Indiana State University offers the only 100 percent online LPN to RN program in the country in 2010. This much-respected public university possesses a solid nursing program with reputable instructors. Indiana State's degree meets Alabama's licensing requirements, and the college arranges for the supervised nursing practicums to take place in the student's area.
Because Indiana's program results in a bachelor's degree in nursing, rather than a two-year associate degree, the program takes three years. LPNs receive credit for the course work they completed during their LPN education. However, experience as an LPN does not let students breeze through the challenging academics. For this degree, the university considers any grade below C a failing mark. LPNs complete the same course work as other students, only they start with their program's second year course work.
To qualify for Indiana State's program, applicants must have a reliable computer with Internet access and the ability to receive and transmit electronic documents. They must also have an active, unrestricted LPN license.
The university requires students to take an approved information technology literacy course and to maintain their medical and health records compliance as if they were on campus. The requirements mirror those of a hospital or skilled nursing facility. The university administers a special screening exam for nursing students called the TEAS, or Test of Essential Academic Skills.
The school considers the applicant's SAT or ACT scores along with previous academic records. Students need to take an SAT or ACT if they haven't done it previously. If it has been a while since applicants were in high school, the University weighs test scores and admission essays more heavily than high school academic results.