MassBay offers a Practical Nursing Certificate Program and an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, both are designed to prepare students for nursing licensure and careers in healthcare.
What nursing programs does MassBay offer?
MassBay offers a Practical Nursing Certificate Program and an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, both are designed to prepare students for nursing licensure and careers in healthcare.
What degree or certificate will I earn?
Graduates of the practical nursing (PN) program earn a certificate, while associate degree nursing (ADN) graduates earn an associate of science degree in nursing.
Where are the nursing programs located?
Nursing programs are offered at MassBay’s Framingham campus. Students attend a full-time day program to complete classroom, lab, and clinical coursework.
When do nursing programs begin?
The Practical Nursing certificate program begins in the fall semester. The associate degree in Nursing program begins in both the fall and spring semesters. This is new for the Nursing Department starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.
How long are the nursing programs?
The Practical Nursing certificate program is a 10-month, full-time day program, while the associate degree in Nursing program is a full-time day program, designed to be completed in two years (four semesters).
How many students are accepted into the programs?
Each year the Practical Nursing certificate program accepts 32 new students in the fall cohort. The associate degree in Nursing program accepts 36 new students in the fall cohort and 34 new students in the spring cohort.
Does the program include clinical experience?
Yes. Both programs include unpaid hands-on clinical experiences at a variety of healthcare facilities, in addition to classroom and lab instruction. Clinicals are placed at various times of the day and week.
Where will the clinicals take place? Do I get to choose my clinical location?
Clinical placements depend on the semester and the nursing course. For example, Fundamentals of Nursing clinicals are typically held in long-term care settings, while Medical-Surgical Nursing clinicals take place in hospital settings. Other courses may include experiences in community health, maternity, pediatrics, mental health, or rehabilitation settings.
Students do not choose their clinical locations. Clinical assignments are arranged by the nursing program based on course requirements, site availability, and learning needs. In addition, students will not be assigned to a clinical site where they work or where a family member is employed.
What is the typical schedule for the Nursing programs, courses and clinicals?
The nursing programs include a combination of classroom, lab, simulation, and clinical experiences. The nursing programs are held on the Framingham campus only. Course and clinical schedules vary by semester and course. In general, students should expect classes and clinicals to take place during the day from 8am to 12 noon, and some clinical experiences may begin as early as 6:30 or 7:00 AM. Depending on clinical site availability, some evening or weekend clinicals may also be required.
Can I work while I am in the Nursing program?
Many nursing students do work while attending school. However, nursing schools are very demanding and require significant time commitment for classes, studying, clinicals, assignments, and exam preparation. Students should carefully consider their work schedule and personal responsibilities to ensure they are able to meet the expectations of the program. Flexibility is important, especially because clinical schedules may vary and can include early mornings, evenings, or weekends depending on site availability.
What are the physical requirements to participate in this program (technical standards grid)?
The Nursing (AS) and Practical Nursing (Certificate) programs have several technical standards in the areas of Muscular and Skeletal, Auditory, Visual, Manual Dexterity & Fine Motor Skills, Verbal, Olfactory, and Environmental. These standards relate to the full array of essential performance competencies inherent in this field of work. Students must be able to satisfactorily perform the tasks listed in the standards to successfully graduate from the program. It is the student’s responsibility to submit a request to the College’s Accessibility Resources Center to determine reasonable accommodation in performing any of the standards. There may be instances where reasonable accommodation may not be possible. The technical standards may be reviewed in the Health Sciences Handbooks: Associate Degree Nursing Handbookor the Practical Nursing Handbook.
Are MassBay nursing programs accredited?
Yes. Both programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN).
Will I be eligible to take the NCLEX exam?
Yes. Graduates of the Practical Nursing Program are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN, and associate degrees in Nursing graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN.
What is a “selective program”?
A “Selective Program” refers to programs in which there are a limited number of seats available for any given start date, as opposed to an “open program” where the college can admit an unlimited number of students, such as Liberal Arts. Additionally, most Selective Programs require minimum admissions requirements to be eligible to be considered for admission.
Do I need to attend a nursing information session?
As one of your first steps, we encourage you to attend a nursing information session. Our information sessions provide a comprehensive and in-depth review of the program, the selective admissions process, and the admissions requirements. The nursing programs are highly competitive programs, so understanding the entire process is an essential first step in pursuing a seat in the program. We want to set you up for success! You can sign-up for a session using the following link: Info Sessions
What are the minimum admissions requirements to get into the Nursing programs?
Every selective program at MassBay has its own set of minimum admissions criteria. For those who are interested in pursuing a nursing program, we encourage you to attend a Nursing Information Session. The program curriculum sheet for each selective program outlines the minimum admissions criteria: Selective Admissions Programs.
Additionally, all students are assigned an academic advisor who will work closely with you to create an academic plan specific to applying to the Nursing programs.
I have heard that it is hard to get into the associate degree in Nursing program. Is this true?
Each cycle, we have many more qualified applicants than we have seats available in the program, so yes, admission to the associate degree in Nursing program is competitive.
Do I need to take the TEAS test (Test of Essential Academic Skills)?
Department: admissions@massbay.edu
Will I have to take an assessment test for math and English classes?
New MassBay degree and certificate seeking students are required to meet placement requirements in English, math, and reading. MassBay offers multiple measures to satisfy the college’s placement requirements. Every applicant, upon general admission to MassBay, is reviewed for placement waivers and notified as part of their Next Steps to see whether placement testing is needed. You can review the college’s accepted waivers: Placement Testing
Do you accept nursing courses completed from other nursing programs?
No, we do not accept other nursing courses from other nursing programs. We do accept general education courses from external regionally accredited institutions.
Do you take transfer credits?
We do! Students need to request an official transcript from the registrars of all institutions, or the military, previously attended for which you wish to transfer credit. You must be accepted to the College and have a declared major. MassBay only accepts transfer credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities. For a full list of policies regarding the transfer of credit, please review the following: Transcript Evaluation
Please be sure that your official college transcript(s) are received 4-6 weeks before the selective admissions deadline to ensure that credit will be evaluated and posted to your Massbay transcript in time for the committee review.
I studied at a college outside of the US. How do I submit my international academic credentials?
Applicants that have completed college-level coursework outside of the United States must have their credentials evaluated by an external evaluation agency. Transcripts and evaluations are considered official only when sent directly from the evaluation agency to MassBay, either in a sealed envelope or through a secure electronic delivery system. You must use a recognized credential evaluation service. We recommend selecting an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES): https://naces.org/members/
How do I apply to MassBay?
Prospective Nursing students should first apply online using the general admission application: MassBay Community College Admissions Form General admission to MassBay requires that the applicant has completed a high school degree, or the equivalent or a college degree beyond high school completion. Upon application, you can fulfill the high school credential requirement by requesting an official transcript from your prior institution be sent directly to MassBay: an official high school transcript which includes the official graduation date, an official college or university transcript which includes the official graduation date, a GED credential, a HiSET credential, or Home School completion.
Applicants educated outside of the United States must have their credentials evaluated by an external evaluation agency. Transcripts and evaluations are considered official only when sent directly from the evaluation agency to MassBay, either in a sealed envelope or through a secure electronic delivery system. You must use a recognized credential evaluation service. We recommend selecting an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES): https://naces.org/members/
I heard that there are two applications for Nursing.
Yes, there are two separate applications that are required when applying to the nursing program.
When is the deadline to apply?
The general admissions application can be completed at any time for admission to General Studies– Nursing Track for any given fall, spring, or summer semester.
For the Selective Program Nursing Applications, please refer to the following link: Selective Admissions Programs
Are applicants who apply early given preference?
No. All qualified applicants that submit a Selective Program Nursing Application by the published deadline will be reviewed, and no preference is given to the order of submission.
Do I need to submit a letter of recommendation or my work history?
No. We do not accept letters of recommendation, and we do not consider prior or current work history as part of the admissions process.
I am an international student. Can I apply?
Yes, international students on an F1-Visa are eligible to apply for the Nursing programs. If you are applying as an international student, please refer to our webpage on your specific requirements and process: International Students
Once I submit my Selective Admissions Nursing Application, what happens next?
After the published deadline, the Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee will review each qualified applicant individually, assessing each of the admissions requirements. All required components will be compiled into an admission ranking data sheet and reviewed by the Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee. Completion of all requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program. You can review the ranking data sheet: Nursing Associate Degree
When will I be notified if I am admitted to the program?
All applicants who submitted a Selective Program Nursing Application will be notified of the committee’s decision approximately 30-45 days after the published deadline.
Do you have a wait list?
We do not have a wait list. After selecting the admitted student cohort, we do identify a small group of qualified students to be considered as an alternate admission candidate should an admitted student decline their seat in the program. Students selected as an alternate admission candidate will be notified of their pending status. If a seat does not open for an alternate admission candidate for any given admission cycle, they will remain as a General Studies -Nursing Track students and are welcome to apply for admission to the next cohort.
Is there a minimum grade requirement to stay in the program?
Yes. Students must earn a minimum grade of C (75%) in all nursing courses to progress in the program.
Is there a special onboarding process or orientation for the Nursing programs?
Yes, admitted students are required to attend a New Student Orientation and Registration session.
Where will the clinicals take place? Do I get to choose my clinical location?
Clinical placements are determined by the Nursing Program and are based on several factors, including clinical site availability, learning opportunities, course objectives, faculty assignments, and contractual agreements with our clinical partners. While we make every effort to provide students with meaningful clinical experiences, students cannot choose their clinical sites.
Also, students will not be assigned to a clinical placement at a facility where they are currently employed or where an immediate family member is employed. It is the responsibility of the student to disclose this information to the Program Chair before clinical placements are assigned. This policy is intended to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest, maintain professional boundaries, and support objective evaluation of student performance in the clinical setting.
Do you require vaccinations or other health requirements for the associate degree in Nursing program?
After being admitted into the nursing program, students will receive instructions on how to upload required health documentation to an online platform. Students must submit all documents by the published deadline to be eligible to start classes. Medical clearance and proof of immunizations as required by state law and outlined in the admissions paperwork and can be found on the Division of Health Sciences webpage: Health Sciences Students: Health and Background Check Requirements
Documentation from a healthcare provider of a positive antibody Hepatitis B titer, or of a non-responder status is required. A minimum of 6 months is required to complete this process.
Is there a background check?
Yes. Students must complete the CORI/SORI (Criminal/Sex Offender Record Information) to authorize a search of conviction and pending criminal case information under Standard Required Level 1 by DCJIS (Department of Criminal Justice Information Services) and a National County Criminal Background as part of the clinical requirements. A National County Criminal Background check will be conducted as part of the students’ completion of the clinical requirements.
Who can I contact for more information?
It depends. If you have not yet applied to the college, as a first step, we encourage you to attend a Nursing Information Session. Our information sessions provide a comprehensive and in-depth review of the program, the selective admissions process, and the admissions requirements. Our nursing programs are highly competitive, so understanding the entire process is an essential first step in pursuing a seat in the program. We want to set you up for success! You can sign-up for a session using the following link: https://www.massbay.edu/info-sessions
If you have already attended a nursing information session and wish to pursue applying to the program, your next step is to apply to the college (please see application process in the previous section of this document). Once you have been accepted into college with your general application, and attend your Ready2Register session, many of your questions will be answered by your assigned academic advisor. Your advisor will be assigned to you after attending the Ready2Register session.
For general questions about the program, MassBay, or the application process, you may email us admissions@massbay.edu
How much does it cost to attend the nursing program?
A breakdown of the college’s tuition and fees can be viewed here: Tuition & Fees
For qualifying students, the Nursing programs are eligible for financial aid and Free College.
What is Free College, and do I qualify?
Massachusetts residents who have not earned a bachelor’s degree may be eligible for Free Community College. You can learn more here: Free College.
Please remember that to qualify you must submit a FAFSA. Please contact the Financial Aid Department for assistance.
Do you have academic support services?
We do! Our Academic Achievement Center offers a wide range of academic support services to help students succeed throughout the semester: Academic Achievement Center
Do you have a Veteran’s Department?
We do! MassBay Veterans or Military Service members or their families can schedule a one-on-one appointment with our Coordinator of Veteran and Military Services at the Veterans Office of MassBay.