announced on this page. There is no waiting or contact list being maintained.

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